Wested Is a Nonprofit Research, Development, and Service Agency
>> ABOUT OUR AGENCY
HEADQUARTERS WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency that 730 Harrison Street works with education and other communities to promote excellence, San Francisco, California achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. 94107-1242
CONTACT WestEd dates back to 1966 when Congress created a network of Regional Educational tel: 415.565.3000 Laboratories (RELs), two of which merged in 1995 to become WestEd. While our REL toll-free (877) 4-WestEd work in the four-state region of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah remains central, fax: 415.565.3012 WestEd has clients and funders across the country and internationally. Our agency has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona, Southern California, and our headquarters in San Francisco.
From the federal government to local school districts, universities to private foundations, KeepKeep current current on theon thelatest latest WestEd has hundreds of funding sources that make our work serving schools, families, WestEd reports, news, and career WestEdKeep curr reports,ent on news, the latest and WestEd ropportunitieseports, news, andon F caracebook,eer and communities possible. Through research, services, resources, and partnerships, our career opportunities on opportunitiesTwitter ,on and Facebook, WestEd.o rg approximately 600 staff members address many issues in human development, from TFacebook,witter, and Twitter,WestEd.o andrg birth to senior care, and in education, from preservice into the world of work. In addition, WestEd.org WestEd focuses on disseminating relevant, research-based knowledge targeted to the needs of key audiences. Our clients include national and state governments, education and health agencies, local school districts, national education associations, community and family foundations, small businesses, and other nonprofit research and service firms.
>> Research & Evaluation >> Areas of Work
Through rigorous, high-quality research, WestEd contributes to practitioners' Assessment, Standards, & Accountability and policymakers' understanding of what works in education and human development. Our research takes many forms, including policy studies, Culture, Diversity, & Equity evaluations of local and national initiatives, and “gold standard” research Early Childhood & Early Intervention using randomized controlled trials. < WestEd.org/research > English Language Learners
>> Services Evaluation Healthy Kids, Schools, & Communities At the heart of our work are the services we provide that bring learning opportunities, consulting, and technical assistance to our clients. We provide Leadership & Teacher Professional services to policymakers and educators and other direct service providers — Development professional developers and technical assistance providers; school, district, Literacy and state administrators; and community agencies. < WestEd.org/services > Mathematics & Science Policy >> Resources Postsecondary and Career Readiness Capturing the knowledge and expertise from our research and service work, & Success WestEd products range from books, newsletters, and research briefs to School & District Improvement websites, videos, DVDs, CDs, and online tools and reports. We publish new products quarterly that translate our research findings into the language of Special Education both practitioners and policymakers. < WestEd.org/bookstore > Technology & Information Services WestEd 2011 Year in Review
Selected Highlights Type of Activity
»» Assessment. Completed all SMARTER Balanced consortium activities on time and within budget. Selected to chair the Diversity Issues and Testing Committee for the National Council on Measurement in Education.
»» Early Childhood. Trained staff from about Research & Development 375 Early Head Start programs. Completed a Direct Client Services comprehensive and politically sensitive review of policies and practices in the Hawaii Depart- Training
ment of Education’s Special Education Division. Evaluation
»» English Learners. Served as senior advisor Dissemination to Stanford University’s national initiative to im- prove English learner access to Common Core Policy State Standards. Delivered briefings to senior Congressional and U.S. Department of Educa- Source: This chart is based on survey data collected from a sample of WestEd projects. tion staff. Facilitated the revision of Los Angeles Unified’s Master Plan for English Learners. »» Mathematics & Science. Co-published Mak- ing Sense of SCIENCE professional develop- Funder Type ment curriculum with the National Science Teachers Association. Secured more funding from Institute of Education Sciences than any other organization in the country. »» Literacy. Launched large-scale professional development for RAISE i3 grant, involving more than 700 leaders nationwide. Initiated the Reading, Evidence, and Argument in Disciplin- Foundations, Businesses, ary Instruction project to develop tools and & Other Agencies processes aligned to Common Core State U.S. Department of Education Standards and research-based knowledge. State Funders »» Teacher Effectiveness. Secured a five-year continuation contract for the Doing What Other Federal Works website. Launched a School Turnaround Learning Community for the U.S. Department of Education. Incorporated the Center for the Source: These data are estimates based on projects of over $100,000 and a stratified Future of Teaching and Learning into WestEd. random sample of other projects.