Self-Evaluation of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (SESEBA)

The SESEBA was designed as a practical counterpart to the CASEBA, intended for use by teachers and coaches in the realm of professional development. Both the CASEBA and SESEBA operate on the foundational belief that employing high-quality and meaningful interactions in the home language, coupled with intentional and well-planned strategies for English language learning, constitutes the most effective approach to instructing preschool-aged dual language learners (DLLs). The SESEBA proves beneficial for programs aiming to support teacher practice in areas of language and literacy development, particularly when the objective is to preserve and enhance the home language while fostering English development in DLLs. Its usage aligns with established best practices in professional development, advocating for intensive, sustained, and classroom-based methodologies (Tout, Zaslow, and Berry; 2006; Loeb, Rouse, & Shorris, 2007; Ryan, Hornbeck, & Frede, 2004; Klein & Gomby, 2008), offering teachers and coaches the opportunity to self-reflect, plan, implement, and iterate.

The SESEBA guides coaches and teachers through a self-reflective exercise rooted in the cognitive coaching cycle (Costa & Garmston, 2002). SESEBA PD is geared towards specific aims for DLLs, encompassing:

1. Reducing teachers’ personal discomfort and enhancing their knowledge of emergent bilingual acquisition.
2. Assisting teachers in comprehending the necessity for dual language instruction in preschool.
3. Enhancing teaching practices.
4. Cultivating decision-makers capable of implementing effective instruction beyond the PD, resulting in enduring change.

The SESEBA instrument shares research-based items with CASEBA, organized around the following support features:

1. Gathering background information.
2. Cultural inclusion.
3. Curriculum content.
4. Supports for home language and English acquisition.
5. Social-emotional supports and classroom management.
6. Assessment.

Within the Supports for Home and English Language Development sections, documentation for supports and practices is to be recorded and reflected upon in both English and the home language. This opportunity enables teachers to reflect not only on their language and literacy practices in English but also on the complexity and intentionality of their development of the home language.