Overview
WestEd combines deep content expertise and decades of experience in measurement, grounded in today’s most innovative research and current practices, to support you in achieving your assessment, teaching, and learning goals.
Drawing on decades of expertise, we serve as a trusted partner to teachers, schools, districts, states, education organizations, and curriculum and embedded-assessment providers to support a collaborative approach to developing research-informed assessments and assessment practices.
We strive to center students in our work to develop and support high-quality assessments that align to your adopted standards, curricula, and federal requirements and that meet educator needs to improve outcomes for all learners.
Assessment Design
and Support
- Diagnostic
- Early Childhood & Primary
- English Language Proficiency
- Formative, Interim, & Summative
- Kindergarten Readiness
- Score Report Design & Evaluation
- Validity & Reliability
Professional Learning
and Services
- Assessment Literacy
- Culturally & Linguistically Relevant Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
- English Learner Reclassification
- Formative Assessment Insights
- Item Writing
Assessment
Research
- Alignment Studies
- Assessment Frameworks
- Assessment Inventories
- Assessment System Evaluation
- Performance Level Descriptors
- Psychometric Services
- Standard Setting
We make an impact by providing solutions that help you measure progress and advance teaching, learning, and equity—using effective strategies and insights that support positive outcomes for all students.
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Featured Experts
Nancy GerzonA national leader in formative assessment, Nancy Gerzon directs the Formative Insights: Assessment for Learning team at WestEd and has been at the forefront of developing scalable approaches to teacher-led learning in formative assessment. She collaborates with partnering districts and states to develop models for formative assessment peer coaching, site-based Communities of Practice, teacher-led Video Study Groups, and intensive blended digital professional learning.View Full Bio
Bryan HembergBryan Hemberg serves as the Director of the Assessment for Learning program at WestEd and a Deputy Director for the Region 15 Comprehensive Center. To improve outcomes for all students, Hemberg works closely with federal agencies, states, districts, and schools on the development and implementation of effective and equitable standards, assessment, and accountability systems. View Full Bio
Joanne Jensen With more than 30 years of service at WestEd, Jensen has extensive experience supporting states in the development of standards-based assessments using both paper-based and computer-based administrations. As WestEd’s Director of Assessment Design and Development, she develops strategic solutions to address state and district assessment needs, and she serves as a senior technical advisor for WestEd’s assessment development projects.View Full Bio
Andrew LathamA national leader in educational assessment for more than two decades, is Senior Managing Director responsible for WestEd’s assessment design, development, research, and innovation portfolios. A former English and mathematics teacher, Latham works closely with national organizations, states, schools, and districts to develop innovative solutions for assessing and setting standards for students and teachers.View Full Bio
Marianne PerieDr. Marianne Perie serves as the Director of Assessment Research and Innovation. A nationally respected psychometrician, Perie has helped more than a dozen states develop and implement fair, valid, and innovative systems of assessment. She is a passionate researcher focused on equity with specific expertise in standard setting, validity theory, comparability of large-scale assessment, interim assessment, and alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. View Full Bio
WestEd Bulletin
Stay up to date with the latest WestEd news, events, research, and leading voices to support your commitment to improving learning, healthy development, and equity in schools and communities.
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Machines Imitating Humans: Scoring Systems and the Risk of Bias
Insights & Impact / December 1, 2023
Experts explore how machine scoring for performance-based tasks can be fair to all students through culturally responsive and sustaining approaches. -
Reviewing State Accountability Systems With A Beginner’s Mind
Insights & Impact / November 21, 2023
The Beginner's Mind is an open, curious, and willing-to-learn mindset. This approach can help state education agencies develop or strengthen their accountability systems. -
A New Report Explores How States Approach Performance-Based Assessments
Insights & Impact / November 20, 2023
Now available: a report on how states use and operate performance-based assessments—including Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
Featured Project
The Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability (CSAA) at WestEd encourages balanced, coherent, and efficient systems of assessment-supported teaching and learning. CSAA at WestEd provides a comprehensive portfolio of research-informed resources, high-quality technical assistance, and services designed to support meaningful improvement of student learning.
Our Work in Action
Addressing Student Needs
Louisiana sought to provide districts and schools with a comprehensive assessment system to monitor student learning and address student needs. Working collaboratively, WestEd developed content for the State’s diagnostic assessments for English/language arts and mathematics.
The diagnostic assessments—key components of Louisiana’s LEAP 360 assessment system—were designed to give educators a general sense of student readiness for grade-level content and indicate the level of support students might need as they proceed through the curriculum.
In addition to the assessment content, WestEd developed scoring materials to guide teacher grading of student responses.
Tailored Workshops
In Florida, we assisted the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship (FJCC) at the Lou Frey Institute to develop the capacity to train Florida educators in item-writing practices through workshops designed for social studies teachers, curriculum coordinators, and FJCC staff. As a result, the FJCC expanded their existing item banks on their assessment preparation website and teacher resource websites.
We worked with our friends at WestEd to support practice assessment development for civics educators across the state of Florida. WestEd was instrumental in supporting this collaboration with teachers and their work with us remains impactful to this day.
Stephen S. Masyada, Ph.D., Director, Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and The Lou Frey Institute
