TORSH and Rutgers Launch National SESEBA Initiative to Strengthen Instruction for English Learners

A New Era of Scalable, Research-Based Support for Dual Language Learners

NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TORSH, a leader in educator coaching and professional learning platforms, has announced a strategic partnership with the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers to deliver the SESEBA framework at scale to school systems and early childhood education organizations across the country. The partnership brings NIEER’s Self-Evaluation of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (SESEBA), a research-based framework for improving instruction for Dual Language Learners (DLLs), into TORSH Talent, the company’s flagship coaching platform, along with a new suite of professional development offerings aligned to the SESEBA approach.

As school systems across the country face intensifying pressure to cut costs and justify spending, support for English Learners is often among the first to be reduced. Budget constraints, teacher shortages, and politicized debates around language equity have created a climate where leaders must do more with less, without compromising student outcomes. At the same time, the demand for measurable growth in literacy and language development continues to rise.

SESEBA answers that need with a clear, research-driven roadmap for improving instruction for Dual Language Learners. By equipping educators with concrete strategies and school leaders with actionable data, the framework helps elevate both equity and efficiency. Districts and organizations don’t need to launch new programs or hire additional staff to get started- they can use SESEBA to strengthen the impact of the staff already in place.

“This partnership makes it easier for districts to strengthen outcomes for English Learners, both in language acquisition and academic achievement, without needing to build new infrastructure from scratch,” said Courtney Williams, CEO and Founder of TORSH.

This approach resonates across the political spectrum. For some, it reinforces the importance of ensuring English Learners gain the language proficiency needed for academic success and long-term integration. For others, it affirms the value of honoring students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds while accelerating learning. In either case, SESEBA offers something rare: a scalable model that improves teaching quality, supports accountability, and protects vulnerable students without creating new costs or political liabilities.

Designed by bilingual education experts at NIEER, SESEBA helps educators evaluate and strengthen their instructional practices to better serve DLLs. It is a classroom-based, continuous improvement framework that includes observation rubrics, self-reflection tools, and coaching supports tailored to the needs of Dual Language Learners. TORSH will now offer SESEBA Premium licenses through its flagship platform, TORSH Talent, providing school systems and early childhood organizations with interactive rubrics, embedded coaching supports, and new SESEBA-aligned workshops.

We know that when educators are equipped with the right tools and training, Dual Language Learners thrive, both in English proficiency and academic achievement,” said Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, Ph.D, Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers and one of the creators of SESEBA.

As part of TORSH Talent’s growing suite of AI-enabled tools, SESEBA Premium users will also benefit from intelligent coaching supports that help scale expert guidance. TORSH’s AI capabilities analyze educator reflections and observational data to offer real-time prompts, strategy suggestions, and feedback frameworks aligned to the SESEBA rubric, bridging the gap between high-tech and high-touch professional learning. TORSH’s digital infrastructure makes it possible to scale SESEBA across entire systems, while NIEER’s research foundation ensures that every tool and training is grounded in proven practices. This helps educators implement SESEBA-aligned practices with greater consistency, even in classrooms where bilingual staff are not available. For organization leaders, AI tools extend the reach of existing staff, reduce PD delivery costs, and provide new insights into teacher growth over time.

The TORSH-Rutgers collaboration includes:
- SESEBA Premium Integration: A digital version of the SESEBA rubric built into TORSH Talent for scalable, reflective practice.
- SESEBA-Aligned Professional Development: Live and virtual workshops facilitated by Dr. Figueras-Daniel and expert practitioners, designed to introduce and apply the SESEBA framework.
- Train-the-Trainer Pathways: Helping organizations build internal PD capacity for sustainable implementation.

This announcement is especially timely as it coincides with National Bilingual Child Month, a celebration of the linguistic strengths and cultural assets of Dual Language Learners across the country.

To learn more or request a demo, visit www.torsh.co or contact info@torsh.co.

About TORSH
TORSH is a leading provider of educator coaching and professional learning technology. Its flagship platform, TORSH Talent, empowers schools, districts, and early childhood organizations to deliver high-quality, evidence-based support to educators through video observation, feedback, goal tracking, and data analytics. TORSH partners with education systems across the country to improve instructional quality, strengthen educator retention, and drive measurable student outcomes — especially in high-need and high-impact contexts. TORSH is proudly headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About Rutgers University & NIEER
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is a leading national research university and a flagship of the State University of New Jersey system. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers Graduate School of School conducts and communicates rigorous research to support high-quality, equitable early education for all children. NIEER’s research has informed public policy and practice at the state, national, and international levels. The institute is especially recognized for its leadership in preschool research, bilingual education, and the development of tools and frameworks that translate early learning science into classroom impact.

Jamie Paulsen
TORSH
jamie@torsh.co

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