Overview
Andrew Latham, PhD, Vice President of WestEd’s Mobility and Measurement Center, focuses on strengthening interconnected systems that support human development and opportunity across the lifespan. Latham uses rigorous assessment, evaluation, and data analytics to develop aligned pathways across educational institutions, workforce systems, adult education programs, employers, and communities that promote safety, well-being, economic mobility, and opportunities for all learners and community members.
Latham has been leading large-scale assessment projects, both domestically and abroad, for over 30 years. Since joining WestEd in 2014, he has helped policymakers, states, districts, and schools develop comprehensive and balanced assessment programs to measure students’ progress and identify their future learning needs. His prior experience includes leading the United Kingdom’s national curriculum exams, known as the SATs, and serving as an executive for ETS Global BV, where he focused on growing English-language testing programs in China, Korea, and Japan. In his early career he led a variety of domestic assessment programs, including the Praxis Licensure tests and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification assessments, as well as workplace literacy assessments for the U.S. Department of Labor.
A former middle school English and mathematics teacher, Latham has spent his entire career in education and assessment, focusing on ways to enhance teacher quality and improve outcomes for learners of all ages.
Education
- PhD in educational psychology, Temple University
- MA in English literature, Boston University
- AB in English and American literature, Harvard University
Select Publications
Latham, A. S. (2016). ESSA and the new era of local control for assessment and accountability. In The road ahead for state assessments: What the assessment consortia built, why it matters, and emerging options (pp. 14–16). Educational Testing Service.
Latham, A. S. (2015). Bursting bubbles: Assessing the new tests. School Administrator, 6(72), 18–23.
Gitomer, G. H., & Latham, A. S. (2000). Generalizations in teacher education: Seductive and misleading. Journal of Teacher Education, 51(3), 215–220.
Latham, A. S., & Pearlman, M. A. (1999). From standards to licensure: Developing an authentic assessment for school principals. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 13(3), 245–262.
Latham, A. S., Gitomer, D., & Ziomek, R. (1999). What the tests tell us about new teachers. Educational Leadership, 56(8), 23–26.
