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Improving Systems and Outcomes for School Choice Programs

Partnering with leaders in the education choice space to develop and implement systems that promote student and school success

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All families deserve the opportunity to select school environments that will meet the specific learning, development, and behavioral needs of their children. We collaborate with leaders across systems to improve access to and the sustainability of high-quality schools. 
 
Our team provides technical assistance and customized solutions, including rigorous evaluations, policy analyses, best practices research, and formative evaluations that inform program improvements. We also conduct mixed-method, impact, and implementation evaluations for education choice programs. 

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Our Capacities

We partner with school choice leaders to take a holistic approach to understanding and improving entire educational choice systems, from the school to the state level. 

Featured Service

Indicators of Distress

An early warning system for school choice programs, Indicators of Distress helps state and local leaders identify and address key issues before a school is deemed “failing.”

Featured Project

State Educational Agency Leadership Network

We bring together state leaders from across the country for peer learning opportunities that showcase promising practices in a range of topics, including charter schools.

We provide technical assistance to state education agencies, statewide authorizers, and school choice support organizations to strengthen leadership capacity for managing effective school choice systems. 

Featured Project

The Mentorship Network: A Partnership With Utah State Charter School Board

In partnership with the Utah State Charter School Board, we support a mentoring program that enables charter schools to share and adopt promising practices.

Featured Project

NY-RISE: A Partnership With the New York State Education Department

We partnered with the New York State Education Department to deliver targeted technical assistance to charter school leaders in four key areas: special education, family and community engagement, governance, and financial operations.

We monitor and support grant and project implementation activities for hundreds of grant-funded charter and magnet schools to support program improvement and increased student outcomes. 

Featured Project

Charter Schools Program Monitoring and Data Collection

WestEd is helping the Charter Schools Program ensure that federal funds help to expand high-quality charter school options. 

We work with charter authorizers, state departments of education, and charter support organizations to strengthen systems for authorizing, monitoring, and renewing high-quality charter schools. 

Featured Project

Improving Performance Frameworks for Nevada Public Charter Schools

With support from WestEd and community input, the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority updated its performance frameworks to create a fairer, more effective accountability system that serves over 60,000 students in more than 80 charter campuses. 

Featured Project

A-GAME (Assess: Global access, Academics, Mission, and Equity): Measure What Matters, When It Matters 

Developed with the National Charter Schools Institute and Momentum Strategy and Research, A-GAME: Measure What Matters is a community of charter authorizer and other education leaders dedicated to developing more effective measures of student and school performance and identifying when schools are struggling to prevent school decline. 

We conduct analyses and impartial evaluations for a range of education choice programs, with a specialty in magnet school evaluation, to ensure that schools of choice provide all students with a high-quality education. 

Featured Project

Evaluating the Effects of Schools Funded by the Magnet Schools Assistance Program

WestEd identified the impact of Clark County School District’s new magnet program on student outcomes, including student achievement and course taking, thereby helping Clark County determine the effectiveness of its program.  

Featured Project

Analyzing the Education Savings Account Landscape in the United States 

WestEd conducted a landscape analysis of the growing use of education savings accounts across the United States. 

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Featured Services and Projects

Indicators of Distress

Indicators of Distress helps you bridge the gap between accountability and school improvement with a research-based approach.
Service

Charter Schools Program Monitoring and Data Collection

With this support, WestEd is helping the CSP ensure that federal funds help to expand high-quality charter school options.
Project

Comprehensive Needs Assessment for School and District Improvement

We work with you to accelerate and sustain school and district improvement using The WestEd Four Domains CALL Survey.
Service

Comprehensive School Improvement Planning

We partner with you to develop a school improvement plan that is tailored to address challenges and meet requirements for school accountability and improvement, including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  
Service

Family Engagement Services

We provide professional learning experiences for schools and districts to design and implement family engagement practices and strategies.
Service

Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

We help you implement, scale, and improve initiatives related to safe and supportive learning environments (SSLE).
Service
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Insights & Impact

Adults collaborating

BlogArticles

Five Questions to Guide Effective Education Savings Account Implementation 

Teacher helping children

BlogArticles

Ensuring High-Quality Education Within the Charter School System

A mother preparing her child to go to school in the morning

BlogArticles

Transformative Family Engagement: How Charter Schools Can Lead the Way

Teachers Learning from Teachers

BlogArticles

Updating Performance Frameworks for Nevada Public Charter Schools

BlogPodcasts

Leading Voices Podcast Series Episode 15: Education Savings Accounts (ESAs): Research, Accountability, and Transparency—A Conversation With William Berry and Robin Chait

Educators working together

BlogArticles

Building Capacity Across New York Charter Schools Through the NY-RISE Initiative

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Resources

Browse our high-quality publications and resources designed to inform and engage professionals in a variety of fields including K–12 education, early childhood, and health and justice.

Charter School Definitions featured image

State Charter Laws: Charter School Definition
Charter School Laws: Authorizers and Appeals resource image

State Charter Laws: Authorizers and Appeals 
Charter School Laws: Lottery and Enrollment resource image

State Charter Laws: Lottery and Enrollment
Education Savings Accounts report cover image

Education Savings Accounts and Accountability: A Landscape Analysis Across States

Magnet School Evaluation Guide
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Featured Experts

Sara Allender

Sara Allender

With 20 years of experience, Sara Allender is an expert in federal school choice policy and leads evaluations and monitoring for grant programs.
Expert
Aylin Bell

Aylin Bell

Aylin Bell has worked in the field of K–12 education for over 20 years, leading strategic initiatives focused on increasing organizational impact and effectiveness....
Expert
Robin Chait

Robin Chait

Robin Chait has an extensive background in technical assistance and education policy and more than a decade of leadership experience in a variety of...
Expert
Aimee Evan

Aimee Evan

Aimee Evan is a senior research associate and school improvement specialist at WestEd, recognized for her impactful contributions to education. With a strong commitment...
Expert
John Flaherty

John Flaherty

John Flaherty is an expert in program evaluation with over 30 years of experience. He has directed evaluations across a number of content and...
Expert
Kelly Wynveen

Kelly Wynveen

Kelly Wynveen has more than 10 years of experience working in education leading projects, providing technical assistance, and developing resources to serve state, regional,...
Expert

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