WestEd will be presenting at the Annual California Educational Research Association (CERA) Conference scheduled for November 4–6, 2026, in Palm Desert, California. This year’s conference theme will focus on building systems for every learner.
Add WestEd sessions to your conference calendar, and visit our exhibit booth, where you can meet our team and learn about our research, publications, and services.
Follow WestEd on LinkedIn and Bluesky to share your insights from the conference!
WestEd Presentations
Wednesday, November 4
Writing Better Assessment Items: Foundations, Best Practices, and Evidence-Centered Design for Classroom Assessment
Time: 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Location: Salon A
Presenters: Jessica Arnold (WestEd) and Meghan Bell (WestEd)
Presentation Description: High-quality assessment items provide meaningful evidence of student learning and support instructional decision-making at every level, especially in the classroom. But what are high-quality items, and how can you design and evaluate items to ensure they are of high quality? In this interactive session, participants will learn about the core principles and best practices for developing and evaluating high-quality assessment items and key concepts such as alignment with learning targets, common item-writing pitfalls and misconceptions, and the use of evidence-centered design to ensure that assessments elicit meaningful and actionable evidence of student learning. The session also highlights system-level approaches to strengthening assessment literacy and improving classroom assessment practices across schools and districts.
Assessing the Assessments: Evaluating Local Assessment Systems for Coherence and Effectiveness
Time: 3–4 p.m.
Location: Salon H
Presenters: Markie Zainal (WestEd) and Tiffany Katanyoutanant (WestEd)
Presentation Description: A coherent and effective local assessment system can support decision-making and guide instruction. But how do you know if your system is coherent and effective? Administrators and leaders are invited to join this interactive session to learn the importance of assessment system evaluation and how to support implementation in their local agency. Participants will reflect on how assessments work together and whether they deliver timely, trustworthy information about learning. Using WestEd-developed tools, participants will begin mapping their local assessment systems, identifying gaps and redundancies, and considering the right partners to include along the way. Participants will leave with clear next steps for designing an evaluation aligned with their local vision of teaching and learning.
Thursday, November 5
Reimagining CAASPP & ELPAC Interim Assessments as Tools for Learning
Time: 1–2:15 p.m.
Location: Salon F
Presenters: Julie Webb (WestEd) and Meghan Bell (WestEd)
Presentation Description: Did you know that interim assessments can do more than just measure learning? You’re likely familiar with standardized uses of California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) interim assessments, but they can also be used as powerful and effective tools in the classroom to boost instruction. This session explores how to turn assessment into action through real-life examples from California schools. Participants will discover new ways to use CAASPP and ELPAC resources with students and colleagues and leave with ready-to-use ideas that shift assessment from compliance to a catalyst for student learning.
Inside the CCEE UDL Learning Network: Using Student Voice to Improve Assessment and Learner Agency
Time: 2:45–4 p.m.
Location: Salon 1
Presenters: Zach Smith (WestEd)
Presentation Description: Participants will step into the role of a district team participating in the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) UDL Learning Network and analyze mock student perception survey data focused on assessment and learner agency. Together, teams will identify patterns in how students experience formative assessment and use those insights to explore practical UDL strategies that increase choice, ownership, and meaningful participation in learning. Attendees will experience the collaborative inquiry process used across the network and leave with ideas for using student voice to strengthen assessment practices and support more engaged, self-directed learners.
Friday, November 6
From Dependent to Independent Learners: Evaluating How a High School English Curriculum Cultivates Student Agency
Time: 8:45–10 a.m.
Location: Salon B
Presenters: Anne Porterfield (WestEd), Ginny Crisco (California State University, Fresno), and Min Chen-Gaddini (WestEd)
Presentation Description: This mixed-methods program evaluation examines how implementation of a 9th grade English curriculum across four states shaped student agency over a school year, highlighting gains in transferable skills and discussion quality and ongoing challenges with confidence, academic risk-taking, and self-monitoring.