Overview
Rebecca Bates brings more than 25 years of K–12 education experience as a teacher leader, technical assistance provider, and researcher, with expertise in evidence-based literacy, professional learning design, school and system improvement, and cross-partner project leadership. Her specialties include developing literacy guidance and resources; coaching leaders and coaches; leading communication and dissemination of research-based practices; and managing large, multiyear initiatives that span local, state, and federal partners.
As a senior technical support specialist, Bates manages and supports a range of initiatives by designing professional learning programs, curating and building online resource libraries, and leading communication and dissemination of evidence-based practices. She partners with state agencies, districts, and federal interest holders to develop project plans, translate research into practical tools and learning experiences, and support teams in executing complex work on schedule and with high quality.
Before joining WestEd, Bates was Deputy Director of the Region 9 Comprehensive Center, an approximately $8.5 million technical assistance center serving Illinois and Iowa. She also led technical assistance for federal Striving Readers and Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grantees through coaching, communities of practice, convenings, and dissemination of evidence-based resources. As a former ELA teacher and reading specialist, Bates grounds her work in helping clients and partners strengthen instruction and build sustainable capacity. She supports leaders and teams by listening to local context; aligning supports with improvement priorities; and delivering clear professional learning, curated resources, and communication products that help move from plans to implementation.
Education
- MEd in reading, University of Alaska Southeast
- BA in English, Oregon State University
Select Publications
Pivnick, L. K., Bates, R., & Drummond K. (2024). Montana ELA standards revision: Brief 1: Reading instructional practices and models. Regional Education Laboratory Northwest; Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/sites/default/files/migrated/rel/regions/northwest/pdf/RELNW_MT-OPI-ELA_Brief-1_Reading-Inst-Practices-and-Models.pdf
Pivnick, L. K., Bates, R., & Drummond K. (2024). Montana ELA standards revision: Brief 2: Relationship between reading and writing. Regional Education Laboratory Northwest; Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/sites/default/files/migrated/rel/regions/northwest/pdf/RELNW_MT-OPI-ELA_Brief-2_Relationship-Between-Reading-and-Writing.pdf
Pivnick, L. K., Bates, R., Garvey, M., & Drummond K. (2024). Montana ELA standards revision: Brief 3: Stages of emergent literacy and language development. Regional Education Laboratory Northwest; Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/sites/default/files/migrated/rel/regions/northwest/pdf/RELNW_MT-OPI-ELA_Brief-3_Stages-of-Emerg-Lit-and-Lang-Dev.pdf
Pivnick, L. K., Bates, R., Morgan, C., & Drummond K. (2024). Montana ELA standards revision: Brief 4: Components of adolescent literacy development. Regional Education Laboratory Northwest; Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/sites/default/files/migrated/rel/regions/northwest/pdf/RELNW_MT-OPI-ELA_Brief-4_Components-of-Adolescent-Lit-De.pdf
Pivnick, L. K., Bates, R., Morgan, C., & Drummond K. (2024). Montana ELA standards revision: Brief 5: Disciplinary literacy processes and procedures. Regional Education Laboratory Northwest; Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/sites/default/files/migrated/rel/regions/northwest/pdf/RELNW_MT-OPI-ELA_Brief-5_Disciplinary-Literacy-Processes-and-Procedures.pdf
Hymel, A., Heigham, I., Bates, R., & Smith, R. (2024, January 29). Using data to make decisions: Portland public schools’ quest to engage students. REL Northwest. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/Products/Region/northwest/Blog/107573
Asqueri, E., Bates, R., & Stackhouse, S. (2024, May 10). Improving outcomes for all students in Oregon. REL Northwest. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/Products/Region/northwest/Blog/107979
Dwyer, C., Williams, J., Hoffman, K., Gumm, R., & Bates, R. (2022). Literacy leads, content follows, students thrive: Advice for grades 4–8 literacy leaders. National Comprehensive Center at Westat.
Bates, R., & Humphries, B. (2022, March). Using CLSD data to tell a story [Paper presentation]. The 2022 Comprehensive State Development Program National Convening: Mapping Our Progress: Advancing Literacy in the Face of COVID-19.
Bates, R. (2022, October 25). Literacy stakeholder engagement meeting: Summary of themes. The Illinois State Board of Education. https://www.isbe.net/Documents/102522LiteracySummitSummary.pdf
Thomas, B., Davis, L., Bates, R., & Thornton-Garett, T. (2019). How teachers can use WWC practice guides [Webinar]. What Works Clearinghouse. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/multimedia/47
Carnahan, D., Bates, R., & Brooks, G. (2009, November). Examining alignment and quality of the written ELA curriculum: Results and implications from seven school districts [Paper presentation]. The Literacy Research Conference Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, USA.