Assessment, Standards, & Accountability
SimScientists Human Body Systems: Using Simulations to Foster Integrated Understanding of Complex, Dynamic, Interactive Systems
WestEd researchers are creating simulation-based supplementary curriculum modules and investigating how they help high school biology students develop a deeper understanding of how molecules, cells, and organs work together to support life.
Comparing Achievement Trends in Reading and Math Across Arizona Public School Student Subgroups
What percentage of Arizona public school students is proficient in reading and math? How does the percentage differ by student subgroup and school level? And what are the results when only charter schools are examined? Find out in this research study.
Achievement Trends of Schools and Students in Arizona's Title I School Improvement Program
How can state agencies help increase student achievement in schools and districts serving disadvantaged populations? This REL West brief examines the academic performance of Arizona schools receiving Title I funds.
The Relationship Between English Proficiency and Content Knowledge for English Language Learner Students in Grades 10 and 11 in Utah
This study explores English learners' performance on language proficiency and content assessments, and documents performance differences on particular strands of content between English learners and their non-English learner counterparts.
Multistate Review of Professional Teaching Standards (Update)
This REL West report reviews teaching standards in six states and updates a 2009 review by incorporating California's recently adopted teaching standards while retaining data from the other five states previously studied.
Characteristics of Arizona School Districts in Improvement
This statistical profile of Arizona's school districts in improvement can inform the context for reform and assistance as the state rolls out and refines its district intervention strategies.
Characteristics of California School Districts in Program Improvement
WestEd researchers provide a statistical profile of California's Title I school districts in program improvement.
Alternative Assessments for Special Education Students in the Southwest Region States
This study reviews and summarizes alternate assessment policies and practices — and their implementation and impact — for the most significantly cognitively disabled students across the Southwest Region.
Formative Assessment Policies, Programs, and Practices in the Southwest Region
Researchers examined policies and programs in five Southwest Region states, suggesting a range of strategies to support the development and use of formative assessments.
Measuring Resilience and Youth Development: The Psychometric Properties of the Healthy Kids Survey
This study aims to improve resilience assessment and research so that educators can shape their school environment to promote academic resilience.
Diagnostic Embedded Classroom Assessment — An Efficacy Study
The findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the general effects of embedded diagnostic assessment on student learning in science curricula.
Impact of Benchmark Assessments Aligned to State Standards on Student Achievement
Learn more about this study measuring the impact of benchmark assessments on student achievement in the state of Massachusetts.
Course-Taking Patterns and Preparation for Postsecondary Education in California's Public University Systems Among Minority Youth
This study, prepared by WestEd's Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West), examines the extent to which California high school students meet the course requirements for admission to California's four-year public universities.
Assessment Accommodations for English Language Learners
Read the research behind this Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) study investigating the effects of assessment accommodations on standardized test scores and test score validity for English learners.