From Our CEO, Glen Harvey

In 2022, WestEd navigated the “new normal” of a constantly shifting landscape. Drawing on our deep reservoir of expertise, we provided services, resources, and insights to address post-pandemic challenges, with a particular focus on the students and communities most negatively affected.

Responding to needs in the field, we regularly refreshed our COVID-19: Support for Learning Acceleration page, including guidance on applying the latest research to emerging challenges. Our staff supported states, districts, and schools in accelerating learning through, for example, funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Science Foundation to pursue multi-institutional research that is enhancing the preparation of youth in science and engineering. And much of our work emphasized addressing the needs of the whole child, whole community, and whole family, including supporting student and educator well-being and helping schools integrate mental health services.

Our decades-long commitment to achieving equity and improving learning has recently been evident in our nationally recognized work addressing the needs of English Learners and students with disabilities. We have also expanded our collaboration with Indigenous communities by, for instance, working with the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada to engage more than 20 tribes in creating a plan for workforce development that increases tribal capacity for accessing federal and state resources. Throughout these efforts, we help educators honor all students’ experiences while holding equally high expectations for their futures.

In our continual pursuit of positive impact, WestEd experienced its largest period of staffing growth this past year. To ensure growth not only in size but also in depth and effectiveness, we established an Operational Improvement Initiative and supported many kinds of professional learning for staff. For example, a group of WestEd researchers pursued the rigorous What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Certification, dramatically increasing the number of WWC-certified reviewers on our staff.

Although change and uncertainty will continue to be the norm, I am confident WestEd is well equipped to continue developing, learning from, and applying rigorous research to solve a wide range of challenges and make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in 2023 and beyond.