Proposed Amendments to Seal of Biliteracy Regulations 2025

Public comment on the MA State Seal of Biliteracy Regulations, 603 CMR 31.04, may be submitted by completing the form below, or by emailing MAStateSealofBiliteracy@mass.gov, or by submitting written comment via mail to: Regulations Public Comment, c/o Commissioner’s Office, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149. The deadline to submit public comment is December 5, 2025 at 5:00 pm. The Board is expected to vote on the proposed amendments at its regular monthly meeting scheduled for January 27, 2026.

Key Information:

• Regulatory Authority: 603 CMR 31.04 — M.G.L. c. 69, §§ 1B, 1D, and 1Q.
• Summary of Changes: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is proposing amendments to 603 CMR 31.04, the regulations governing the State Seal of Biliteracy, for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s review and public comment. Originally adopted after passage of the LOOK Act (2017), the regulations establish criteria for recognizing high school graduates who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language. Because the state competency determination no longer relies on a minimum MCAS score following the 2024 ballot initiative and subsequent regulatory changes in May 2025, the Department proposes removing outdated references and aligning the Seal criteria with current law. The amendments also make several clarifying and procedural updates to better support schools and districts in implementing the Seal program. These changes are intended to maintain consistency with state policy, ensure equitable access for students, and strengthen communication between districts, families, and higher education institutions.
  • 31.04 (1)(b) - Insert the word "annual" to clarify that districts should provide written notification to parents or guardians about the Seal of Biliteracy every year, so that all students and families are aware of the program. This is a simple clarification that addresses questions the Department has received.
  • 31.04 (1)(c) - Replace the words "diploma or the transcript, or both" with  "transcript." This clarification responds to questions the Department has received from districts, families, and institutions of higher education. When high schools put the Seal on the diploma only, and not on the transcript, institutions of higher education cannot verify that students earned the Seal of Biliteracy because students do not submit their diplomas. If Seals are included on transcripts, then students will be able to get appropriate placement and/or credit in college. Districts would still be able to put the Seal on the diploma, if they choose to do so. 
  • 31.04 (2)(b) - Replace the term "foreign language” with “language other than English." This change has been made in other areas across the Department since the release of the 2021 World Languages Framework to be more inclusive.
  • 31.04 (2)(b)(1) - Specify that scores on an assessment of a language other than English must come from a test taken "during or after 8th grade." This clarifies that scores must come from a test taken in high school, or no earlier than 8th grade, which is a common time that many world language students are assessed. This change is in line with Seal of Biliteracy standards in many other states.
  • 31.04 (2)(a) - Remove original English proficiency criteria 1, 2, 3, and 4, which referenced the old MCAS/Competency Determination regulations, and replace them with new criteria now labeled 1, 2, 3. These updated criteria still use the grade 10 ELA MCAS test as a key measure of English proficiency, as required by state law, but they also give the Department the flexibility to approve additional measures of English proficiency by identifying other "nationally recognized or readily available assessments" and determining a score threshold aligned to the Meeting or Exceeding Expectations on the ELA MCAS. This change leverages the flexibility afforded to the Department within the law and also addresses feedback from a variety of stakeholders requesting additional options for students to demonstrate English proficiency. 
    
    The proposed changes may be read in their entirety at https://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy2026/2025-10/ 
     
• Email Address to Submit Public Comment or Questions: MAStateSealofBiliteracy@mass.gov