New Releases
An Analysis of State Data on the Distribution of Teaching Assignments Filled by Highly Qualified Teachers in New York Schools
By: Ann Brackett , Susan Mundry , Sarah Guckenburg , Patricia Bourexis
A high percentage of core teaching assignments in New York rural schools and districts are filled by highly qualified teachers, with only small differences across key factors such as school poverty and school need for improvement. The state's urban schools — particularly those in New York City — have fewer core assignments filled by highly qualified teachers. more >
Format: PDF |
Piloting a Searchable Database of Dropout Prevention Programs in Nine Low-Income Urban School Districts in the Northeast and Islands Region
By: Athi Myint-U, Lydia O’Donnell, David Osher, Anthony Petrosino , Ann Stueve
While there is evidence that some dropout prevention programs have positive effects, the degree to which districts in the region are using evidence-based programs has not been documented. This report details a pilot project to generate and share knowledge by building a searchable database of dropout prevention programs and policies. more >
Format: PDF |
Measuring How Benchmark Assessments Affect Student Achievement
By: Susan Henderson , Anthony Petrosino , Sarah Guckenburg , Stephen Hamilton
This report examines a Massachusetts pilot program for quarterly benchmark exams in middle-school mathematics. Researchers found that program schools do not show greater gains in student achievement after a year, but they note that this may reflect limited data rather than the ineffectiveness of using benchmark assessments. more >
Format: PDF |
Making Links: A Collaborative Approach to Planning and Practice in Early Childhood Programs
By: Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Anne Stonehouse
"This lovely book gently raises our appreciation for the unique qualities of each child and how much teachers have to gain by developing a true partnership with families. It makes a strong case for any curriculum that enables teachers to use what they learn about children to plan authentic learning experiences. In a time when scripted, one-size-fits-all curricula are entering the field of early childhood education, [the authors] give us an inspiring vision of responsive curriculum and practical strategies for achieving that vision." — Diane Trister Dodge, Founder and President, Teaching Strategies, Inc.
more >
Price: $35.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8077-4843-5 | Order #: PC-08-01
Rethinking High School: Supporting All Students to be College Ready in Math
By: Tracy A. Huebner , Grace Calisi Corbett
How can high schools succeed in preparing students for mathematics courses in college?
more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2008
Order #: GF-08-01
Assessment-Centered Teaching: A Reflective Practice
By: Kathryn DiRanna , Ellen Osmundson, Jo Topps , Lynn Barakos, Maryl Gearhart, Karen Cerwin , Diane Carnahan , Craig Strang
"Valuable for practitioners who wish to improve their teaching and their students' learning, and for researchers concerned with putting ideas of formative assessment into teaching practice." — Richard J. Shavelson, Margaret Jack Professor of Education, Stanford University more >
Price: $33.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4129-5463-1 | Order #: MS-08-01
Course-Taking Patterns and Preparation for Postsecondary Education in California's Public University Systems Among Minority Youth
By: Neal D. Finkelstein , Anthony B. Fong
This report, prepared by REL West, finds that the high school program for college preparation begins in 9th grade and that making up missed preparatory courses and academic content is likely to be difficult for students who put off college-preparatory work until later in their high school career. more >
Format: PDF |
Alternative Assessments for Special Education Students in the Southwest Region States
By: Stanley N. Rabinowitz , Edynn Sato , Betsy J. Case, Debra Benitez , Kevin Jordan
In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education issued regulations allowing states to develop alternate standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. This study reviews and summarizes alternate assessment policies and practices and their implementation and impact for the most significantly cognitively disabled students, across the five states in the Southwest Region. more >
Format: PDF |
English Learners and Literacy Education Solutions: 2008 Products and Service Catalog
For English learner and literacy education solutions, request our free catalog. You'll find valuable resources for professional development! more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2008
Order #: CM-08-01
Formative Assessment Policies, Programs, and Practices in the Southwest Region
By: Carole Gallagher , Peter Worth
Formative assessments help educators target instructional practices to meet specific student needs and monitor and support student progress toward valued state learning outcomes. Policies and programs in the five Southwest Region states suggest a range of strategies to support the development and use of formative assessments. more >
Format: PDF |
R&D Alert® Vol. 9, No. 2
Focus on Education Research
Research has become more central than ever to how decisions are made about education policy and practice. As an agency committed to evidence-based practices, WestEd engages in a wide range of research and seeks to translate research knowledge into effective policy and practice. This issue of R&D Alert begins with a Q&A on the growing importance of education research and includes articles describing examples of WestEd-led research. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2008
Order #: RD-08-01
Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement
By: Rafael Heller, Cynthia L. Greenleaf
This report urges higher expectations for all students in reading and writing, and new approach to improving these skills. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
An Analysis of Utah's K-3 Reading Improvement Program
By: Reino Makkonen , Chun-Wei Huang , Paul Koehler
This report, prepared by REL West, finds that more districts and charter schools in Utah reported implementing key elements of the state literacy framework and meeting their own goals in Year 2 of the Reading Improvement Program.
Format: PDF |
Connecting Students to Advanced Courses Online
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This guide highlights six providers of academic course work that are using Internet technology to deliver rigorous curricula to students. more >
Format: PDF |
Similar English Learner Students, Different Results:
Why Do Some Schools Do Better?
By: Trish Williams, Mary Perry, Isabel Oregon, Noli Brazil, Kenji Hakuta, Edward Haettel, Michael Kirst, Jessie Levin
How elementary schools focus their time and energies, and what resources they have for doing it, can make a powerful difference in the academic achievement of English learners from low-income backgrounds, according to findings from this new research brief. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Nation:
Current Status and Future Practice
By: Jamal Abedi, Robert Linquanti , et al.
Has standardized testing measuring English language proficiency improved since the federal No Child Left Behind Act was passed? Read this report to find out. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
The Data Coach's Guide to Improving Learning for All Students
Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Inquiry
By: Nancy Love, Katherine E. Stiles , Susan Mundry , Kathryn DiRanna
"This book offers a compelling message of hope and resolve. The authors' three-year journey in a multiplicity of diverse, underperforming, high-poverty schools across the nation has resulted in a treasure chest of knowledge and experiences about how to professionally develop data coaches in ways that benefit some of our most underserved students. This book provides powerful resources to those who have the belief, passion, and desire for implementing collaborative data inquiries in schools and districts." — From the Foreword by Ruth S. Johnson more >
Price: $50.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4129-5001-5 | Order #: LI-08-01
The Distribution of Teaching and Learning Resources in California's Middle and High Schools
By: Miguel Socías, Jay Chambers, Phil Esra, Larisa Shambaugh
This report, prepared by REL West, presents findings from a study examining educational resources in California's middle and high schools. It found that access to these resources is not equal among schools that serve different student populations. Overall, the most disadvantaged populations of students are likely to have the least access to the resources necessary for learning. more >
Format: PDF |
Measuring Resilience and Youth Development: The Psychometric Properties of the Healthy Kids Survey
By: Thomas L. Hanson , Jin-Ok Kim
This report, prepared by REL West, summarizes findings from a study of the psychometric properties of a key component of the Healthy Kids Survey. The study aims to improve resilience assessment and research so that educators can shape the school environment to promote academic resilience. more >
Format: PDF |
Social and Emotional Well-Being: The Foundation for School Readiness
By: Joni Pitcl, Elissa Provance , Cindy Arstein Kerslake
Although infant mental health work continues to expand, the message remains consistent: focusing on early relationships between young children and their caregivers has lifelong implications for achieving healthy social and emotional well-being. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2006
Giving Parents Options: Strategies for Informing Parents and Implementing Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services Under No Child Left Behind
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This free guide provides strategies to help school districts and states use letters and additional outreach to reach and inform parents, enroll families in public school choice and supplemental educational services (SES) options, and implement public school choice and SES effectively. more >
Format: PDF |
Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons From Five Parental Information and Resource Centers
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This free guide highlights five Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) and how they have collaborated with other partners to enhance parental involvement in education. It describes the promising practices and strategies each of these organizations has implemented to maximize parental involvement in schools. more >
Format: PDF |
Charter High Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This free guide addresses a central goal of current education reform efforts nationwide — closing achievement gaps that separate the academic performance of various subgroups of students, especially between low-income, minority, and special needs students and their peers. more >
Format: PDF |
K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This free guide profiles seven charter schools in high-poverty communities with historically underserved children that are making headway in narrowing gaps in achievement. more >
Format: PDF |
Supporting Charter School Excellence Through Quality Authorizing
By: WestEd for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement
This free guide focuses on the role of charter authorizers in contributing to the quality and success of charter schools. This publication highlights eight charter school authorizers that are advancing the quality and growth of charter schools. more >
Format: PDF |
The Status of Science Education in Bay Area Elementary Schools
By: Rena Dorph, David Goldstein, Shirley Lee, Kathleen Lepori , Steve Schneider , S. Venkatesan
Find out why San Francisco Bay Area's elementary school students are not performing well in science and what can be done about it. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
Language, Culture, and Community in Teacher Education
"Now more than ever, those who are committed to teacher education practice, research, and policy that includes language diversity need to understand and be strategic about the complex circumstances that threaten these agendas. This volume is a big step in the right direction." — Marilyn Cochran-Smith, John E. Cawthorne Millennium Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools, Boston College more >
Price: $29.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8058-5698-9 | Order #: CLE-07-01
Why Do We Have a Knowledge Deficit?
By: E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
Why are reading scores low? Because educators emphasize comprehension strategies instead of teaching the broad general core knowledge that is chiefly needed for reading comprehension, according to E. D. Hirsch in a new WestEd Policy Perspectives paper. more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2007
Order #: PP-07-02
Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers, Updated Edition
By: John Carr , Ursula Sexton , Rachel Lagunoff
"The strategies in Making Science Accessible to English Learners are invaluable." — Bill Pence, Science Teacher, California High School, San Ramon, California more >
Price: $24.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-914409-40-3 | Order #: CC-07-01
R&D Alert® Vol. 9, No. 1
Focus on Improving Mathematics and Science Education
Concerned with the quality of the nation's mathematicians, scientists, and engineers, the federal government in 2007 created the "America COMPETES Act," authorizing programs to shore up education and research in these subjects. Building on WestEd's extensive expertise in mathematics and science, this issue of R&D Alert describes strategies and lessons learned from some of WestEd's most successful efforts in these areas. more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2007
Order #: RD-07-02
Minding the Gap: Why Integrating High School with College Makes Sense and How to Do It
Many young people never get a chance to go to college, yet a postsecondary degree has become the baseline requirement for success in today's highly competitive economy. Learn how leading experts, including WestEd's Andrea Venezia, propose to tackle this important issue. more >
Price: $29.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-891792-45-8 | Order #: HEP-07-01
Rethinking High School: Preparing Students for Success in College, Career, and Life
By: Grace Calisi Corbett , Tracy A. Huebner
Find out how five successful Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded high school programs are preparing adolescent students for academic success in college, career, and life. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
Order #: GF-07-02
Prevention is Primary: Strategies for Community Well-Being
WestEd's Bonnie Benard, leading expert on asset-based youth development and author of the bestselling Resiliency: What We Have Learned, contributes a key chapter, "The Hope of Prevention: Individual, Family, and Community Resilience," to this cutting-edge, comprehensive book on prevention. more >
Price: $55.00 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7879-8318-5 | Order #: HD-07-01
ASSETs Final Evaluation Report
California 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program
By: Jerome Hipps , Marycruz Diaz
In this WestEd report, learn about California's 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program and how it influences students both academically and socially. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
Examining Comprehensive School Reform
"A must-read for researchers and policymakers intent on improving schools..." — Christopher T. Cross, Chairman, Cross & Joftus, LLC, Danville, California more >
Price: $29.50 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-87766-733-9 | Order #: EVAL-07-01
California's Charter Schools: Measuring Their Performance
By: Eric W. Crane , Brian Edwards, Noli Brazil
Have charter schools in California succeeded in improving academic performance? Read this report to learn about the impact of charter schools statewide. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2007
Learning to Lead Mathematics Professional Development
By: Catherine Carroll , Judy Mumme
"A valuable contribution to the field. These materials both acknowledge the complexity of the work and provide a carefully designed and sequenced curriculum for understanding it." — Lew Romagnano, Professor of Mathematical Sciences The Metropolitan State College of Denver more >
Price: $199.95 | Format: Multimedia | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4129-1504-5 | Order #: MATH-07-01
Teaching Young Children With ADHD: Successful Strategies and Practical Interventions for PreK-3
By: David K. Rosenthal, Silvia L. DeRuvo , Richard A. Lougy
"This is the most complete and definitive book on the topic. A must-read for every educator and administrator." — Carol S. Reynolds, Principal, Frostproof Elementary School, Florida more >
Price: $25.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4129-4160-0 | Order #: CPEI-07-01
Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching Set
By: Kathy Dunne , Susan Villani
“Dunne and Villani have succeeded in creating a set of comprehensive resources that will meet the needs of professional developers, school administrators, and mentors.” — Steve Kossakoski, Director, Seacoast Professional Development Center more >
Price: $154.00 | Format: Multimedia | Copyright: 2007
Order #: LI-07-01
Homeland Offense: The Next Wave of Reform Legislation
By: Chris Whittle
In this Policy Perspectives excerpt from Crash Course: Imagining a Better Future for Public Education, Edison Schools Founder and Chairman Chris Whittle proposes a dramatic new role for the federal government in our nation’s schools. more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2007
Order #: PP-07-01
Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching: Facilitation and Training Guide
By: Kathy Dunne , Susan Villani
"Grounded in education research and best practice... all the activities, scripts, and resources for designing and implementing effective mentor training sessions." — Elaine Pinckney, Former Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Education more >
Price: $149.95 | Format: Binder | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-914409-31-1 | Order #: LI-06-05
Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching: Linking Teacher and Student Learning
By: Kathy Dunne , Susan Villani
"This is the 'soup to nuts' book that every district implementing a mentor program needs, whether starting from scratch or improving on an existing model." — Elaine Pinckney, Former Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Education
more >
Price: $21.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-914409-30-4 | Order #: LI-06-04
Rethinking High School: Inaugural Graduations at New York City’s New High Schools
By: Tracy A. Huebner , Grace Calisi Corbett , Kate Phillippo
Have smaller high schools in New York City succeeded in better serving adolescent learners? more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2006
Order #: GF-07-01
R&D Alert® Vol. 8, No. 2
Focus on Turning Around Low-Performing Schools and Districts
Under the federal No Child Left Behind act and numerous state initiatives, the number of schools and districts identified as low-performing has grown enormously, often outpacing efforts to address their needs. This issue of R&D Alert describes resources, strategies, and research findings that offer promise for making a difference in these academically troubled schools and districts. more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2007
Order #: RD-07-01
Improving Literacy Outcomes for English Language Learners in High School
Considerations for States and Districts in Developing a Coherent Policy Framework
By: Nanette Koelsch
This research brief, published by the National High School Center, outlines current barriers to English learners' academic success regarding teacher expectations, tracking, and placement. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2006
How Are English Learners Faring Under Proposition 227
By: Thomas B. Parrish, Amy Merickel, María Perez, Robert Linquanti , Miguel Socías, Angeline Spain
Did Proposition 227 cause improved test scores for California’s English learners? A five-year evaluation finds no easy answers to this question, but this summary report points to some strategies for teaching English learners that appear to make a difference. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2006
Order #: CC-06-06
Developing an Effective School Plan
An Activity-Based Guide to Understanding Your School and Improving Student Outcomes
By: Lori Van Houten , Jeanne Miyasaka , Kim Agullard
"Finally! A ready-to-use change manager's handbook, complete with integrated tools and activities, to help chart a course of ongoing improvement for schools." — Darrell Brown, Assessment and Accountability Coordinator, Beaumont Unified School District, Beaumont, California more >
Price: $129.95 | Format: Multimedia | Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-914409-26-7 | Order #: CC-06-03
R&D Alert® Vol. 8, No. 1
Focus on Using Data to Drive Reform
This issue of R&D Alert focuses on a perennial challenge in education and human development: how to make the most of information, whether test results, research findings, or other data. What happens with all the data generated by testing students? How do we ensure that the information is accurate, relevant, and timely? How do the results translate into improvements in practice? more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2006
Order #: RD-06-01
Concepts for Care: 20 Essays on Infant/Toddler Development and Learning
Learn what leading experts in the field of infant/toddler development and care are saying about new research and best practices. more >
Price: $19.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-914409-39-7 | Order #: CCFS-06-01
Learning to Read the World: Language and Literacy in the First Three Years
How can we support the amazing language and literacy capacities of infants and toddlers? more >
Price: $39.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-943657-86-8 | Order #: CCFS-05-02
Building a Knowledge Base in Reading,
Second Edition
By: Jane Braunger , Jan Patricia Lewis
What research identifies 13 core understandings about how K-12 students learn to read? How can teachers put that research to work? more >
Price: $22.95 | Format: Softcover | Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 978-0-87207-575-7 | Order #: READ-06-01
ASSETs Interim Evaluation Report
California 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program — Interim Evaluation
By: Jerome Hipps , Marycruz Diaz , Greg Wingren
California targets a portion of its funds from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program to activities for high school students. Read about the initial progress of the first cohort of grantees participating in the California 21st High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program. more >
Format: PDF | Copyright: 2006
Reforms That Could Help Narrow the Achievement Gap
By: Richard Rothstein
Richard Rothstein explains why addressing the wide income gap between lower- and middle-class parents could be one of education’s most important reform efforts. Rothstein highlights a number of other reforms in this new Policy Perspectives paper that could help narrow the academic achievement gap. more >
Format: Print | Copyright: 2006
Order #: PP-06-02
The Map of Standards for English Learners, Set
Grades K-5 and 6-12
By: John Carr , Rachel Lagunoff
"The Map of Standards has proved invaluable in helping classroom teachers understand the ELD standards. We are using the maps in all our EL PDI institutes and have requests for more copies."–Claudia Lockwood, Director of Multilingual Education, San Joaquin County Office of Education more >
Price: $19.95 | Format: Binder-ready | Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-914409-37-3 | Order #: CC-06-05