WestEd Awarded New REL West Contract

Helping Western Educators Since 1966

(01/04/2012) San Francisco, California —— WestEd has received a multi-year contract from the U.S. Department of Education to operate the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West), comprising Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.

WestEd and its parent agencies, Far West Laboratory and Southwest Regional Laboratory, has held the contract for this regional laboratory continuously since the federal program began in 1966. The Institute of Education Sciences within the Department of Education oversees the 10 RELS nationwide.

"We are pleased to have an opportunity to carry out what should be a challenging and rewarding scope of work for the new lab," says Gary Estes, WestEd Chief Program Officer and REL West Co-Director. "We look forward to working as a partner with new collaborative alliances throughout the western region as this work develops."

REL West serves the region by providing scientifically valid research findings that help meet the needs of educators from teachers to state chief officers. Laboratory staff draw from existing high-quality research, as well as conduct research and development projects and experimental studies. They also help stakeholders interpret evidence and build their own research capacity.



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About WestEd
WestEd, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California. Its corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. More information about WestEd is available at WestEd.org.

Contact Information

Matthew Spaur
415.615.3219
mspaur@wested.org