Wikipedia

WestEd

WestEd is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization.[1][2] The organization's mission states, "WestEd, a research, development, and services agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults."[3][4][5]

WestEd
TypeNonprofit
PurposeEducation, Youth Development, Public Policy
Headquarters730 Harrison Street San Francisco, California
CEO
Glen Harvey

In 2013, WestEd's annual revenue was approximately $137 million, with over 530 clients and funders including the United States Department of Education, National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Justice, and many state, county, local, philanthropic, and business entities.[6] WestEd has been vetted and approved as a qualified service provider in the following federal contracting programs: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Program Support Center (PSC) Task Order Contracts, and the General Service Administration's Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS) Schedule (SIN 874-1: Integrated Consulting Services).[7][8][9]

WestEd conducts various services – consulting and technical assistance, evaluation, policy, professional development, and research and development – aimed at supporting and improving education and human development.[10][11][12] WestEd’s work is focused in several key areas: college and career; early childhood development and learning; English language learners; health, safety, and well-being; literacy; schools, districts, and state education systems; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; special education; standards, assessment, and accountability; and teachers and leaders.[4][13][14][15]

edit

WestEd is a joint powers authority, authorized by a California Joint Powers Agreement and governed by public entities in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, with board members representing agencies from these states and nationally, including leaders from public and private education, business, and human services communities.[16] Its board takes an active role in agency leadership and strategic planning.

Agency leadership includes Glen Harvey, Chief Executive Officer; Max McConkey, Chief Policy & Communications Officer; Catherine Walcott, Chief Development Officer; Richard Whitmore, Chief Administrative Officer; and Nancy Riddle, Chief Financial Officer.

A nonprofit, public research and development agency, WestEd is tax exempt under Section 115(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, and, as such, meets the giving guidelines of philanthropic organizations.[3]

History

edit

WestEd was formed in 1995 when the Southwest Regional Educational Laboratory (SWRL), located in Los Alamitos, California, merged with the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development (FWL), located in San Francisco.[17] SWRL and FWL were established in 1966, shortly after the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Pub.L. 89-10, 79 Stat. 27, 20 U.S.C. ch.70), a United States federal statute enacted April 11, 1965.[18] The Act funded several areas of primary and secondary education including professional development, instructional materials, resources to support educational programs, and parental involvement promotion. FWL and SWRL were established under ESEA (1965) Title IV, which established funding for educational research and training.

Research and technical assistance centers

edit

WestEd operates several federal research and technical assistance centers.

Regional Educational Laboratory West

edit

The United States Department of Education Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program is a network of ten laboratories.[19]

WestEd was awarded the contract to operate the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West (serving Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah) for the current period, running from January 2012 through the end of 2016.[4] Under the current contract, REL West partners with regional educators to form research alliances dedicated to addressing regional needs and increasing the use of data and evidence in education decision-making.[4]

WestEd has operated REL West since the REL Program's inception in 1966. In the previous contract cycle (2006–2011), REL West published over 30 peer-reviewed studies[20] and held 36 technical assistance events bridging research, policy, and practice, with well over 2,000 participants.[21] During that period, REL West also delivered over 200 written responses to education questions from regional stakeholders and provided technical assistance to numerous state education agencies, state boards of education, legislators, local schools and districts, and professional associations.

Other federal centers

edit

WestEd is also the prime contractor operating four other Comprehensive Centers: the West Comprehensive Center, which serves Arizona, Nevada, and Utah;[22][23] the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, which serves Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia;[22][24] the Center on School Turnaround;[22][25] and the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation.[22][26]

WestEd is a subcontractor on six other regional Comprehensive Centers — performing program tasks for the Central Comprehensive Center,[27] Northeast Comprehensive Center,[28] and South Central Comprehensive Center,[29] and performing evaluations for the Great Lakes Comprehensive Center,[30] Midwest Comprehensive Center,[31] and Pacific Regional Comprehensive Center.[32]

In addition, WestEd is the prime contractor for the Northeast Regional Resource Center, which serves Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.[33][34] WestEd also conducts research for the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands,[35][36] administered by Education Development Center, Inc.[37] and serving New England, New York, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Programs and services

edit

WestEd is organized into several programs that provide research, technical assistance, and services in order to "create positive, innovative, and sustainable improvements in education and human development."[15] WestEd works with a range of clients at the state and local level, and is an approved service provider with several state departments of education, including the Arizona Department of Education, Colorado Department of Education, Hawaii Department of Education, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Tennessee Department of Education, and Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Numerous school districts throughout the country have also selected WestEd as an approved service provider, including Baltimore City Public Schools, New York City Board of Education, Oakland Unified School District, Tucson Unified School District, and Vail School District.[38]

Reading Apprenticeship

edit

WestEd's Reading Apprenticeship program is a research-based instructional framework that is supposed to improve the teaching effectiveness of content-area middle and high school teachers, literacy coaches, and teacher educators.[39] The approach helps adolescent students become more confident, engaged, and strategic readers.[40][41]

In 2010, WestEd received a federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to address the persistent academic achievement gaps in the nation's high schools by scaling up the Reading Apprenticeship model of academic literacy instruction.[42][43][44] This collaborative effort is providing research-based, discipline-focused professional development to 2,800 high school of biology, U.S. history, and English language arts; and is reaching more than 400,000 students in 300 schools.[43][45] In 2013, WestEd received another i3 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to adapt a rigorously researched face-to-face Reading Apprenticeship professional development model into an alternative web-based model for high school science teachers: Internet-Based Reading Apprenticeship Improving Science Education (iRAISE). During the three-year grant period, 150 teachers and 33,000 students will be impacted by the iRAISE professional development.[46]

The first Reading Apprenticeship study was conducted in 1996–1997 in one San Francisco public high school. Students gained an average of two years growth in seven months of instruction measured on a standardized reading comprehension test, while engaging in rigorous, academic work rather than remediation focused on basic skills.[47][48] The program tenets and the results were published in the book, Reading for Understanding (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass), which recently had its second edition published.[49] In 2005, a randomized controlled study of the efficacy of reading apprenticeship professional development for high school history and science teaching and learning was funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Research.[50] Reading Apprenticeship is one of only two supplemental literacy programs selected by the Institute of Education Sciences for a rigorous evaluation, initiated in 2006.

In 2008, the Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study, also funded by the Institute for Education Sciences, reported that Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy had a positive and statistically significant impact on reading comprehension test scores (0.14 standard deviation; p-value = 0.015).[51][52] The 2010 Final Report of the Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study indicated, "Overall, the findings from these reports show that over the course of ninth grade, the ERO programs [Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy and Xtreme Reading] improved students’ reading comprehension skills and helped them perform better academically in their high school course work."[53]

Program for Infant/Toddler Care

edit

The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), developed collaboratively by WestEd and the California Department of Education Child Development Division, is a comprehensive training system used in multiple states that promotes responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers.[54][55][56][57][58] Its centerpiece is a series of broadcast quality videos/DVDs in English, Spanish, and Chinese (Cantonese), with accompanying video magazines, guides, and trainer's manuals available in both English and Spanish. The materials are organized into four training modules, based on the latest research and practice.[59] A complementary program, Beginning Together, ensures that children with special needs are incorporated, and appropriate inclusive practices are promoted, in the training and technical assistance provided by PITC. This is accomplished through "training-of-trainers" institutes, regional outreach activities, training materials, and demonstration programs.[60] In addition, the California Map to Inclusive Child Care project provides a statewide system of support, information and resources for families and providers to facilitate barrier–free access to inclusive child care for children birth to 21.[61]

PITC worked with the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families to develop the Early Head Start program, and has presented training institutes and technical assistance for more than 500 programs serving families with children from birth to three.[62] PITC staff have worked with representatives of 19 states,[56] and over 7,500 trainers, college faculty, and program directors have attended PITC training modules since 1990. In 2002, the National Center for Children in Poverty selected PITC as a model initiative to support infants, toddlers, and their families. The Center for Child and Family Studies and the University of Cincinnati are codeveloping an online associate degree program for early Head Start teachers.[63]

Making Sense of SCIENCE

edit

Making Sense of SCIENCE (formerly "Understanding Science") is a nationally field-tested professional development program that helps teachers learn major concepts of K-8 science, examine how children make sense of those concepts, and analyze and improve their science teaching.[64] Making Sense of SCIENCE professional development modules help teachers actively learn science in combination with student thinking and teaching. Each module focuses on cases of actual classroom practice that illustrate students’ science ideas and highlight an important teaching dilemma, one that any teacher might face.[65][66] Teachers engage in hands-on science activities that parallel those of students in the cases, examine student work, and critically analyze classic instructional activities and decisions.[67][68][69][70] The principal investigators are Kirsten Daehler and Mayumi Shinohara.

In 2005, the Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Research funded the development of three teacher professional development courses in the Making Sense of SCIENCE series that address challenging physical science and earth science topics: heat and energy, plate tectonics, and climate and weather.[71] This development grant includes three small, randomized controlled studies to assess the potential efficacy of each of these courses separately to improve teacher content knowledge and student learning, and the reduction of the science achievement gap between English learners and English-proficient speakers. A fourth study will assess the potential efficacy of the entire sequence of courses on teacher knowledge and student science achievement. In 2009 the Institute of Education Sciences funded a randomized-cluster experimental design study, Impact of the Making Sense of SCIENCE Professional Development Model on Science Achievement of English Language Learner Students, to evaluate the effects of WestEd's Making Sense of SCIENCE model of professional development — an approach that emphasizes inquiry-based instruction practices that depend less on English proficiency, textbook knowledge, and direct instruction — on student achievement in science, especially English language learner students.[72] The National Science Foundation has funded a large-scale study, Learning Science for Teaching: Effects of Content-Rich and Practice-Based Professional Development Models on Teacher Content Knowledge, Classroom Practice, and Student Learning, examining the effects of promising professional development models on teachers, classrooms, and students.[73][74]

References

edit
  1. ^ Orey, M., V. J. McClendon, and R. Branch (2006). Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. Libraries Unlimited, Incorporated, ISBN 978-1-59158-362-2
  2. ^ Orey, M., M. Fitzgerald, and R. Branch (2004). Educational Media and Technology Yearbook ISBN 978-1-59158-068-3
  3. ^ a b "WestEd: Success for Every Learner". www.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  4. ^ a b c d "Regional Educational Laboratories West - REL West". ies.ed.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  5. ^ Educational Media and Technology Yearbook 2002. ISBN 1-56308-910-6
  6. ^ "WestEd 2013 Year in Review" (PDF). www.wested.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  7. ^ "Working With WestEd". www.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  8. ^ "Unknown". www.gsaadvantage.gov. [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "R -- DHHS/PROGRAM SUPPORT CENTER (PSC) TASK ORDER CONTRACTS - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities". www.fbo.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-11-12.
  10. ^ Branch, R. and M. Fitzgerald (1999). Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. ISBN 978-1-56308-636-6
  11. ^ Fusco, M. and S. Ketchum. (2002). Distance Learning for Higher Education: An Annotated Bibliography. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978-1-56308-847-6
  12. ^ "Professional Development". www.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  13. ^ Mathison, S. (2004). Encyclopedia of Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 978-0-7619-2609-2
  14. ^ E. Walker (2005). Educational Adequacy and the Courts: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
  15. ^ a b "College & Career". WestEd. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  16. ^ "Board of Directors". www.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  17. ^ Profiles of the regional educational laboratories (SuDoc ED 1.302:P 94/13), page 23.
  18. ^ From U.S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 79, p. 27 - 58 http://nysl.nysed.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/M8BhPv34Ie/NYSL/7400017/524/79170[permanent dead link‍]
  19. ^ "Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL): About Us". ies.ed.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  20. ^ "REL West - Regional Educational Laboratories West | REL West". relwest-archive.wested.org. 2018-03-19. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  21. ^ "REL West". relwest.wested.org. 2016-05-05. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  22. ^ a b c d "Awards -- Comprehensive Centers Program". www2.ed.gov. 2021-05-04. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  23. ^ "West Comprehensive Center". www.westcompcenter.org. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  24. ^ "Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center". macc-atwested.org. 2020-01-15. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Center for School Turnaround & Improvement". csti.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  26. ^ "Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability". csaa.wested.org. Archived from the original on 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  27. ^ "About Us | C3". c3ta.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  28. ^ "Northeast Comprehensive Center". [dead link‍]
  29. ^ "About Us | SC3". sc3ta.org. 2020-06-23. Archived from the original on 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  30. ^ "home | Greatlakes Comprehensive Center". greatlakes-cc.org. 2019-03-01. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  31. ^ "Mid West CC | Educating A Different Kind Of Lawyer". Mid West CC. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  32. ^ "PRCC – Pacific Regional Comprehensive Center". pacificcompcenter.org. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  33. ^ "RRFC Portal - NERRC". rrcprogram.org. 2012-04-30. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  34. ^ "Home". rrcprogram.org. 2014-11-27. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  35. ^ "REL Northeast & Islands". ies.ed.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  36. ^ "Relnei.org". www.relnei.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  37. ^ "EDC". EDC. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  38. ^ "Annual Report 2010 – Solutions through Collaboration" (PDF). wested.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  39. ^ "Reading Apprenticeship: Improving Academic Literacy and Social Emotional Learning for Middle, High School, and College Students". WestEd. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  40. ^ R. Schoenbach and C. Greenleaf, "Fostering Adolescents' Engaged Academic Literacy." In L. Christenbury, R. Bomer, and P. Smagorinsky (2009). New York: The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-59385-829-2
  41. ^ C. Litman and C. Greenleaf, "Traveling Together over Difficult Ground: Negotiating Success with a Profoundly Inexperienced Reading in an Introduction to Chemistry Class." In K. Hinchman and H. Sheridan-Thomas (2008). Best Practices in Adolescent Literacy Instruction. New York: The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-59385-692-2
  42. ^ "RAISE Reading Apprenticeship® Improving Secondary Education". readingapprenticeship.org. 2013-11-03. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  43. ^ a b "Scaling Up Content-Area Academic Literacy in High School English Language Arts, Science and History Classes for High Needs Students | data.ed.gov". data.ed.gov. 2011-10-27. Archived from the original on 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  44. ^ "Investing in Innovation Fund (i3)". ed.gov. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  45. ^ "WestEd — Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education (RAISE)". Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  46. ^ "iRAISE". Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  47. ^ Schoenbach, R., C. Greenleaf, C. Cziko, and L. Hurwitz (1999). Reading for Understanding: A Guide to Improving Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-7879-5045-3
  48. ^ Guzzetti, B. (2007). Literacy for the New Millennium: Adolescent literacy. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-98994-1
  49. ^ "Jossey-Bass::Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition". Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  50. ^ "Search Funded Research Grants and Contracts - Details". Archived from the original on 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  51. ^ "The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study: Findings from the Second Year of Implementation - Executive Summary". Archived from the original on 2009-06-20. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  52. ^ "'No Effects' Studies Raising Eyebrows" (April 1, 2009) Education Week, p. 1
  53. ^ Somers, M.-A., Corrin, W., Sepanik, S., Salinger T., Levin, J., and Zmach, C. (2010). The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Final Report: The Impact of Supplemental Literacy Courses for Struggling Ninth-Grade Readers (NCEE 2010-4021). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education
  54. ^ Mangione, P.L., Lally, J. R., Poole, J. Paxton, A., Tuesta, A. (2011) Integrated Resources and strategies into an emerging system of professional development: The case of PITC in California. ZERO TO THREE Journal. 32(1) 11-17
  55. ^ Edward Zigler, Katherine Marsland, and Heather Lord. The Tragedy of Child Care in America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009.
  56. ^ a b The Program for Infant/Toddler Care Archived 2009-09-10 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 15, 2009
  57. ^ NORWESCAP participates in New Jersey-wide initiative to improve care for infants | Warren Reporter - - NJ.com Archived 2009-11-30 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 15, 2009
  58. ^ Marilou Hyson. The Emotional Development of Young Children: Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum, 2nd Edition. New York: Teachers College Press, 2003.
  59. ^ Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Allison Sidle Fuligni and Lisa J. Berlin. Early Child Development in the 21st Century: Profiles of Current Research Initiatives. New York: Teachers College Press (2003).
  60. ^ Beginning Together | Welcome Archived 2009-09-30 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 15, 2009
  61. ^ California Map to Inclusive Child Care | Home Archived 2009-10-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 15, 2009
  62. ^ Rebecca S. New and Moncrieff Cochran. Early Childhood Education [Four Volumes] An International Encyclopedia. Praeger Publishers, 2007.
  63. ^ Learning from Afar or Across the Street: UC Expands Distance Learning Options and Increases Number of Distance Learners Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 15, 2009
  64. ^ Heller, J. I., Daehler, K., & Shinohara, M. (2003, Fall). Connecting all the pieces: Using an evaluation mosaic to answer an impossible question. Journal of Staff Development, 24, 36- 41.
  65. ^ Daehler, K. R., & Shinohara, M. (2001). A complete circuit is a complete circle: Exploring the potential of case materials and methods to develop teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of science. Research in Science Education, 31 (2), 1-24.
  66. ^ Heller, J. I., Daehler, K. R., & Shinohara, M. (2003, Fall). Connecting all the pieces: Mosaic approach to evaluation makes a complete picture. Journal of Staff Development, 24 (4), 36-41.
  67. ^ Shinohara, M., & Daehler, K. R. (2006). Developing a case-based science curriculum for teacher learning: Practical lessons learned. In A. Lieberman & L. Miller (Eds.), Competence and community. New York: Teachers College Press.
  68. ^ Schneider, S. A., Daehler, K. R., Hershbell, K., McCarthy, J., Shaw, J., & Solano-Flores, G. (1998). Adolescence and young adulthood science portfolio. Southfield, MI: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
  69. ^ Schneider, S. A., Daehler, K. R., Hershbell, K., McCarthy, J., Shaw, J., & Solano-Flores, G. (1999). Developing a national science assessment for teacher certification: Practical lessons learned. In L. Ingvarson (Ed.), Assessing teachers for professional certification: The first ten years of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, Inc.
  70. ^ Sipusic, M., et al. (1995, November). Videotaping teaching and learning: A visual guide. San Francisco: WestEd. Distributed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Southfield, MI.
  71. ^ "Search Funded Research Grants and Contracts - Details". Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  72. ^ "Impact of the Understanding Science Professional Development Model on Science Achievement of English Language Learner Students". Archived from the original on 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  73. ^ "TPC Projects". Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  74. ^ "Teacher Professional Continuum | NSF - National Science Foundation". 31 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-04-06.

See also

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WestEd&oldid=1248018827"