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Promoting the Seal & Recruiting Students

Webinar description

Did you know that less than 3% of all NYS high school graduates earn the NYS Seal of Biliteracy? Did you know that there are thousands more students who speak or are learning English and another language and who are ideal candidates for the NYS Seal of Biliteracy? This webinar will present tools and strategies to promote the Seal of Biliteracy and recruit participants that have proven successful at both large and small schools across the state. Come away with ideas to both identify and recruit students to be honored for their skills and hard work in developing language proficiency. Then, learn how to successfully engage with stakeholders in your school community to ensure they have a solid understanding of the Seal and can assist you in recruiting students.*NYCDOE schools do not submit this form, as the information is submitted on their behalf by the Division of Multilingual Learners. Charter and non-public schools within the NYC area as well as all schools in the rest of state must submit their own Notification forms directly to OBEWL.

Original webinar date & time: Monday, December 4th, 2023, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

1 hour of CTLE credit offered.

Webinar presenters

Candace Blackis the World Languages Associate in the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at the 鶹. 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.

Francisco Alberto García-Quezada, known as “El Profe,” is a humanistic education practitioner with a mission to highlight the students’ qualities and capabilities as intentional, critical,creative thinkers and leaders. He has been an educator for over 36 years, teaching in secondary, community college and undergraduate private and public schools. He retired from North Rockland Central School District as the district’s World Language Department Coordinator. In 2021, he joined the Center for Educational Partnerships at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education, where he is part of a team developing initiatives for NYC's Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network. He is an Officer of the Board of Directors of the AATSP MetropolitanNY Chapter, and an active member of the AATSP National. He is also an active member of ACTFL, in which he serves in various capacities. He has presented in local, regional, national and international language conferences.

Link to post-assessments (8 versions available)

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 a post assessment. If the minimum required score (7 out of 10) is achieved, the educator will receive a certificate via emailwithin about 24 hours. For the convenience of our World Language educators, there are multiple versions of the post assessment available (see 8 versions of the post assessment below), should the required score not be achieved on the first attempt.Educators may take each version of the post assessmentonce.Credit will not be given for taking a single version of the post assessment more than once.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. 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. Questions about this webinar or the post assessments, should be directed to our office at (518) 473-7505 or atnyssb@nysed.gov.

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

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