Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. Through the study of language and culture, students develop cultural and global competence to successfully interact within our diverse local, national and global communities. With increasing levels of language proficiency, students develop knowledge and skills to become effective communicators in academic and career contexts, as well as in life.

World language content standards for each course align with Washington K-12 World Languages Learning Standards and 21st century skills. State standards are adopted from the national standards published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and incorporate English Language Arts Common Core Standards (ELA CCSS) standards.

The eleven standards delineate what students should know and be able to do in five goal areas:

• Communication – Develop interpersonal, interpretive, and presentation communication competencies for different contexts and purposes
• Cultures – Interact with cultural competence and understanding
• Connections - Connect with other disciplines and acquire information and diverse perspectives to function effectively in academic and career-related situations
• Comparisons - Develop insight into the nature of language and culture
• Communities – Communicate and interact with cultural competence to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world

A focus on use of the target language in the classroom, rather than using English, and learning and studying language and culture with authentic cultural resources are best practices that world language teachers strive to incorporate in their classes. District-adopted instructional materials provide support for teachers and students with textbooks and online resources. Teachers also engage students with the world by connecting them with resources that bring language and culture into the classroom, such as accessing cultural and news resources in countries they are studying.

Everett Public Schools world languages program offers Chinese, French, German, and Spanish at the high school level. At the middle school level Spanish 1 is an elective option for 8th graders. Students are encouraged to go beyond the two years of language study required for high school graduation and for admission to Washington state four-year colleges and universities. Options for further study include Advanced Placement (AP) language and culture courses, and, for Spanish, the AP Spanish Literature and Culture course.

Everett Public Schools also offers students the opportunity to earn proficiency-based world language credits by demonstrating their reading, writing, interpretation, and speaking skills on district-administered assessments offered in the fall and spring each year. This process recognizes and honors students for their bilingual knowledge and skills.

Everett Public Schools also recognizes students who have achieved high levels of knowledge and skill in language by honoring students at graduation with the Seal of Biliteracy medallion and with the Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas and transcripts.

The Washington State Seal of Biliteracy is established to recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more world languages in addition to English. "Participating school districts with students eligible to receive the Seal, shall place a notation on a student's high school diploma and high school transcript indicating that the student has earned the seal." (RCW 28A.230.125)

To earn the Seal of Biliteracy, students must demonstrate:

• Proficiency in English by earning four credits of high school English and passing the state English Language Arts assessment requirement, and
• Proficiency in a world language other than English by demonstrating Intermediate-Mid (IM) proficiency on district-approved world language proficiency tests, earning four world language proficiency credits or by earning a score of 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement world language exam