John W. Carr

Since joining WestEd in 1997 as Senior Research Associate, John W. Carr has been developing resource products and consulting on the theme of equity for English learners through the integration of differentiated instruction and assessment. He consults with states on English language development (ELD) standards and their implementation in partnership with staff in Assessment and Standards Development Services. Since joining WestEd's Evaluation Research program in 2006, he also conducts educational program evaluation projects.

Carr has conducted numerous teacher-oriented workshops throughout California about how to use the Map of Standards for English Learners to provide standards-based, effective classroom instruction and assessment. Schools, districts, and county offices of education contract for his services. He is co-developer of ELD standards and implementation workshops for Idaho, and conducted ELD standards reviews for other several states. He is co-director of a multiyear evaluation study of Minnesota's Refugee Grant program.

Carr co-authored the best-selling The Map of Standards for English Learners: Integrating Instruction and Assessment of English Language Development and English Language Arts Standards in California. An invaluable resource for thousands of K-12 administrators and teachers, the Map has been published in five editions and is WestEd's best-selling resource, selling over 50,000 copies. This standards-based tool is a side-by-side "map" of California's English language development standards and the state's English language arts standards, organized for teachers to more easily plan standards-based, differentiated lessons. Carr authored an article in Language Magazine (April 2008) about the usefulness of the Map of Standards.

By request from content area teachers, Carr coauthored Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers in 2006. This guidebook succinctly and clearly describes highly effective strategies for teaching language within the content of science, offering many examples in grades 6-12. Carr authored an article in Language Magazine (February 2008) that highlights key ideas in this book.

Carr also co-authored The Bottom-Up Simple Approach to School Accountability and Improvement, which helps schools and districts design and implement accountability systems that focus on teacher teams making data-informed decisions at critical periods during the year. He contributed chapters to Grading and Reporting Student Progress in an Age of Standards.

Prior to joining WestEd, Carr was responsible for the assessment and program evaluation systems in two large school districts and conducted workshops related to assessment, organizational change, and effective instructional programs.

Carr received a BA in psychology and an MA in research psychology from California State University, Sacramento, and a PhD in measurement, evaluation, and research in education from the University of California, Berkeley.