PHS 2022 Graduates Earn Seal of Biliteracy
Spanish I and II courses are great opportunities for high school students to prepare themselves for college courses and in fact, it is a requirement to enter most four-year state colleges. Having a language background allows students to focus in on what they understand about their first language, anchoring the knowledge more firmly, especially in science and language leaning. Second language acquisition also provides one a better cultural perspective and an additional lens for learning and appreciating cultures.
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSuch course work also allows for better pay when seeking part time or full time work; having the ability to connect and communicate with others in any business can be a game changer for customers and the owner of any business. The US Bureau of Labor says that having a second language can even boost your pay by 20%. That’s not bad! And although there is a 24% increase in need for interpreters and translators currently, a second language can be invaluable in any line of work.
For the last 6 years, the school has been providing national testing for all Spanish IV students. Each April higher level Spanish students take the STAMP test and complete 4 test sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. This test can be intense and does require 4 class periods and for some even a bit more time. This test grows with your responses, therefore, the more you answer correctly, the longer the test can become. The results from this test do two things. Most importantly, it tells the students where their skills are at after 4 years of study, which is wonderful for including on their resumes. Ideally, one should be at the Intermediate low range on a proficiency scale. Secondly, if the score is at a higher level, the Intermediate Midlevel or higher, students qualify for the Nebraska State Seal of Biliteracy. In this case, students can earn 9 credit hours from UNK, UNO or Doane by simply sharing their testing results.
This year 5 individuals earned the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy at Palmyra High School. They were: Nima Faunce, Kylee Kment, Alissa Schejbal, Andrew Waltke, Serenity Wheeler. A huge congratulations/“felicidades” to you all!
