Stoughton Schools Earn State Seal Of Biliteracy Star Award

STOUGHTON, MA — Stoughton Public Schools has received state recognition for helping students demonstrate proficiency in multiple languages.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education presented the district with a Seal of Biliteracy Star Award based on its State Seal of Biliteracy outcomes during the 2024-25 school year. The award recognizes districts that expand opportunities for students to demonstrate multilingual skills and earn the seal on their diplomas and transcripts.

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Students earn the State Seal of Biliteracy by demonstrating proficiency in English and another language. They must receive a qualifying score on the English Language Arts MCAS exam and score in the advanced proficient range on a language assessment.

To qualify for the Star Award, districts were required to have at least 50 seal recipients or seals awarded to at least 10 percent of graduates. Districts also had to meet at least one equity benchmark.

Stoughton was recognized for awarding seals to "Ever ELs," or students who received English as a Second Language services at some point in their education.

Multilingual Learner Director Dr. Amy Quealy, Assistant Multilingual Learner Director Elizabeth Despres and Stoughton High School Spanish teacher Roberto Rivas represented the district at an awards ceremony last week in Devens. They were joined by DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez.

"Stoughton schools foster multilingualism as an asset," Quealy said. "I tell the kids that being able to speak more than one language is a superpower. It's pretty impressive that Stoughton has so many students who can carry that superpower for the rest of their lives."

Quealy thanked DESE and Martinez for recognizing the work of the district's teachers, students and families.

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