WestEd at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness 2026 Conference

WestEd researchers and collaborators will share new research findings and insights at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) Conference, September 23–26 in Baltimore, Maryland. Through symposia, paper presentations, moderated discussions, panel sessions, and posters, WestEd experts will explore some of education’s most critical challenges and opportunities.

This year’s theme, “Education and Public Trust: Evidence and Accountability in a Changing Landscape,” aligns with WestEd’s commitment to advancing research that informs policy, strengthens practice, and improves outcomes for learners.

Presentations will examine such topics as AI and educational technology, mathematics instruction, STEM learning, tutoring, professional learning, student motivation and engagement, research methods, and scaling effective interventions.

Add WestEd sessions to your conference agenda and visit our exhibit table to connect with staff, learn about our latest work, subscribe to our E-Bulletin newsletter, and pick up recent publications.

WestEd Presentations

Wednesday, September 23

AL Integrated Symposium—Learning Beyond the Bell: Building Evidence on Out-of-School STEM Experiences to Support Students’ Academic Outcomes and Future-Ready Skills
Time & Location: 1–2:30 p.m. / Laurel AB

Learning Beyond the Bell: Building Evidence on Out-of-School STEM Experiences to Support Students’ Academic Outcomes and Future-Ready Skills
Presenting Authors: Meghan McCormick (Overdeck Family Foundation), Kirk Walters (WestEd), Christopher Doss (RAND), Tara Hofkens (RAND), Jara Xu (Harvard Graduate School of Education), and Sarah Gerard (SRI Education)

RM Paper—Methods of Addressing Multi-Level Data
Time & Location: 2:45–4:15 p.m. / Harbor B

Improved Power in a Reanalysis of an Educational Efficacy Trial by Leveraging Auxiliary Data
Presenting Author: Adam Sales (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
Contributing Authors: Kevin Huang (WestEd), Mingyu Feng (WestEd), and Johann Gagnon-Bartsch (University of Michigan)

Wednesday Poster Session
Time & Location: 4:15–5:15 p.m. / Harborside Foyer

Motivation and Engagement Profiles in Middle School Social Studies and Their Instructional Implications
Presenting Author: Katie Drummond (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Alida Hudson (American Institutes for Research), Lauren Artzi (American Institutes for Research), Matthew Burns (University of Florida), Patrick Steele (American Institutes for Research), Hannah Keepers (American Institutes for Research), and Isabelle D’Souza (American Institutes for Research)

From RCT to QED: Selecting a Matching Strategy When Experimental Data Fall Short
Presenting Author: Raifu Durodoye (WestEd)
Contributing Author: George Lolashvili (WestEd)

Beyond Fidelity: Using Observation Data to Examine the Potential for Unintended Instructional Impacts in Treatment Classrooms
Presenting Author: Erin Janulis (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Karen Melchior (WestEd), Raifu Durodoye (WestEd), and Edrick Sabalburo (WestEd)

Thursday, September 24

AL Paper—Policy Reform, Whole-School Change, and Student Trajectories
Time & Location: 9–10:30 a.m. / Harbor D

Causal Evidence From Alaska’s Individualized Reading Improvement Plan Policy
Presenting Author: Noman Khanani (WestEd)
Contributing Author: Rachel Tripathy (WestEd)

Thursday Poster Session
Time & Location: 10:30–11:30 a.m. / Harborside Foyer

Building Trust in AI-Enhanced Education Tools: A Feasibility Study of an AI-Powered Science Modeling Platform in Diverse Elementary Classrooms
Presenting Author: Mingyu Feng (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Nicole Wong (WestEd), Wynnie Chan (WestEd), Andy Smith (North Carolina State University), James Lester (North Carolina State University), Bradford Mott (North Carolina State University), and Cathy Ringstaff (WestEd)

Integrating AI Literacy Into Math Education: An Efficacy Study
Presenting Author: Linlin Li (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Jie Chao (The Concord Consortium), I. Yelee Jo (WestEd), Kevin Huang (WestEd), and Kelly Collins (WestEd)

Evidence-Based Authorization: Validating and Strengthening a State Charter School Evaluation Instrument for Policy and Practice
Presenting Author: Olivia Szendey (WestEd)

AL Integrated Symposium—Is High-Dosage Tutoring Effective in Raising Math Achievement? Evidence From Three RCTs
Time & Location: 12:30–2 p.m. / Harbor D
Presenting Authors: Beth Boulay (Brown University), Catherine Asher (University of Michigan), Amanda Neitzel (Johns Hopkins University), and Raifu Durodoye (WestEd)

RM Paper—Measurement and Considerations with Large Language Models
Time & Location: 3:30–5 p.m. / Laurel AB

A Justice-Oriented Rubric for Evaluating Structural Bias in Large Language Model Output
Presenting Author: Lauren White (WestEd)
Contributing Author: Sarah Quesen (WestEd)

PS Moderated Discussion Panel—What Does It Take to Evaluate Faculty Professional Development? Lessons From a Randomized Controlled Trial at Community Colleges
Time & Location: 3:30–5 p.m. / Kent AB
Organizer: Jodi Davenport (WestEd)
Chair: Thomas Brock (Community College Research Center)
Presenting Authors: Jodi Davenport (WestEd), Thomas Brock (Community College Research Center), Susan Bickerstaff (Community College Research Center), and Patrick Moyle (WestEd)

Friday, September 25

URE Moderated Discussion—Designing for Trust: Translating Culturally Responsive Research Into EdTech Design Decisions
Time & Location: 9–10:30 a.m. / Harbor E
Organizer, Presenting Author, and Chair: Saroja Warner (WestEd)

Panelists: Ebony Terrell Shockley (University of Maryland), Lou Edward Matthews (InspireMath), Anita Crowder (Illustrative Mathematics), Esther Gencheva (Baltimore City Public Schools), and Karen Riley Jeffers (Anne Arundel County Public Schools)

Friday Poster Session
Time & Location: 1–2 p.m. / Harborside Foyer

Developing the Caregiver Report of Early Language Interactions (CRELI) in English & Spanish
Presenting Author: Nicolette Grasley-Boy (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Brenda Salley (University of Kansas Medical Center), Lauren Cycyk (University of Oregon), Jocelyn Morales-Martinez (University of Oregon), Maddie Arnautov (University of Kansas Medical Center), Andrea Rolla (Abigail Adams Institute), and Judith Carta (University of Kansas)

AL Symposium—Scaling Effective Educational Interventions
Time & Location: 5:15–6:45 p.m. / Kent AB
Organizer: Alice Klein (WestEd)
Discussant: Beth Boulay (Brown University)
Presenting Authors: Prentice Starkey (WestEd), Alice Klein (WestEd), Leanne Ketterlin-Geller (Southern Methodist University), Xinmei Wan (American Institutes for Research), and Laura Hauerwaas (Providence College)

Saturday, September 26

AL Moderated Discussion—From Decoding to Meaning: Using Evidence to Improve Reading Comprehension
Time & Location: 8:30–10 a.m. / Harbor D
Organizer and Chair: Jose Blackorby (WestEd)
Presenting Authors: Jose Blackorby (WestEd), Rekha Balu (Urban Institute), Katie Grogan (WestEd), Russel Gersten (Instructional Research Group and University of Oregon), Kay Wiejikumar (Texas A&M University), and Samantha Giammarco (The Ohio State University)

URE Moderated Discussion—Using Mutual Accountability and Evidence to Build Trust: Lessons From Research on Outcomes Based Contracting
Time & Location: 8:30–10 a.m. / Laurel AB
Organizer and Chair: Cara Jackson (The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting)
Presenting Authors: Cara Jackson (The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting), Lorna Porter (Annenberg Institute at Brown University), Betsy Garcia (WestEd), Brittany Johnson (The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting), and Ji Soo Song (State Educational Technology Directors Association)

AL Paper Session—Motivation, Engagement, and Affective Pathways in Math
Time & Location: 8:30–10 a.m. / Laurel CD

Student Perceptions of and Performance in Math: Effects of Middle School Access to Real-World Math Lessons
Presenting Author: Jordan Rickles (University of California, Los Angeles)
Contributing Authors: Fei Tan (American Institutes for Research), Santiago Nicotera (American Institutes for Research), Amelia Auchstetter (American Institutes for Research), Kirk Walters (WestEd), and Jill DePiper (WestEd)

AL Paper—AI, Digital Tools, and Instructional Technology: Evidence & Measurement
Time & Location: 12–1:30 p.m. / Laurel CD
Chair: Mingyu Feng (WestEd)

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Technology- and Game-Based Program for Early Math Learning
Presenting Author: Linlin Li (WestEd)
Contributing Authors: Mingyu Feng (WestEd), Kevin Huang (WestEd), Melissa Lee (WestEd), and Hee Jin Bang (Age of Learning)