Carol Feingold/Correspondent
Last June, when Sofia Juste graduated Newburyport High School, her diploma featured a little something extra the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) a new distinction awarded to students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.
“The program was piloted in the state for two or three years before it was opened to public schools,” Assistant Superintendent Angela Bik said. “We had to meet requirements and make a commitment to administer the assessments and communicate with the community. We applied in the fall of 2019, and 2020 was our first spring.”