A member of the Evaluation Research Program at WestEd since 1996, Alexandria (Sandy) Sobolew-Shubin has more than 25 years experience designing and directing research and evaluation studies across a broad spectrum of substantive areas.

These studies have included initiatives focused on community-based programs and relying on collaborative service delivery platforms; a broad array of school-based mental health and support services and systems; career and technical education (CTE); and arts-integrated instructional strategies, curricula, and professional development models.

Sobolew-Shubin has extensive experience conducting studies relying on rigorous experimental (RCT) and quasi-experimental designs (QED) and employing mixed methods, as well as the development of data systems as integral to program monitoring and data use.

She is co-directing a cluster-randomized trial (RCT) of the Arts for Learning (A4L) Lessons supplemental literacy curriculum, funded by an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant. The A4L Lessons curriculum is being implemented in the Beaverton School District, the third largest school district in Oregon, in partnership with Young Audiences (YA) National, YA Oregon and Southwest Washington, as well as a team of researchers from the University of Washington led by John Bransford.

A4L Lessons is an intervention intended to improve literacy achievement for 3rd- to 5th-grade students, including English language learner and below grade-level readers, through the integration of arts into the language arts curriculum.

In addition, she is directing a quasi-experimental study of the A4L Lessons curriculum in the Charleston County School District in South Carolina, also funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.

In the area of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Sobolew-Shubin is directing the evaluation of Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, California Academy Program (GLOBE CAP) funded by the NSF ITEST initiative. The evaluation employs a three-year quasi-experimental design to inform the further development of this innovative program and associated professional development model, as well as demonstrate the impact of the program on student achievement and motivation relevant to STEM.

Prior to joining WestEd, Sobolew-Shubin served as a Research Analyst for the Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) and for the Institute for Applied Public and Policy Research at Claremont Graduate University.

At SSA, Sobolew-Shubin directed a study of recidivism at Orangewood Children's Home and conducted a needs assessment as part of an interagency effort evaluating child care needs in Orange County, CA.

Her evaluation and strategic planning efforts at the Institute for Applied Public and Policy Research focused on the development of Riverside and San Bernardino (CA) counties' Master Plans to Reduce Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Her prior work also includes teaching courses at the University of LaVerne and California State University, Fullerton.

Sobolew-Shubin has shared her work at professional conferences such as the American Evaluation Association and Western Psychological Association. She also has authored articles appearing in a variety of peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Social Science and Medicine, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, and the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

She received a BA and MA in psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and is completing a PhD in applied social psychology at Claremont Graduate University.