WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency. The agency traces its history back to 1966 when Congress created a network of Regional Educational Laboratories. In 1995, two of those original laboratories — Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development and Southwest Regional Laboratory — joined forces to form WestEd.
As one of the nation’s
Regional Educational Laboratories, WestEd serves Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Our work also extends throughout the rest of the United States, as well as internationally.
WestEd is committed to improving learning at all stages of life — from infancy to adulthood, both in school and out.
Our work is far-reaching because our purpose is ambitious: success for every learner. Ambitious as it is, this goal is within reach.
As your partner in educational change, WestEd
- helps all children enter school healthy and eager to learn;
- tailors effective assessment strategies for states and districts;
- works with administrators and teams of school and district leaders to help bring about successful schoolwide change;
- enhances teachers’ career-long professional development;
- and finds ways for community-based groups to collaborate and solve problems.
Partners make it work. Parents, teachers, administrators, elected officials, child development specialists, members of businesses and communities, and even students, join with us in diverse alliances.
Together, we think about education in new ways — to ensure equity, promote excellence, and provide service.
If you would like a copy of WestEd's Annual Report, please write to Danny Torres,
dtorres@WestEd.org.
Leadership in our many areas of work is organized by
program. Program directors work with project directors to capitalize on and develop staff expertise. Staff members may focus their work in one project or may contribute to several related
projects.
Our nearly
500 staff members have backgrounds in early childhood development, assessment, evaluation, curriculum, science, math, reading, special education, professional development, and youth development. They also bring hands-on experience in teaching, school administration, education policy, and social services.
Including its San Francisco headquarters, WestEd has
17 offices nationwide, from Washington, DC, to Boston, MA, to Phoenix, AZ.
WestEd is governed by a
Board of Directors comprising leaders from public and private education, and from business communities throughout the western region. Our board takes an active role in agency leadership and strategic planning.
The Board of Directors meets quarterly. Their most recent or upcoming agenda (in PDF format) can be found online.
WestEd Governance Policies adopted by the Board of Directors can be found at www.wested.org/online_pubs/governance.pdf.
WestEd’s wide range of
funders and partners contribute to our ability to offer a full array of services and to tackle many of education’s toughest and most enduring challenges. From the federal government to local school districts, from business and university partners to private foundations, WestEd funders seek and contribute to the expertise we can make available to others.
For general information about WestEd, call 415.565.3000 or toll-free at (1.877) 4-WestEd. Our main fax number is 415.565.3012. See our
job listings for information on openings at WestEd.
WestEd's San Francisco headquarters are located at:
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, California 94107
Visit our
Newsroom to find press contacts, WestEd in the news, and recent press releases.
Agency Overview
