September 28, 2022
Harvard Students Expand Seal of Biliteracy Options with ASL
Since the Dual Language program started in 2007, many Harvard CUSD 50 students have earned their Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish. The Seal of Biliteracy is a national award that recognizes students who are proficient in two or more languages. CUSD 50 has set a district goal that more than 50% of the graduates will earn their Seal of Biliteracy by 2026. HHS students have risen to the challenge – this year alone, a record-breaking thirty-one graduates earned their Seal of Biliteracy during the 2021-22 school year.
Beginning in 2020, Harvard High School began offering an American Sign Language (ASL) program, which is also an option for biliteracy. In the two years the program has been active, enrollment in ASL classes has gone from just over 20 students to 87 students. As ASL is the third most utilized language in the United States, there has been an increase in interest in signing and an increased demand for those who are fluent in ASL.
Harvard CUSD 50’s Ruth Ready has been teaching ASL for 27 years and is a fantastic advocate for the importance of an opportunity like this for Harvard students and ASL’s overall culture. Ruth graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1995 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf Education and then went on to receive her Bilingual-Bicultural Certificate from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. in 1997.
“I am a fluent signer myself for over 35 years,” says Ready. “I am not a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), but met a profoundly Deaf, nonverbal person at the age of 19, and learned very quickly from him. I became immersed in the language and culture, feeling more competent with my ASL skills than my native English speaking! I remain active in the Deaf community that I call my ‘home base.’ I feel very welcomed and accepted in the community, and hope to open that same door for our students in Harvard.”
Ruth also added that ASL can be used in your everyday life and students' future careers adding, “At the very best, it can provide a whole world of growth, opportunities, and a rewarding career that they might never have even known to exist. At the very least, it can be an added skill and awareness in communication to bolster their future in any college or career choice.”