WestEd assessment experts will present at the 2025 National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA) at the Sheraton Downtown Denver in Colorado on June 23–25, 2025.
This conference, hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), brings together education leaders and policymakers to explore the theme Maximizing Impact: Leveraging Assessment and Accountability to Drive Student Learning. WestEd will lead or co-lead eight sessions, drawing on more than 20 years of experience designing, developing, researching, and innovating assessment instruments.
Our sessions will highlight evidence-based practices that focus on
- innovative assessment approaches,
- school accountability,
- artificial intelligence in K–12 state assessment programs,
- kindergarten readiness assessment, and
- literacy assessment.
View more details about WestEd’s sessions below.
WestEd offers content and psychometric expertise in the assessment of student learning, grounded in rigorous research and innovative practices, to foster educational opportunities and outcomes. Visit WestEd.org/assessment-solutions to learn more and request a consultation.
WestEd Sessions
Monday, June 23
Let’s get to work! A Framework for the Consideration and Evaluation of Representation in Assessment Development
Addressing systemic matters in assessment will improve measurement by engaging all students, influencing standards, and will improve student learning.
Time: 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Governor Square 15 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Kevin King (WestEd), April McCrae (Delaware Department of Education), and Priya Kannan (WestEd)
The Power of Articulating Guiding Principles for School Accountability: State Lessons and Insights
In this session, we will provide background into state accountability principles and introduce the accountability principles in place in four states.
Time: 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Governor Square 10 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Eric Crane and Mitch Herz (WestEd)
Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence in K–12 State Assessment Programs: Latest Lessons over the Past Year on Generative AI Use
In this session, an experienced state assessment director leading a cross-state effort on AI, a prominent researcher on AI applications for use in testing, and two national experts will present information and recommendations on how AI can greatly help assessment efforts for states.
Time: 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Location: Governor Square 11 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: John Olson (Assessment Solutions Group), Brian Reiter (Hawai’i State Department of Education), Sarah Quesen (WestEd), and Walt Drane (Caveon)
Tuesday, June 24
Student-Centered Methods for Assessment Item Evaluation
This session will present emerging methods for analyzing item response patterns in state assessments, addressing new challenges in measurement as federal student characteristic reporting requirements change, including machine learning-based approaches and practical insights from both research and state perspectives.
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Location: Plaza Ballroom A (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Sarah Quesen (WestEd), Lauren White (Pearson), and Anju Kuriakose (Arizona Department of Education)
Generative AI in Action: Building High-Quality Assessments with Efficiency
This session will explore how WestEd, Cambium Assessment, and Pearson School Assessment, along with a state partner, are exploring potential implementation of generative AI in content and scoring processes.
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Governor Square 11 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Sarah Quesen (WestEd), Susan Lottridge (Cambium Assessment), Jenn Dunn (Pearson), and Chris Rozunick (Texas Education Agency)
Improving K–12 Assessment and Accountability for All Learners
There is growing recognition that the current education system and large-scale assessment practices continue to disadvantage students from historically underserved communities.
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Plaza Court 2 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Priya Kannan (WestEd), Molly Mund (Colorado Department of Education), April McCrae (Delaware Department of Education), and Aurelia Shorty (Bureau of Indian Education)
Wednesday, June 25
Setting the Stage for a KRA (Kindergarten Readiness Assessment)
In this session, we will address the key questions that need to be considered before adoption or development of a KRA.
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Governor Square 15 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Kara Courtney (Data Recognition Corporation), Jan Blose (Georgia Department of Education), Jennifer Grivins (Michigan Department of Education), and Matt Brunetti (WestEd)
Early Literacy Screening: Approaches to the Evaluation, Selection, and Implementation Across Three States
The push for evidence-based reading instruction has resulted in many states enacting legislation related to literacy assessments, and most of these states mandate assessments to identify or track reading difficulties.
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Plaza Court 2 (Plaza Building Concourse Level)
Speakers: Matt Brunetti (WestEd), Young-Suk Kim (University of California, Irvine), and Tammy Yetter (Colorado Department of Education)
Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook and share your insights from the conference.
Don’t miss out on these important conversations!