Noraini Abdullah-Welsh Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate Noraini Abdullah-Welsh conducts evaluations that measure the effectiveness of various programs and policies within early childhood education and elementary schools. Her work ranges from large-scale national policy and program evaluations to local community-based projects, encompassing a variety of evaluation designs as well as content areas. Ultimately, she provides policymakers and practitioners with the information they need to improve education services. Abdullah Welsh works on the First 5 California Needs Assessment Project where she developed reports that summarized the process used in fine-tuning Measureable Program Goals (MPGs) for funded county programs and examined existing data sources, as well as tools and assessments used in early childhood education programs. She also evaluated the Pomona Unified School District School First 5 LA School Readiness Initiative Program and a preschool curriculum. In addition to providing technical assistance to the National Institute for Literacy on the direction for future research in early childhood literacy, Abdullah-Welsh directed the special education teacher professional development project for the California Department of Education and a refugee grants program for the Minnesota Department of Education. She worked on the evaluation of the Titles I-IV private schools program at a public school and comprehensive school reform and improvement program. The MDE Refugee Subgrants Program evaluation used a mixed method study of implementation and impact at the state and district/school levels. The study focused on the quality and impact of the Refugee Subgrants and school subgrants in seven districts; the state's resource kit materials and professional development modules; and overall state management plan and implementation of the subgrants program and resource materials and training services. As part of her work on this evaluation, Abdullah-Welsh provided the state with feedback on how to improve policies, resources, and management of the Refugee Program. Additionally, summative reports, written by Abdullah-Welsh and Co-Project Director John Carr, provided evidence of implementation and impact, as well as recommendations for future improvement at the state and district levels. Previously, Abdullah-Welsh coordinated the Evaluation of the California Academic Progress Program California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) project, where she developed and provided CAHSEE data analysis workshops and provided technical assistance on program evaluation. She also: managed the National Institutes of Health at the Office of Science Education Evaluation Study, a random-controlled trial evaluation study; served as an internal evaluator for the WestEd External Evaluator team that helped schools develop and implement their school action plans in response to the Public School Accountability Act of 1999; directed an evaluation of a foundation-funded literacy effort in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD); and helped evaluate the School-to-Career Project at LAUSD. In addition, Abdullah-Welsh helped evaluate the Instructional Materials Development project for the National Science Foundation (NSF), resulting in her coauthoring the Final Report on the Evaluation of the National Science Foundation's Instructional Materials Development Program. This report offers insight to NSF developers and publishers, and others interested in developing and using high-quality materials in science, mathematics, and technology education. Abdullah-Welsh's work at WestEd expands beyond evaluation services. She previously developed and conducted literacy workshops for the Region XI Northern California Comprehensive Assistance Center and, for the Reading Success Network and Roving Institute for Reading Tutors of Indian and Migrant Education students, developed training materials and coordinated and provided training. As a member of the agency's Equity Assistance Center (EAC), Abdullah-Welsh provided training and technical assistance to school districts and schools on intercultural conflict resolution, culture awareness and sensitivity, cross-cultural communication, and second-language learning theories and methodologies. She also co-coordinated Parent Leadership Institutes and served as the EAC internal evaluator. Prior to joining WestEd in 1993, Abdullah-Welsh served as a Fellow for the agency's Researcher Training Project. This U.S. Department of Education-funded project provided fellowships for ethnic-minority doctoral candidates that enabled them to complete their dissertation while conducting research, policy analyses, and evaluation projects alongside skilled research and development practitioners. Abdullah-Welsh received a BA in education from Wichita State University, and an MA in applied linguistics and a PhD in education from the University of Southern California. Tel: 562.799.5142 562.799.5151 Email: nabdull@wested.org Mailing Address: 4665 Lampson Avenue Los Alamitos, California 90720-5139 Resource Involvement: Final Report on the Evaluation of the National Science Foundation's Instructional Materials Development Program