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World Languages

Growing Your NYS Seal of Biliteracy Program

Presenters:  Candace Black & Sarah Cioffi

Original Webinar Date & Time:  Monday, October 30th, 2023, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Webinar description:  Have you offered the NYS Seal of Biliteracy for one or more years and are now looking for ways to grow your program?  This session will present strategies for expanding an existing program, including:

  • raising awareness about the Seal among faculty, counselors, staff, and the school community;
  • recruiting and motivating students;
  • supporting English Language Learners to pursue the Seal;
  • monitoring student progress toward the Seal;
  • creating a pipeline for the Seal that spans middle and high school; and
  • streamlining the Culminating Project and presentation process.

Digital resources, a local BOCES contact, and ample time for participant questions will be provided.

Link to webinar flyer

Link to Handouts folder from webinar

Link to recording of webinar

Link to post-assessments

To receive a certificate of completion (including a CTLE certificate), NYS educators must view the recording of the webinar (see link above) in its entirety and then answer at least seven out of ten questions correctly on the post assessment.  If the minimum required score (7 out of 10) is achieved, the educator will receive a certificate via email within an hour.  For the convenience of our World Language educators, there are multiple versions of the post assessment available, should the required score not be achieved on the first attempt.  Educators may take each version of the post assessment once.

Important notes:

  1. Educators may take each version of the post assessment once.  Credit will not be given for taking a single version of the post assessment more than once. 
  2. Credit will not be given for more than one passing score on any of the post assessments for a webinar (listed below) in a single academic year.  
  3. Educators may receive credit for viewing the webinar recording and passing a post assessment once in each academic year and are encouraged to take a different version of the post assessment on a yearly basis to review and test their knowledge of the webinar's content. 
  4. It is the responsibility of the individual educator to keep track of the information on the professional learning they complete each year, including the number of CTLE hours.
  5. Questions about this webinar or the post assessments, should be directed to Candace Black at (518) 473-7505 or at candace.black@nysed.gov(link sends e-mail)(link sends e-mail)(link sends e-mail).

Webinar Summary

# of attendees:  44
# of CTLE certificates issued:  28
# of certificates of attendance issued: 16
# of organizations represented by attendees: 28

38 participants from district schools

3 participants from non-public schools

1 participants from BOCES/RBERN

For more information on the NYS Seal of Biliteracy, please visit our website or contact nyssb@nysed.gov. 

Webinar Presenters: 

Candace Black is the World Languages Associate in the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at the New York State Education Department.  She is currently leading the implementation of the revised NYS World Languages Standards and oversees the NYS Seal of Biliteracy program.  Candace graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in French from SUNY Potsdam and earned both her M.B.A., and M.A.T. from the University of Rochester. A National Board-Certified Teacher, Candace taught French for 21 years and served as an IB Diploma Coordinator. In 2021, she was the recipient of the President’s Award for both NYSAFLT and NYSAWLA and was elected as a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques by the French government.  In all her roles, most especially her current one, Candace is deeply committed to the professional learning and support of World Language teachers and the promotion of the NYS Seal of Biliteracy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Cioffi is the K-12 Academic Administrator for World Languages and English as a New Language at the Shenendehowa Central School District in Clifton Park, NY (Saratoga County). Sarah earned her B.A. in French and Political Science from the University of Vermont, an M.A.T. from Union College, her administrative degree from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and is currently working on her doctoral degree in educational leadership from Russell Sage College. Sarah taught French and Spanish for 25 years, and currently teaches in the M.A.T. programs at both Clarkson University and Bard College. She was recently awarded the Gordon Baker Alumni Award for service and leadership at Clarkson University. Sarah is a member of the New York State World Language Leadership Council, the NYS ELL Leadership Council, and the NYS Seal of Biliteracy Task Force, and is a co-director of the NYCAL World Language Exam Consortium.