WestEd Perspectives features timely insights from our experts on urgent and complex issues in education and human development. These pieces provide research-informed guidance and recommendations for state and local policymakers, education leaders, and practitioners.
Whether addressing challenges in mathematics instruction, advancing accessibility in education, or supporting the whole child, each piece highlights how WestEd can help leaders translate proven strategies into solutions that meet the evolving needs of students, educators, and communities.
A Strong Early Math Foundation Helps Students’ Later Academic Achievement
By Kylie Flynn and Ashli-Ann Douglas
This brief shares research-informed strategies for improving math instruction in early childhood contexts and the ways WestEd can help support states in implementing these strategies.
Address the Math Teacher Shortage to Improve Math Outcomes
By Jaclyn Jagdish Tejwani and Rebecca Perry
This brief outlines strategies for addressing the math educator shortage, and improving math outcomes by investing in teacher preparation, retention, and collaboration between K–12 schools and educator training programs through data-driven partnerships.
An Old Idea for a New Age? Aligning Block Grants to Achieve State Goals and Improved Outcomes for Students
By Jason Willis
This piece focuses on state education leaders’ need to adapt to an evolving funding landscape and block grants, which offer an opportunity to align resources with states’ goals to support students.
An Old Idea for a New Era? How Block Grants Can Achieve State Goals and Improve Student Outcomes
By Jason Willis
This blog post builds on the Perspectives piece above and provides recommendations designed to help state leaders use block grants to consistently and reliably serve students and improve outcomes.
Catalyzing Generative AI’s Potential to Improve K–12 Math Education
By Drew Nucci and Jodi Davenport
This piece explores research-backed policies and professional learning strategies to help teachers use Generative AI effectively for more ambitious math teaching.
Coherent Approaches to Early Algebra Advance Students’ High School Course-Taking Opportunities
By Kirk Walters and Drew Nucci
This brief provides guidance on how state and local policymakers can support more students’ successful completion of algebra before high school and shares how WestEd can help in those efforts.
Faced With Less: How Coalition Building Among Government Agencies Can Do More to Serve the Public
By Jason Willis
This brief explores the possible impacts of federal funding changes and provides strategic recommendations for state education leaders and their counterparts in other government agencies.
Legislating Literacy at the State Level: Six Considerations for Supporting Students With Disabilities
By Elizabeth Zagata
This brief explores how states can strengthen literacy policies to support students with disabilities through recent legislation, key considerations, and practical implementation resources.
Realizing Multilingual Learners’ Immense Promise in Mathematics: Policies That Enable Ambitious Practice
By Haiwen Chu
This piece explores research-based strategies and policies that support Multilingual Learners’ success in mathematics through meaningful access, participation, and conceptual understanding.
Realizing the Promise of Modern Postsecondary Math Pathways
By Amy Getz and Ann Edwards
This brief addresses long-standing obstacles that limit the effectiveness of postsecondary math pathways, including students stuck in poorly designed course sequences, insufficient faculty and leadership support for instructional improvement, incomplete implementation of effective models.
Redesign High School Math to Prepare Students for a Fast-Changing World
By Angela Knotts and Rebecca Perry
This piece offers research-based strategies for redesigning math pathways to better equip students to enjoy math, understand and critique the world, and expand their professional opportunities.
Shifting Sands: Declining Enrollment in California and How Leaders Can Respond
By Jason Willis
This piece analyzes the ongoing decline in California public school enrollment and its impact on funding, highlighting revenue losses, rising costs, reduced federal support, and the need for better forecasting, spending decisions, and community engagement.
Strengthen Dual Enrollment Math to Increase Postsecondary Access and Success
By Ann Edwards and Amy Getz
This brief offers research-based approaches to increasing and strengthening dual enrollment mathematics, and shares how WestEd can help with those efforts.
Supporting Student Success Through Aligned and Coherent Systems
By Natalie Walrond
This brief shares practical strategies for strengthening coordination within your agency, between state and local levels, and across sectors like education, health, and social services.
Using Evidence-Based Teaching Practices to Improve Math Learning
By Kirk Walters and Ann Edwards
This brief highlights evidence-based math teaching practices backed by research and offers recommendations for policymakers to promote and sustain high-quality math instruction.
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