Model and Strategy
SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Language) is a statewide leader in advancing educational equity for California’s English Learner and Multilingual Learner (EL/ML) students. The organization’s mission is to prepare these students to learn, thrive, and lead by building educator capacity, shaping inclusive policy, and advancing the field’s understanding of best practices. SEAL envisions a future where every California classroom supports bilingualism and biliteracy, and every educator is equipped to honor and build upon the linguistic and cultural assets students bring to school.
SEAL’s work is rooted in a comprehensive, whole-child approach to language development and literacy. Its flagship offering, the SEAL Full Model, is a multiyear professional development initiative for early learning programs and K–6 schools. The model is designed to be schoolwide and deeply collaborative: teachers, administrators, coaches, and families engage in intensive, ongoing training that emphasizes cross-grade coherence, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the integration of oral language, literacy, and content knowledge. Support includes on-site training, virtual convenings, coaching, asynchronous learning modules, and access to a curated library of multilingual instructional resources. To date, SEAL’s work has been implemented in 342 preschool and elementary schools across 67 school districts and county offices of education.
Recognizing that many districts face staffing and financial limitations that make multiyear implementation challenging, SEAL has launched two additional strands of work to broaden access and flexibility: “Designs for Change,” a suite of targeted workshops and trainings tailored to schools’ specific needs and contexts; and the “Knowledge Hub,” a growing platform for research, technical assistance, and field leadership. These offerings extend SEAL’s impact beyond its Full Model sites and support organizations across the state in aligning with California’s English Learner Roadmap and Prop 58-era priorities.
SEAL also plays an active role in shaping statewide and national policy. The organization regularly serves on key advisory groups—such as the State Board of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission—and co-leads advocacy coalitions like the Dual Language Learner Advocacy Collaboration. By elevating practitioner voices and advancing research-based policy recommendations, SEAL helps create the systemic conditions necessary for multilingual learners to succeed.
Moving forward, SEAL is focused on scaling its work in California’s Central Valley and Los Angeles County—two regions with high EL/ML populations, systemic funding disparities, and urgent demand for professional learning aligned to equity and biliteracy.
Impact
SEAL’s model has demonstrated clear and consistent benefits for English Learner and Multilingual Learner students, as well as the educators and systems that serve them. External evaluations of the SEAL Full Model—including a multi-district replication study released in 2020—found that SEAL students made significant gains in oral language, literacy, and cognitive development, often closing or surpassing achievement gaps relative to their peers. Despite coming from schools with higher-than-average rates of poverty, SEAL students in grades 2-4 performed at or above statewide averages for ELs in English proficiency, with many reclassified as fluent English proficient—a key milestone that reduces the risk of students becoming Long-Term English Learners.
These academic gains are also evident in the early years. SEAL’s preschool and transitional kindergarten participants have shown meaningful growth in both English and Spanish oral language fluency, as well as early literacy skills. Early childhood educators report that the SEAL approach improves classroom culture, student engagement, and teacher confidence in delivering integrated, language-rich instruction.
Recent analysis of California Department of Education Dashboard data also points to promising trends. Schools that implemented SEAL programming outperformed comparison schools on the English Learner Progress Indicator. These gains were especially pronounced in Title I schools, suggesting that SEAL’s approach is particularly effective in high-need contexts. In addition to student-level results, SEAL schools report increased staff retention, stronger instructional coherence, and more authentic family engagement.
““I am taking tools back with me that I know will empower me to teach with greater confidence, and this gives me power to share with my scholars and families.”— Educator attendee, SEAL Dual Language Convening, February 2025
Beyond direct implementation, SEAL’s work is shifting the broader landscape for multilingual learners. Through its Knowledge Hub and policy partnerships, SEAL has contributed to key statewide initiatives, including the development of professional learning frameworks for the English Learner Roadmap, the creation of early childhood multilingual resources, and the expansion of bilingual teacher training through the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program. In recent years, SEAL has also advised on curriculum design for national and state partners and led statewide convenings to strengthen the field’s capacity to serve ML students.
By fostering academic confidence, cultural affirmation, and biliteracy as a strength, the organization is helping reframe how California schools serve and support multilingual children. As the state faces a changing student population and a narrowing education workforce, SEAL offers a scalable, research-based solution grounded in educator voice and student potential.
Leadership
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Dr. Anya Hurwitz
Executive Director
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Oscar Cruz
Head Program Officer
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Martha I. Martinez
Head of Research and Evaluation
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Patricia E. Chavez
Head of External Relations