WestEd in the News
ZERO TO THREE's Pilar Fort an Ambassador for Early Care
Concepts for Care Presented to First Lady of Guatemala
WestEd—February 7, 2008
Pilar Fort, Bilingual Training Specialist with ZERO TO THREE, recently met with Sandra Colom, the First Lady of Guatemala. Fort presented the First Lady with a copy of Concepts for Care: 20 Essays on Infant/Toddler Development and Learning, published by WestEd. The book encapsulates many of the principles of WestEd's Program for Infant/Toddler Care, directed by Ron Lally and Peter Mangione.
WestEd's Policy and Research Staff Participate in Professional Development
Mike Usdan Presents Workshop on Transition to College Issues
WestEd—February 15, 2008
Mike Usdan, former Commissioner of Higher Education in Connecticut and former President of the Institute for Educational Leadership, led a brown bag professional development workshop for WestEd research and policy staff. Attendees discussed policy issues and research related to the transition from high school to college, as well as technical and career education issues.
Recycle Drive and Dr. Art Kick Off Event
WestEd Celebrates Earth Day
WestEd—April 22, 2008
WestEd's San Francisco office staff celebrated Earth Day, kicked off by a lunch and a science show by "Dr. Art" Sussman on how our planet works and how to understand today's major environmental issues and challenges. Staff then participated in a discussion of what we can do in our personal and work lives to make our planet better for our and future generations.
Facilities staff overviewed agency efforts to be more "green" by using cleaning products and janitorial equipment that are safer for our environment, using recycled products in restrooms, kitchens, and coffee stations, and how building renovation plans will use products that will help us become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited. In addition, staff participated in a recycle drive for old electronic products, including old and no longer working computer and television monitors, cell phones, computer equipment, and music players.
WestEd Policy Brief Cited in Article
Smaller schools, more schools
Metro Spirit—March 26, 2008
An article in the August, Georgia Metro Spirit cites a WestEd Policy Brief, Are Small Schools Better? School Size Considerations for Safety and Learning. This policy brief outlines key research findings and looks at what the research says about why school size appears to make a difference, how small is small enough, effective approaches to downsizing, and key barriers.
WestEd Policy Brief on Full-Day Kindergarten Cited
Walsh: Lawmakers napping on kindergarten
Salt Lake Tribune—March 23, 2008
A WestEd Policy Brief, Full-Day Kindergarten: Expanding Learning Opportunities, was cited by Salt Lake Tribune columnist Chris Walsh. The Policy Brief brief summarizes the most recent research available on full-day kindergarten, provides information on state and local reform efforts, and identifies policy implications. It also touches on the characteristics of an effective kindergarten program.
Reading Apprenticeship® Featured in Education Week
Extra Literacy Class Helps Struggling Readers — Some
Education Week—February 14, 2008
Education Week featured WestEd's Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy Course as part of a federal study testing promising strategies for low-performing adolescent readers. WestEd's Cynthia Greenleaf, who devised the Reading Apprenticeship program with colleague Ruth Schoenbach, was quoted in the Education Week article, which stated that Reading Apprenticeship helped move students' reading performance over the course of the school year.
WestEd Partners With Vista Unified School District
VUSD Outlines Changes to Math, Science
North County Times—January 11, 2008
According to the North County Times, a federal research grant to the Vista Unified School District has been extended for another year. The grant, designed to improve mathematics and science instruction at several schools in grades 4–8, has already been used to provide professional development to 66 teachers. The grant extension will allow for more summer training. According to the article, WestEd is one of the grant partners, along with Escondido Union Elementary School District, California State University-San Marcos, and Palomar College.
Newest Rethinking High School Report Featured in Article
WestEd Cites Washington State School for Exemplary Reform
Education Daily—January 15, 2008
Education Daily featured the WestEd report, Rethinking High School: Preparing Students for Success in College, Career, and Life, in an article profiling Mabton Jr./Sr. High School in rural Washington. This WestEd report is the newest in the Rethinking High School report series, directed by Tracy Huebner, Senior Research Associate in WestEd's Innovation Studies program. Prepared for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the reports provide snapshots of success-prone secondary schools and systems in the course of reforming.
WestEd's Stanley Rabinowitz Interviewed on State English Language Proficiency Tests
States Clear Initial Hurdle on ELL Tests
Education Week—December 5, 2007
Stanley Rabinowitz, Director of the national Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center at WestEd, was interviewed for an article regarding state English language proficiency tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Through the Comprehensive Center, Rabinowitz is conducting evaluations of several such proficiency tests. The article also discussed the report, English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Nation: Current Status and Future Practice, edited by Jamal Abedi, University of California, Davis, a portion of which was authored by Robert Linquanti, Director for English Learner Evaluation and Accountability Support in WestEd's Comprehensive School Assistance Program.
WestEd's Senta Raizen Interviewed on PISA Results
U.S. Students Fall Short in Math and Science
Education Week—December 4, 2007
In an Education Week article, Senta Raizen, Director of WestEd's National Center for Improving Science Education, commented that U.S. students seem to lack a strong grasp of the nature of science, and of science's important role in society. Her remarks were in reaction to new results from the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment, in which U.S. students ranked lower in science than their peers in 16 other countries. Raizen recently directed a revision of the science version of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation's Report Card.