1. 2018

2. Speak World Languages Celebrating the Power of Multilingualism
Speak World Languages Celebrating the Power of Multilingualism! A resource for educators
A coalition of ELL advocates in the Road Map Region (South King County, WA) came together several years ago to advocate for significant shifts in how our schools systems value and support the assets ELL students bring to the classroom.
The key strategy became: to build public will and positive messages around bilingualism, emphasizing the importance of supporting and retaining home language to parents, students, educators and policy makers.
By recognizing the value of home language and encouraging its development and maintenance, we also hope to promote classroom diversity and sustain pride in cultural identity.

3. Table of contents
OneAmerica and the Roadmap Region’s work to build a culturally and linguistically responsive school system
The Facts About Bilingualism
World Language Credit Program
Seal of Biliteracy
What You Can Do?
Speak Your Language campaign & website
Dual Language Bill and other advocacy efforts
Our vision is to build a system that is culturally and linguistically reflective of the communities our schools serve.

4. Our vision
Build an education system that reflects the strengths and assets of our diverse communities and eliminates disparities.
Our vision is to build a system that is culturally and linguistically reflective of the communities our schools serve.

5. At the root of our work
Address and shift power dynamics that exist in the education system
Advocate for policies that create equity – ensure that all students and families get what they need to have the same opportunities in education
Education Work
Since our founding, OneAmerica has been dedicated to improving education to ensure equity and quality for all students and building an educational system that is reflective of our asset-rich and very diverse demographic. The faces of our classrooms are changing – in fact, Washington State ranks tenth in diversity in the U.S. and is among 12 states with the highest English language learner (ELL) student enrollment.   
OneAmerica’s members have identified education improvements as a top priority area. As a result, OneAmerica works to create a stronger, more equitable education system, from cradle to career through a variety of efforts including state policy change, regional collective impact strategies, parent engagement, and increased community voice in education decision making and systems-building.
We heard from our base that education is important and we need to improve systems.
Themes: language preservation, discipline, translation, access to core classes, college access.

6. The facts
Over half the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual
More than 180 languages are spoken across the state of Washington
More than 1 in 3 first graders in South Seattle and South King County is an ELL student
In the United States, 21% of school-age children (between ages 5-17) speak a language other than English at home.
Source: American Speech Language Hearing Association. The Advantages of Being Bilingual. Available online: 
We MUST change the way our education system supports and engages diverse communities
Linguistically diverse and students of color are disproportionately impacted by the opportunity gap
Our vision is to build a system that is culturally and linguistically reflective of the communities our schools serve.

7. What we know about bilingualism
BILINGUALISM IS EXTREMELY COMMON – AND RISING!
In the United States, 21% of school-age children (between ages 5-17) speak a language other than English at home. This number is projected to increase in the coming years.
Over the past ten years, English Language Learner (ELL) student enrollment nationwide has climbed 57%, while the student population only grew 3%.
Source: American Speech Language Hearing Association. The Advantages of Being Bilingual. Available online:
Source: OSPI Report Card, 2016

8. What we know about bilingualism
BILINGUALS HAVE SUPERIOR SKILL SETS THAT AID CLASSROOM LEARNING
Bilingual individuals have been shown to be more creative and better at planning and solving complex problems than monolinguals.
BILINGUAL CHILDREN ARE BETTER ABLE TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON RELEVANT INFORMATION AND IGNORE DISTRACTIONS
MAINTAINING HOME LANGUAGE HELPS ENGLISH LEARNERS ACQUIRE ENGLISH
Research shows that children who have a strong foundation in their home language more easily learn a second language.
A child can succeed in learning English whether or not it is the spoken language at home. In fact, there is no evidence that frequent use of the second language in the home is essential for a child to learn a second language.
Sources: Center for Applied Linguistics. Benefits of being bilingual. Available online:
Also: Paradis, J., Genesee, F., & Crago, M. (2011). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A handbook on bilingualism & second language learning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Sources: Canadian Council on Learning (2008). Parlez-vous français? The advantages of bilingualism in Canada and Poulin-Dubois, D., Blaye, A., Coutya, J & Bialystok, E. (2011). The effects of bilingualism on toddlers’ executive functioning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 108 (3),
Source: Paradis, J., Genesee, F., & Crago, M. (2011). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A handbook on bilingualism & second language learning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

9. The advantages of bilingualism
Bilingual students are better able to ignore distraction and focus their attention
Bilingual students are more creative and better at planning and problem solving
Bilingualism leads to stronger identity
*Bilingual students are better able to ignore distraction and focus their attention.
Sources: Canadian Council on Learning (2008). Parlez-vous français? The advantages of bilingualism in Canada. Available online:  Poulin-Dubois, D., Blaye, A., Coutya, J & Bialystok, E. (2011). The effects of bilingualism on toddlers’ executive functioning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 108 (3), 
Related: Bilingualism correlates to better inhibitory and attentional abilities (Barac et al. 2014)
*Bilingual students are more creative and better at planning and problem solving than monolinguals
Sources: Center for Applied Linguistics. Benefits of being bilingual. Available online:  Paradis, J., Genesee, F., & Crago, M. (2011). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A handbook on bilingualism & second language learning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
*Bilingualism leads to stronger identity: positive effects of self-concept, self-esteem, ethnic identification and tolerance, and development of children’s native linguistic resources (Rolstad, 2000)

10. How bilingual students perform in school
Bilingual students retain cultural pride
A child can succeed in learning English whether or not it is the spoken language at home
Maintaining home language may make it easier for students to acquire English 
Receiving credits made students confident about being bilingual
*Bilingual students retain cultural pride when we recognize their language knowledge as an important personal asset
*A child can succeed in learning English whether or not it is the spoken language at home. There is no evidence that the second language, the language they are trying to learn, needs to be used at home in order for them to learn that language (such as English).
Source: Paradis, J., Genesee, F., & Crago, M. (2011). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A handbook on bilingualism & second language learning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
*Maintaining home language may make it easier for students to acquire English.
Research shows that children who have a strong foundation in their home language more easily learn a second language. 
*Receiving credits made students confident about being bilingual. Most students agreed that receiving credits gave them confidence in their bilingual ability and made them feel like “the language is really useful.” The program motivated students to improve their language skills or to learn a new one, and for some students it created a stronger sense of connection to their previous life experiences and with their parents and family members. (Source: Credit for Proficiency The Impact of the Road Map World Language Credit Program on Student Attitudes Toward Bilingualism and School October 2014, Jason Greenberg Motamedi, Ph.D. and Zafreen Jaffery, Ed.D.

11. A helpful video about Home Language and why it’s so important:
What can you do?
A helpful video about Home Language and why it’s so important:
CREATE A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT THAT CELEBRATES LANGUAGES!
Actively encourage parents to retain home language & SUPPORT THEM in doing so!
Parents will always look to you for guidance on what’s in their child’s best interest. Be direct with families about how important it is to maintain home language. The loss of language is, ultimately, a loss for the student.
For many families, you are a key gatekeeper to information to clear misconceptions about home language retention. From you, they can learn that not only will it have cultural and personal benefits, but distinct cognitive and emotional benefits for their child.

12. What can you do?
EMBRACE HOME LANGUAGE, DIVERSITY OF CULTURES AND FAMILY EXPERIENCES IN THE CLASSROOM. Below are some ideas:
Stock your library with books representing home languages and stories
Create visual displays to celebrate diversity
Create visual displays to celebrate languages
Encourage all students, monolingual or multilingual, to recognize the power of bilingualism. You can support bilingual students in maintaining home language by simply providing them with the space and opportunity to express their identity in the classroom
Consider doing activities that allow students to share their bilingualism, such as sharing word in their own language
Take a 30 Day Culture-Positive Classroom Challenge, where every day class begins first with sharing a new fact about a different classroom culture

13. Help your bilingual students excel and get the credit they deserve
Home language speakers can now earn high school credits toward graduation for their home language fluency
Biliteracy programs are beneficial for student graduation and college goals
Bilingual students may experience increased career success: bilingual workers are in higher demand than ever before, in a wide range of industries
IMPORTANT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR BILINGUAL STUDENTS
*Home language speakers can now earn high school credits toward graduation for their home language fluency, testing for World Language Credits or receiving a Seal of Biliteracy on their diploma and transcript.
*Biliteracy programs are beneficial for student graduation and college goals.
One in five (21%) students who participated in the World Language Credit program needed their competency-based world language credits to graduate high school
One in ten (10%) students who participated in the World Language Credit program needed the competency-based credits to be eligible to attend a four-year college. (Source: 
*Bilingual students may experience increased career success: bilingual workers are in higher demand than ever before, in a wide range of industries.

14. World language credit program
Watch the video: World Language Credit Program Honors Bilingual Immigrant Students
Did you know students can receive up to 4 high school credits just for speaking a language besides English? That includes their home language!
Students across the seven Road Map districts, from a wide range of backgrounds, and consistently found that the Road Map World Language Credit Program provided positive recognition of the value of bilingualism and increased students' pride in and appreciation for their own strengths.
It also appeared to help them meet graduation requirements.
In our ongoing efforts to close the opportunity gap for immigrant families in the education system, We have also advocated for the expansion of the World Language Credit Program through south King County. The World Language Credit program is an elective credits program through which students can receive up to four (4) elective credits for fluency in a non-English language. These credits are used toward graduation and are required by four-year colleges in Washington. By working with legislators in Olympia, we were able to assure that the World Language Credit program was extended to many districts including all seven school districts in south King County.
Students who speak, read, and write a language other than English can earn world language credits in high school and college by demonstrating proficiency.
Students who demonstrate proficiency on nationally recognized proficiency assessments may be able to receive competency credits on their high school transcript.
For students in K–12 grades, our goal is to develop a system that supports any bilingual student to receive world language credits by demonstrating language proficiency. In order to increase student access, OSPI has established a process to empower and engage school districts to set up competency testing for their bilingual students and support third party agencies and to offer testing in their communities.
The program will address specific needs:
To honor and validate students’ first language and the languages of their families
To provide opportunities for fluent and literate speakers to receive high school credit for their knowledge of these languages
To open up opportunities for students to access core subject credits required for graduation
To prepare bilingual students for future career opportunities in private industry and to meet government needs for skilled bilingual speakers
To motivate students to take advanced courses in their heritage languages at their schools, in college or at ethnic community centers
Education Northwest spoke with students across the seven Road Map districts, from a wide range of backgrounds, and consistently found that the Road Map World Language Credit Program provided positive recognition of the value of bilingualism and increased students' pride in and appreciation for their own strengths. It also appeared to help them meet graduation requirements.
“I feel honored. Because that’s my language. I don’t really use it that often. I just use it at home. At school I’m afraid to use it.”
- Youcef Ben

15. State seal of biliteracy
CURRENT STATUS
Year 4 of Implementation: Current Status: Locally administered by Washington school district per OSPI guidelines (Optional Participation)
Seals awarded in SY 2016 = 2,256 (up nearly 30%)
47 languages tested in 41 school districts in Washington
The Seal of Biliteracy is a graduation diploma feature for students who have demonstrated proficiency and literacy in a language other than English.
“We were ecstatic when we had students requesting to test in more than 50 languages… It helps us motivate students to continue to strive to develop their language skills, especially reading and writing, and to aim for high school graduation so they can earn the Seal of Biliteracy on their diploma…”
Michele Anciaux Aoki, Ph.D., P.M.P.
International Education Administrator Seattle Public Schools
OneAmerica played a key role in passing the Seal of Biliteracy in Washington. The Seal of Biliteracy honors an important, innate asset held by many students in our school systems: their home language.
The Seal of Biliteracy is a graduation diploma feature for students who have demonstrated proficiency and literacy in a language other than English through Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) testing, or by qualifying for achieved the full four (4) World Language Competency-Based Credits. In partnership with a number of allies, OneAmerica and our coalition partners passed this important piece of legislation to strengthen systematic support and positive recognition of bilingual students statewide.
Read the Seal of Biliteracy Bill here: Washington SB 6424
How Do Students Benefit from Earning the Seal of Biliteracy?
• Students who study a world language offered at school (i.e., Chinese, French, German, Spanish…) may earn the Seal with strong scores on AP or IB World Language exams. See Flow Chart for pathways to the Seal.
• Heritage speaking students may earn up to 4 World Language Competency-based Credits by demonstrating high levels of proficiency in their heritage language (i.e., Marshallese, Hindi, Spanish…) and by fulfilling ELA requirements. See Language Options.
• Heritage Speakers feel a sense of inclusion and pride by being recognized for their bilingual assets.
• The Seal of Biliteracy is a “value-added” earned honor posted to the student’s transcript and is recognized for entrance by 4-year colleges in Washington. See sample transcript.
Where Can We Learn More about the Seal of Biliteracy?
• For general information, see Seal of Biliteracy and Competency-based Credit on the OSPI World Language website.
• For additional information about language testing and staff development, contact the Washington Association for Language Teachers (WAFLT)
• Also: Angela Dávila, OSPI World Languages Program Supervisor,

16. About the speak your language campaign
Advance policies and build systems to embrace, cultivate, and honor bilingualism as a skill and asset.
Disprove “English-only” myths that discourage parents from speaking their native language with their children.
Shift school systems from being English-dominant to valuing language and its connection to culture and heritage, and promote positive identity for children in schools.
The campaign seeks to…
Advance policies and build systems to embrace, cultivate, and honor bilingualism as a skill and asset.
Disprove “English-only” myths that discourage parents from speaking their native language with their children.
Shift school systems from being English-dominant to valuing language and its connection to culture and heritage, and promote positive identity for children in schools.
We’ve developed resources to share with families, students, educators and policy makers, and have partnered with other community based organizations and school districts to implement our advocacy efforts to advance local and state policies.

17. Advancing policies that advance home language in school
There is POWER when communities come together and demand changes.
We have worked with School Boards across the greater Seattle area to put policies in place that honor bilingualism as an asset of ELL students.
To give one leading example, we worked with the Highline School Board, which governs one of the most diverse student bodies in Washington state, to unanimously pass a Home Language Resolution. Highline’s School Board Resolution affirms their commitment to ensuring students develop and maintain home language, expanding Highline’s dual language, world language, and community language opportunities for students, and diversify their teacher workforce. Within its Resolution (07-16), the School Board also formally endorsed the goals of our Speak Your Language campaign to complement their existing goal that every student graduates bilingual and biliterate by 2025.
Parents in the Renton School District advocate for Dual Language programs at a school board meeting
Highline School District unanimously passed Home Language Campaign Resolution!

18. Recent wins
In 2017, we passed SHB 1445, to expand funding and capacity for dual language programs in early learning and elementary, middle and high schools. Read it here: SHB 1445
SHB 1445 provides a comprehensive approach to dual-language instruction for early learning and K-12 students, and is a pioneering model for culturally relevant education aimed at preserving students’ home languages while giving students who may have grown up speaking English only the opportunity to become bilingual.
In addition this bill also provides grants to school districts to establish long-term strategies to recruit, prepare and mentor bilingual high school students to become bilingual teachers and counselors in the future.

19. Speak world languages activity
> Tuesday, October 9: Speak World Languages
Speak World Languages Activity
Speak World Languages Educator Presentation

20. BILINGUALISM STATEMENTS
TRUE OR FALSE?
Children whose parents speak to them in more than one language will speak both languages badly.
Bilingual children do better at school.
Bilinguals are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
It is impossible to become fluent in another language once you are an adult.
With each language you learn, the process gets easier.

21. BILINGUALISM STATEMENTS
TRUE OR FALSE?
Children whose parents speak to them in more than one language will speak both languages badly.
Bilingual children do better at school.
Bilinguals are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
It is impossible to become fluent in another language once you are an adult.
With each language you learn, the process gets easier.
FALSE
TRUE
TRUE
FALSE
TRUE

22. recourses
Speak Your Language Campaign website
Speak Your Language Campaign Flyers in 24 languages
Families and Educators Toolkits
MomsRising.org ha an immensely helpful page full of information and resources for parents and educators