In the past school year, the first year since Iowa launched the Biliteracy Seal recognizing high school students who are proficient in more than one language, 775 students have earned the seal. The award is a recognition that proficiency in a second language gives students an edge in the labor market and global society. Of the 96 school districts that signed up to offer the seal, 55 districts awarded it to their students during the past school year. Students earned the seal in 19 different languages: American Sign Language, Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Karen languages, Korean, Latin, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, and Vietnamese.