
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.
2022 Agency Highlights
January
- New Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Curriculum supports early childhood educators in facilitating high-quality individualized learning and healthy development for children ages 0–3.
- WestEd leads one of the first rigorous studies of widely available curriculum for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); initial findings show significant positive impact on student learning.
February
March
April
- Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West launches partnerships to reduce disciplinary incidents for Black students and to lower chronic absence rates for Latina/o and Indigenous students.
- New guide aims to help unify California’s child-serving programs to create one integrated, school-based system of care to support the whole child.
May
June
- National Center for Systemic Improvement launches conversation series: Pursuing Equity at the Intersection of Language, Culture, and Disability.
- New resource provides guidance on how charter schools and their authorizers can assess community needs.
- WestEd and California Department of Education host virtual learning series on how to strategically use one-time state and federal funds.
July
August
September
- As Co-Chair of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness 2022 Conference, WestEd’s Saroja Warner calls for a research agenda that advances racial equity and centers underserved communities.
- Youth-voice research project shares insights about the juvenile justice system from young people who have lived experience with the system.
October
- Brief provides strategies from tribal leaders about using one-time federal funds to improve education outcomes of Native American students.
- Through the Western Educational Equity Assistance Center, WestEd and its partners will help ensure that all students in the region have equitable access to learning opportunities.
November
- Region 2 Comprehensive Center report informs New York’s Blue Ribbon Commission as it makes recommendations on the state’s graduation requirements and policies.
- WestEd Formative Insights professional learning courses receive international recognition for “changing the face of education.”
- North Carolina Supreme Court reinforces that every student should have access to an equitable, sound, and basic education; WestEd had developed the Action Plan to address the Leandro case’s findings.
December
Top Five Most Downloaded New Resources of 2022
- Curriculum Materials Designed for the Next Generation Science Standards Show Promise
- Program for Infant/Toddler Care Curriculum
- Supporting California’s Children Through a Whole Child Approach: A Field Guide for Creating Integrated, School-Based Systems of Care
- What a Systematic Review of 32 Evaluations Says About the Impact of School-Based Law Enforcement
- Moving Toward Instructional Coherence: How Four Popular Student-Centered Approaches Deepen Identity, Agency, Equity, and Community
Top Five WestEd News of 2022
Four Research-Informed Approaches to Boosting Teacher Morale and Motivation
Addressing the Teacher Shortage: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers—Q&A with WestEd’s Gretchen Weber
Equitable Outcomes for Indigenous Students: Q&A with WestEd’s Niki Sandoval
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Assessment: Myths and Opportunities
Five Strategies School Leaders Can Use to Create Supportive Environments for Teachers
Top Five Podcasts of 2022
Leading Voices
Spotlights WestEd experts and other leaders as they discuss ways to help every learner thrive in school, career, and lifeBudgeting for Educational Equity
Provides expert guidance on funding, improvements, and strategies to advance resource equity across all levels of California’s public education systemGeneral Soup
Explores state special education accountability and support systems, also known as general supervision—aka “General Soup”Schools on the Move Series
Highlights innovative and promising school practices across the country that improve outcomes for students with disabilitiesBeyond SEL Audio Gallery
Shares stories of how educators are equitably serving the whole-person needs of their school communities