Executive Director, Dr. Anya Hurwitz speaks about SEAL with the Early Link Podcast. Rooted at the intersection of research and educational equity, the program is an English learner-focused approach to education. The model includes curriculum, professional development, and technical assistance so that schools and teachers can better meet the needs of English language learners.
SEAL Program Manager Heather Skibbins speaks to her experiences as both an educator and the parent of a bilingual child. Skibbins describes how her understanding of effective bilingual instruction shifted after she began reading research and attending workshops with experts in the field of dual language.
Dear Friends,
It is an exciting time for English learners in the State of California. We have a new Governor who committed $2.4 billion to early childhood and a new State Superintendent who believes in investing in English learners.
Here at SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Learning) we are embracing the moment to continue putting English learners front and center. I am proud to announce our new nonprofit, independent status. We are deeply grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for their support over the past 10 years, and their commitment to our success in the future. The foundation leadership has given us the room to experiment and hone the SEAL model to have an outsized impact on how English Learners learn a new language while retaining their native language. The results speak for themselves: SEAL has reached 50,000 students and trained 1,600 teachers in over 100 elementary schools across 21 school districts, and in over 130 preschool classrooms across 24 preschool local educational agencies throughout the state.
As an independent organization, our mission will stay the same: to put English Learners at the heart of California’s education system. We will grow our work by partnering with more school districts, advocating for state-level changes that focus on English learners’ needs, and supporting implementation of the English Learner Roadmap.
We are thrilled to continue this journey with you. If this is your first introduction to SEAL, welcome — we look forward to partnering with you at this key moment to ensure success for all of our state’s English Learners.
Sincerely,
Anya Hurwitz
Executive Director
SEAL
[OAKLAND, Calif. – July 22, 2019] – After 10 years as a project of The Sobrato Family Foundation, SEAL has become an independent nonprofit organization.
“It is an exciting time for English Learners in California,” said SEAL’s executive director, Anya Hurwitz. “With a new Governor committing billions of dollars to early childhood and a new State Superintendent who believes in investing in English Learners, we at SEAL are embracing this moment to continue putting English Learners front and center while we transform what student learning can and should be.”
SEAL’s mission will stay the same: to prepare all English Learners to learn, thrive and lead by placing their needs at the center of classrooms, districts, state-level policy and the research field. As a new organization, SEAL will continue to address English Learner needs at all levels to create long-term systemic changes. The organization will strategically expand to work with more districts alongside preschool local education agencies committed to prioritizing their youngest English Learners and dual-language learners. And, we will advocate for state-level changes that focus on English Learners’ needs, and support implementation of the English Learner Roadmap.
Since launching 10 years ago, SEAL has reached more than 50,000 students and trained more than 1,600 teachers. The model has translated into tangible outcomes for English Learners: An early evaluation of SEAL pilot sites found that SEAL students demonstrated significant gains on language, literacy and cognition measures. In fact, despite starting school with language and academic skills behind their peers, SEAL students were able to catch up or surpass their peers on all measures.
“The Sobrato Family Foundation is pleased with the significant progress SEAL has made since its inception, demonstrating outsized impact on how English Learners learn while emphasizing the value of students’ home language and culture,” said SEAL board chair, John Matthew Sobrato. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with SEAL at this key moment to ensure success for all of California’s English Learners.”
To learn more about SEAL, its model, and the positive impact it is having in districts and schools across California, visit SEAL.org.
In 2016 California had a major policy shift with the passage of Proposition 58, which repealed the state’s 20-year-old English-only education law and recognized the value of bilingualism. The law opened the door for the development of bilingual programs – like SEAL – that many educators in the state had been advocating for for years.
The SEAL model has been successful because of its intense professional development that supports teachers over time—an emphasis on involving families and curriculum designed to build children’s oral language skills.
Research shows that no matter what language they speak, it’s crucial for small children to be exposed to lots of rich, complex vocabulary to help their brains grow. It helps them learn to speak and gives them a strong foundation to later learn to read and write. For children who speak a language other than English at home, research shows that early development of both their home language and English can help them succeed later in life.