Senior Research Associate
Senior Research Associate Susan Henderson leads a number of evaluation, education research, and standards-based school reform projects.
A member of Learning Innovations at WestEd, Henderson is leading the evaluation of the National Science Foundation-funded GEOTEACH: Transforming Earth System Science, a multi-university partnership among the University of New Hampshire, Pennylvania State University, Elizabeth City University, and Dillard University. This project addresses the need to develop highly qualified middle school and high school teachers in the geosciences. Henderson is examining the impact of the project on the content and pedagogical content knowledge of in-service and pre-service teachers in Earth system science. She is also providing feedback on program implementation that will impact the refinement and achievement of program goals and objectives. As a result of Henderson's work, the project staff at the four universities, which includes two historically black colleges, will be able to refine and sustain a model of professional development that will be transferable to other institutions of higher education nationwide.
Henderson also serves as the principal investigator of two studies under the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands: a quasi-experimental study, The Impact of Benchmark Assessments on Student Achievement in Mathematics, and a study comparing the implementation of three different growth model approaches in mathematics achievement under No Child Left Behind in the state of Massachusetts. Henderson's work has resulted in regional leaders requesting further study of benchmark assessment practices and considering the use of growth modeling approaches at the national, state, and local education agency levels.
A member of WestEd since 2004, Henderson has contributed to many professional development, planning, and technology use evaluation projects for state education agencies in Alaska, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgins Islands, as well as for such organizations as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In addition, she has worked on assessment development in English language arts and mathematics in Nevada and Pennsylvania. Her involvement has improved the design and quality of assessment related products and technical assistance provided at the state and district level.
Prior to joining WestEd, Henderson ran her own consulting company, where her projects included refining the Performance Measurement System for state and community colleges for the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and creating a series of assessments for Oxford University Press’ East Asian market.
Henderson also served as a Research Associate with the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy and the International Study Center at Boston College's Lynch School of Education. In addition, she taught English to speakers of other languages in the United States and Japan, serving as an administrator in both refugee and higher education.
She received a BA in English literature from Boston College, an MA in teaching English as a second language from the School for International Training, and a PhD in educational research measurement and evaluation from The Lynch School of Education at Boston College.
Tel: 781.481.1118
781.481.1120
Email: shender@wested.org
Mailing Address:Learning Innovations at WestEd
200 Unicorn Park Drive, 4th floor
Woburn, Massachusetts 01801-3324
Project Work:
Evaluation of the Massachusetts Supplementary Educational Services Program
Transforming Earth System Science Education/ GEOTEACH
UNH PROBE: Partnerships for Research Opportunities to Benefit Education
Resource Involvement:Measuring How Benchmark Assessments Affect Student Achievement
