WestEd

We keep giving students more tests. We aren't learning more about them.

WestEd's Sarah Quesen explains why in her latest post: schools add assessments but never retire them, the tests are built on different scales so they contradict each other, and no one's shown how the results fit together. More data, less clarity.

Her point isn't more testing—it's a system where every assessment has a clear job and educators know how to use what it tells them.

We're sharing this work at the National Conference on Student Assessment in Austin this week ( ).

Read the full post 👉 https://bit.ly/4abEna6

When the federal rules your school-rating system was built around suddenly move, what happens to your system?

That's the question Indiana just put on the table for every state. On June 16, the U.S. Department of Education approved Indiana's waiver loosening a core ESSA rule — letting the state count things like AP, IB, and dual-credit coursework toward the "academic" weight in its school ratings. It's the third such waiver (after Iowa and Louisiana), but the first to bend the accountability rules themselves, not just funding.

WestEd's Mitch Herz lays out the trade-off. The upside: a rare opening to redesign your accountability system so it actually reflects what your state values and drives real school improvement. The risk: if states aren't disciplined, that same flexibility can dilute the focus on academics and add clutter rather than cut it.

His advice to states comes down to that discipline — get clear on your goals first, be willing to remove measures, and not just add them and make sure the ratings trigger action instead of just generating reports.
It's a timely read as the field gathers at this week, and a useful one for any state weighing its options long after.

Read Mitch on accountability:
https://www.wested.org/blog/insights-impact/what-indianas-accountability-waiver-means-for-states-rethinking-school-improvement/

And its companion piece from Sarah Quesen on assessment coherence: https://www.wested.org/blog/insights-impact/three-forces-working-against-assessment-coherence/

How are states turning early literacy screening policy into effective practice?

Yesterday at the National Conference on Student Assessment, WestEd hosted a multi-state symposium on early literacy screener implementation, bringing together leaders from Indiana, California, and Arkansas to explore how states are putting policy into practice.

The session was led by WestEd’s Matt Brunetti, Senior Program Associate/Project Director for the Center on Mobility and Measurement, and featured Darian Foster (Indiana Department of Education), Bonnie Garcia (California Department of Education), and Hope Worsham (Arkansas Department of Education), who shared implementation strategies, lessons learned, and promising practices for connecting assessment to instruction and supporting learners with a wide range of needs.

The discussion highlighted shared challenges, successful approaches, and actionable principles for strengthening early assessment systems. It also underscored the role of research, data, and cross-state learning in informing practice and improving outcomes for students.

A valuable conversation on how early literacy initiatives can translate policy into meaningful impact in classrooms.

The best edtech doesn't replace good teaching—it amplifies it. So as classrooms adopt new technology, how do we keep the human connection at the center? We'll be exploring that at ISTE Live 26 in Orlando, June 28–July 1, alongside education leaders and innovators from around the world.

WestEd is presenting two sessions on humanizing math instruction through technology with presentations from Dr. Aleata Hubbard, John Jacobs, David Lopez, and Dr. Saroja Warner.

🔹 Beyond the Algorithm: Humanizing Math Learning Through EdTech
Mon, June 29 · 12:30–2 p.m. · Idea Lab

🔹 Impact of a Personalized, Game-based Program on Young Learners' Math Learning
Wed, July 1 · 11:30 a.m.–12 p.m. · Roundtable

Register to join us in Orlando: https://bit.ly/43PwJi2

Some honors reflect a lifetime of opening doors for others.

We're proud to share that our colleague Dr. Niki Sandoval, a program director at WestEd, has been named a 2026 Hancock Honors recipient by the Allan Hancock College Foundation, honored alongside winemaker Fred Brander and the Melsheimer family for service that's left a lasting mark on the Central Coast.

A first-generation college graduate, Niki started her higher education at Allan Hancock College and went on to earn her doctorate in education from UC Santa Barbara, becoming the first Chumash tribal member to earn a doctorate in education. As education director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, her work resulted in 97–100% high school graduation rates and tripled college graduation rates over ten years. She also served two terms on the California State Board of Education.

At WestEd, she leads a team that has secured more than $35 million in public and private investment for Tribal communities and partners with leaders at every level of government on planning that improves outcomes for students and families. It's exactly what we value most: generating opportunity, strengthening systems, and improving outcomes for learners who've too often been underserved.

Congratulations, Niki. So well earned.

The 2026 Hancock Honors celebration takes place Sept. 12 on the college's Santa Maria campus.

Read the announcement: https://bit.ly/4xxdirL
Event details: https://bit.ly/4vcmr7s

For adults working toward a GED, re-entering the workforce, or just trying to feel steadier with money, math is often the sticking point. And for the instructors supporting them, finding curriculum built for adult learners—not repackaged from K–12—has been its own challenge.

WestEd's Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE) was built for both. It's a free, 10-week program of four mini-courses moving from number systems through algebra and data, grounded in real-world scenarios throughout. In a study of more than 300 students, ANDE learners tended to outperform peers in standard instruction on math knowledge measures. Instructors get detailed teaching notes, community-building practices, and professional development including workshops and coaching—all freely available as an open educational resource.

Explore the course: https://ande-oer.wested.org/

What does it take to move from short-term initiatives to lasting instructional change? For Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kevin Gallick, the path began with a clear focus on literacy.

Three years later, the shifts are visible: more consistent instruction, stronger student writing, and classrooms where students are reading, discussing, and learning together.

Read the story to learn how Rich Township High School District 227’s sustained focus on literacy strengthened instructional practice, student engagement, and educator trust.

Link: https://bit.ly/4oJ90JR


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