Jill A. Wertheim

Overview

Jill Wertheim has been working with school systems, states, publishers, and researchers to make science assessment more meaningful, equitable, and even joyful for students and teachers for over 15 years. As the director of SCALE Science at WestEd, she helps build school, district, and statewide capacity to advance all students’ science learning through student-centered, asset-based assessment practices. 

Wertheim served as the director of science at the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE). In this role, Wertheim led the development of exemplar performance assessments; rubrics; development tools; and professional learning for the Stanford Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Assessment Project (SNAP). These resources have been critical for guiding efforts to improve science assessment across the country, reaching more than 80,000 users. Prior to working at Stanford, Wertheim conducted research on designing criterion-referenced diagnostic assessments to enhance teaching and learning in earth science education at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Project 2061, and in geography education at National Geographic.

Education

• PhD in geological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara 
• BA in geology, Middlebury College

Select Publications

Wertheim, J., Stoll, L., Zozakiewicz, C. (2023). A new instructionally-meaningful rubric designed for multidimensional science standards. [Paper presentation]. 2023 NARST Annual International Conference, Chicago, IL. 

Wertheim, J. A. (2021). Criteria for the design of engaging, educative, and equitable science performance assessments: Design criteria for the Stanford NGSS Assessment Project (SNAP). Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity. Palo Alto, CA. 

Wertheim, J., & Osborne, J. (2019, April). Supporting coherence across a system of assessment for NGSS. [Presentation]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual International Conference, Toronto, Canada. 

Wertheim, J. (2016). Taking stock: Implications of a new vision of science learning for state science assessment. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, 14(4), 158–161. 

Wertheim, J. A., Osborne, J., Quinn, H., Pecheone, R., Schultz, S. E., Holthuis, N., & Martin, P. (2016). An analysis of existing science assessments and the implications for developing assessment tasks for the NGSS. Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity. Palo Alto, CA. 

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

NARST Co-coordinator for Strand 10