As Senior Program Associate in WestEd's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Joyce S. Kaser designs and implements evaluation plans for a variety of education programs.

Kaser's work has focused on program evaluation, primarily of large-scale change initiatives to improve mathematics and science education. In one such effort with the 14 state universities of Pennsylvania, the client ended up with credible information on a timely basis over a five-year period. Moreover, the evaluation was well-received by the funder, the National Science Foundation.

Kaser has extensive experience in providing services to public and private sector clients in systems change, professional development, evaluation, materials development, and equity. She consults on a variety of topics including evaluation strategies, implementation of quality assurance programs, and organization change. She has worked with the Education Development Center, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA). As a result of Kaser's work, IMSA now has an external validation system for its professional development and student enrichment programs.

She currently is working with WestEd's Southwest Comprehensive Center, which helps state departments of education implement the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Kaser has provided technical assistance in systems change, school and district support, professional development, and support for high quality mathematics and science education. In her work with one state department of education, a team has gathered data to determine the status of certain programs and procedures and made changes to increase efficiency and effectiveness of these programs and procedures. Once fully implemented, one such change will reduce the time to issue educator licenses from three to four months to approximately one week.

Kaser recently served as a team member for a 21-month project to develop a framework and related documents for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress in science. Kaser planned meetings, assisted in editing the Framework and Specifications documents, documented project process, wrote the final report, and evaluated the project. She also authored Suggested Background Variables to Accompany the 2009 NAEP Science Assessment, one of the framework deliverables. Her work served as the basis for development of the background variables for the 2009 assessment.

She served as lead author for Leading Everyday: 124 Actions for Effective Leadership, Second Edition and Enhancing Program Quality in Science and Mathematics. The first edition of Leading Everyday received the 2003 Outstanding Book Award from the National Staff Development Council (NSDC). NSDC selected the second edition as a benefit to premier members.

As Director of The NETWORK, Inc.'s Washington, D.C. office, a former New England–based research and development organization, Kaser provided services to clients such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Urban League, and District of Columbia Public Schools. She also served as Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Sex Equity.

She received a BA in English, cum laude, from Miami University, an MA in English from the University of Dayton, and an EdD in educational administration from The American University. She is a former teacher and school administrator.