Dona Meinders joined WestEd's Center for Prevention and Early Intervention in 1999. She serves as Project Coordinator for the Least Restrictive Environment Resources Project, a California Department of Education-funded grant project; and the Early Intervention Distance Learning Project, a federal grant project funded as a collaborative effort between various California State Universities and the Department of Developmental Services.

In addition, Meinders works with the agency's California Comprehensive Center to help build capacity of schools and districts to improve student achievement and to support students with special needs. She also helps build capacity of statewide systems of support and statewide networks.

Meinders also partners with the agency's Southwest Comprehensive Center to improve academic outcomes for students with disabilities in Hawaii. This three-year plan is being accomplished through aligning instruction to essential content standards; writing Individual Education Plan goals to align with grade-level standards with appropriate accommodations and supports, including schoolwide and individualized positive behavioral supports in all environments; refining/developing protocols and trainings for collaborative planning discussions on evidence-based instructional strategies; and developing and implementing a range of parent communication and involvement strategies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the diverse school districts.

As part of WestEd's Comprehensive School Assistance Program on School Assistance Intervention Teams and District Assistance Intervention Teams, Meinders has helped several schools improve their academic achievement and has provided follow-up technical assistance to school staff.

Meinders received a BA in child development from California State University, Sacramento, and an MA in education from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She also holds Severely Handicapped Specialist, Learning Handicapped, and Multiple Subject credentials.