WestEd

Learning math as an adult is not just about passing a test. For many people, it is about opening a door to learning and opportunity. That is the learner WestEd had in mind when partnering to develop Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE) course and it's why it's now available to every program, instructor, and learner who needs it. ANDE is a 10-week, openly licensed course that connects numeracy and digital literacy to the real situations adult learners already navigate like budgeting, problem-solving, and making sense of data in everyday life. A quasi-experimental study of more than 300 students found that ANDE participants tended to score higher on math knowledge measures than peers in standard instruction with especially strong results for learners building foundational skills. Instructors reported that it changed how they teach math and helped their students genuinely master the material. The full curriculum is available now at ande-oer.wested.org, including student lessons, teacher instruction notes, engagement supports, and an online preparation platform—everything a program needs to get started. Developed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and World Education, and funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), ANDE reflects WestEd's commitment to generating insights from research and data to inform and improve practice. Explore the course and share it with colleagues and peers. ande-oer.wested.org #AdultEducation #AdultLearning #Numeracy #DigitalLiteracy #GED #WorkforceDevelopment #WestEd #OpenEducationalResources

Attending the First 1,000 Days! Early Head Start Conference? Start strong with a full day dedicated to the power of play. WestEd's pre-conference workshop, "Let's Play! For Twos and Threes," digs into what child-directed play actually looks like for 2- and 3-year-olds, and how to build your environment, your day, and your practice around it. Led by Carly Bedard, Krista Murphy, and Michelle Galindo, M.S. You'll explore: ▸ Why play is essential to healthy development ▸ Open-ended materials and loose-parts play ▸ Setting up your environment (including stress-free cleanup!) ▸ Schema theory and what it tells us about behaviors like dumping or throwing You'll leave with a workbook full of research and resources, a loose-parts starter kit, and family handouts— ready to bring back to your classroom. Member: $275 | Non-member: $300 📌 Note: Registration for the full conference is required. 👉 Register today: https://bit.ly/3POek1x #EarlyChildhoodEducation #PlayBasedLearning #EarlyHeadStart #ChildDevelopment #ECEProfessionals

Across the country, educators and district leaders are reimagining what high school mathematics can look like and the results are exciting. That momentum reflects something WestEd has long believed: that when learning experiences are rigorous, relevant, and designed for every student, and when research and strong partnerships guide that work, students gain real pathways to college and careers on their own terms. That's the vision behind a new course designed by the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with WestEd. The Integrated Statistics and Quantitative Reasoning (ISQR) course is being piloted in 11 states in 2026–27. It's built for 3rd- and 4th-year high school students through hands-on projects and real-world data investigations that mirror how math is used in business, industry, and research. This course is designed for students with postsecondary goals—whether college or workforce—and will be available as a free open educational resource starting fall 2027. Join us for a free webinar to hear directly from Amy Getz (ISQR Project Director, WestEd) and Kadron Johnson (Charles A. Dana Center) about how this course is being implemented and how it could work in your district or state. 30 minutes. Real impact. Register now: https://bit.ly/4dwcHNN #MathEducation #HighSchoolMath #MathPathways #STEMEducation #CurriculumDesign #OpenEducationalResources

Reading Apprenticeship is developed with a clear vision to help every student read, write, and communicate in the disciplines. The next opportunity to bring that vision to your school or district is coming up fast. Our professional learning offerings are designed to help educators elevate learning with strategies that help students engage with text more independently, build comprehension through their own thinking, and push through challenging content. And for educators ready to apply that vision to writing, Writing Apprenticeship helps students write with purpose and confidence across subject areas. 👉 Learn more about our Summer of Learning opportunities and register today: https://bit.ly/4o120I4 #DisciplinaryLiteracy #ReadingComprehension #ContentAreaLiteracy #TeacherPD #EvidenceBasedTeaching

When language development and content learning happen together, newcomer students benefit in ways that enhance their learning. That's the premise behind this free 30-minute webinar from WestEd. 📅 May 28 | 12–12:30 p.m. PT / 3–3:30 p.m. ET | Free & Virtual You'll explore how QTEL principles guide instruction that builds both content understanding and academic language simultaneously, from day one. Those principles include academic rigor, high expectations, quality interactions, and a sustained language focus. This session also previews the 2026 QTEL Summer Institutes, where educators and leaders engage in deeper, sustained professional learning to support Multilingual Learners across grade levels and content areas. 📍 In-person institutes this summer: Santa Cruz, CA | June 22–25 Seal Beach, CA | July 7-9 Austin, TX | July 13–16 👉 Register for the free webinar: https://bit.ly/4cUoQx1 👉 Explore QTEL Summer Institutes: https://bit.ly/4erJzcA #NewcomerStudents #MultilingualLearners #ELEducation #TeacherPD

At WestEd, we believe a responsive and relationship-based approach to early care can shape lifelong learning. The PITC Curriculum was designed with this in mind by supporting ongoing discovery, amazement, and wonder for infants and toddlers. WestEd is now accepting applications for the 2026 PITC Curriculum Implementation Training, a four-session virtual series for family child-care providers and center-based educators. Participants will explore how observation, reflection, and documentation guide responsive curriculum planning. The sessions focus on recognizing each child’s strengths and supporting learning in ways that reflect family culture and home language. Sessions take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon PT: 📅Aug 15, Aug 29, Sep 12, and Sep 26 Registration includes the full PITC Curriculum, a participant binder, and access to technical assistance. Optional drop-in support is available through October 2. Cost is $925 per person. Applications close July 31, 2026. Register: https://bit.ly/49agqPG #InfantToddlerCare #EarlyChildhoodEducation #FamilyChildCare #ECELeadership

At WestEd, we believe a responsive and relationship-based approach to early care can shape lifelong learning. The PITC Curriculum was designed with this in mind by supporting ongoing discovery, amazement, and wonder for infants and toddlers. WestEd is now accepting applications for the 2026 PITC Curriculum Implementation Training, a four-session virtual series for family child-care providers and center-based educators. Participants will explore how observation, reflection, and documentation guide responsive curriculum planning. The sessions focus on recognizing each child’s strengths and supporting learning in ways that reflect family culture and home language. Sessions take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon PT: 📅Aug 15, Aug 29, Sep 12, and Sep 26 Registration includes the full PITC Curriculum, a participant binder, and access to technical assistance. Optional drop-in support is available through October 2. Cost is $925 per person. Applications close July 31, 2026. Register: https://bit.ly/49agqPG #InfantToddlerCare #EarlyChildhoodEducation #FamilyChildCare #ECELeadership

Schools serving newcomer students are being asked to do something important: move away from remediation-first approaches and toward instruction that integrates language development with real content learning from the start. On May 28, WestEd takes up that challenge directly. Lee Hartman, who has spent his career supporting newly arrived immigrant students as a teacher, coach, and curriculum designer, will walk through how Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) builds academic language and content understanding simultaneously. Participants will look at how to scaffold for access while maintaining high expectations, how to align systems around newcomer success, and how sustained language focus and academic rigor can work together rather than in tension. The session runs 30 minutes, is free, and is designed for teachers, instructional coaches, and district and site leaders. Register here: https://bit.ly/4cUoQx1 The session also provides a preview of WestEd’s QTEL Summer Institutes, in which educators and leaders engage in deeper, sustained learning to support Multilingual Learners. #NewcomerStudents #MultilingualLearners #EnglishLearnerEducation #QTEL #DisciplinaryLiteracy #InstructionalCoaching

Arizona principal supervisors: your application window for the 2026–27 cohort closes July 25—and this is one worth making time for. When principal supervisors have the skills, tools, and peer networks to coach and evaluate effectively, principals grow. And when principals grow, the impact reaches every classroom in their building. That ripple effect is exactly what WestEd's Arizona Supervisors of Principals' Academy (SOPA) is designed to strengthen. Now in its sixth year, SOPA is an eight-month professional learning network built specifically for central office administrators who coach and evaluate principals—superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of schools, HR directors, leadership coaches, and others in principal supervisory roles across Arizona's public and charter schools. Through seven sessions running August 2026 through March 2027, participants build practical supervisory skills in coaching, performance evaluation, and principal support systems—alongside experienced Arizona colleagues who are doing the same work. Each month includes two hours of one-on-one leadership coaching, in-person regional sessions led by practitioners and researchers, and access to observation and survey tools that make supervision more data-driven. Participation can also result in continuing education credits. SOPA aligns with the Arizona Department of Education's Principal Leadership Academy, making it a natural complement to statewide leadership development efforts already underway. Not sure if SOPA is right for you? Informational sessions are available. Ready to apply? The July 25 deadline is closer than it looks. Apply now or learn more: https://bit.ly/4wjgkPY 📅 Kickoff: August 20, 2026 | Sessions through March 4, 2027 | Arizona | Rolling admission #ArizonaEducation #PrincipalSupervision #EducationalLeadership #ProfessionalLearning #InstructionalLeadership #PrincipalDevelopment #DistrictLeadership #SOPA #SchoolLeadership

How can modern assessment systems help turn data into insights that drive better decisions and improved outcomes? WestEd assessment experts will present at the 2026 National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA) in Austin, Texas, June 22–24, 2026. Hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), this conference brings together education leaders and policymakers to explore the theme Connecting the Dots: Building Coherent Systems to Support Student Success. Drawing on world-class content development expertise, technical credibility, and innovation capacity to shape the future of assessment and learning, our experts will lead or co-lead four sessions bringing that experience to bear on some of the field's most pressing questions and issues: • Early literacy screener implementation • Accountability and school improvement systems • Artificial intelligence (AI)–based difficulty prediction • Cutting-edge R&D for Generative AI implementation WestEd presenters include: • Matt Brunetti • Melissa Wylen • Mitch Herz • Sarah Quesen WestEd will be joined by copresenters from state departments of education, assessment development organizations, and research partners across the field. Learn more about WestEd's presentations at this year's conference: https://bit.ly/491QN3p At WestEd, we identify and amplify innovations that enhance learning through next-generation assessments that meet the highest standards of validity, reliability, fairness, and accessibility. From cross-language early math and literacy screeners to workforce-focused instruments and grade-band learning progressions, we bring psychometric rigor and forward-thinking approaches to assessment design, scoring, reporting, and more. Learn more about Assessment at WestEd where we are leading innovations to shape better outcomes for everyone: https://bit.ly/4thHdRA #StudentAssessment #EducationLeadership #SchoolImprovement #EdResearch