WestEd’s Deb Sigman is the recipient of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Educational Research Association (CERA). The award honors her more than 40 years of leadership and service to California’s K-12 students.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award from an organization that has been a significant part of my professional life for over 20 years,” Sigman says.

Sigman, a state and national education leader focusing on connecting assessments with enhanced student learning, holds several top positions within WestEd, including Interim Program Director and Director of State Strategic Support for the Comprehensive School Assistance Program, Director of the California Comprehensive Center, and Senior Advisor to the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation.

With extensive experience in education policy, student assessment, and accountability, Sigman’s work focuses on the development and delivery of technical assistance regarding the integration of curriculum, assessment, and instruction with an emphasis on training educators in the appropriate and constructive use of assessment results.

Prior to joining WestEd, Sigman served in education leadership positions at the district, state, and national levels. She held several administrative positions in California districts and served for nearly 11 years at the California Department of Education, first as the State Assessment Director and then as the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, overseeing assessment, accountability, and various federal grant programs.

CERA is a not-for-profit organization of professionals working at all levels of education dedicated to improving the practice of instruction, assessment, evaluation, conducting and applying educational research, and using data to inform instructional decisions.

The award will be presented at the CERA Annual Conference, which will be held November 12 through 14 in Anaheim, California.

See a schedule of WestEd’s presentations at the conference.