about the program

The Policy Center at WestEd is a research-based voice at the national level, responding to requests from Congress and federal agencies, and at the state and local levels, addressing inquiries from legislators, boards of education, and other policy leaders.

Policy Center staff bring clarity to complex issues by examining all sides and presenting objective, research-based views.

The Policy Center influences state and national policymakers regarding specific education reform policies and their impact on children and families. Staff conduct policy research, synthesize information, and analyze it along with other related research, focusing on important policy implications.

Additionally, the Policy Center publishes and disseminates Policy Perspectives, a series of papers that presents visiting authors' own views and/or research on issues relevant to schools and communities nationwide. In addition, WestEd publishes Policy Perspectives papers written by our staff.

In 2009, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was keynote speaker at a California Leadership Forum supported by WestEd through the California Mayors Education Roundtable, a Policy Center initiative to provide integrated and comprehensive support for urban youth.