During the 2023-24 school year, 287 District 196 high school seniors demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English as part of the state’s Bilingual/Multilingual Seals and World Language Proficiency Certificate program.

The Minnesota Department of Education established the program to recognize the unique advantages of being a bilingual or multilingual speaker. To earn this honor, students are assessed in reading, writing, listening and speaking in a language other than English. Students are scored in all four areas based on proficiency guidelines established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

Students who met proficiency guidelines earned recognition on their transcript and may earn college credit as determined by each institution. Students in the Class of 2024 demonstrated proficiency in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

High school seniors interested in participating in the program during the 2024-25 school year should speak with their counselor, world languages teacher, English Learner teacher, or cultural family advocate for more information on how to register for the bilingual exams. Registration closes March 14, 2025, with testing scheduled for April 2025.