WestEd

WestEd Helping schools and communities meet the most demanding and enduring challenges in education and human development.

We're looking forward to discussing key topics related to special education at the 2026 National Association of State Di...
09/24/2026

We're looking forward to discussing key topics related to special education at the 2026 National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) Conference, in San Antonio, Texas, September 28–30.

WestEd experts Julia Hartwig, Susan Hayes, and Nicole Garcia will highlight how states can build durable infrastructure for inclusion and strengthen IDEA implementation.

We'll also be co-presenting with partners from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the New Mexico Public Education Department, and the Alabama State Department of Education.

🗓️ Add our sessions to your conference agenda to learn more about our work: https://bit.ly/4rrmbjT

📚 Are you interested in strengthening K–3 reading comprehension? We're excited to introduce you to the new Toolkit for T...
09/24/2026

📚 Are you interested in strengthening K–3 reading comprehension? We're excited to introduce you to the new Toolkit for Teaching K–3 Reading Comprehension on Sept 29 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.

By the end of this upcoming webinar hosted by REL West, you will be able to:

- Understand the toolkit's key components
- Identify evidence-based comprehension practices
- Explore resources for teachers, coaches, and families
- Apply the toolkit in your own classroom

Featured Speakers: Dennis Ciancio (SignalPoint Research), Bejanae Kareem (REL West), and Nell Duke (Stand for Children / University of Michigan)

✅ Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4jkbCNt

09/22/2026

A principal's presence shapes the tone, the climate, and the culture of a school. As Ayele Dodoo, Director of Educational Leadership at WestEd, says on the Leading Voices podcast: "So goes the principal."

In the latest episode, Ayele discusses why interpersonal leadership is just as essential as instructional leadership for principals to strengthen high quality teaching and learning, and build healthy school communities.

Ayele's team created the Leadership Playbook, a professional learning series that helps school and district leaders develop their interpersonal skills, such as cultivating self-awareness and establishing routines that foster trust and connection.

Listen to this episode to hear more about what supports principals and helps retain them 🎧 https://bit.ly/4h7F0nC

Did you know Reading for Understanding was chosen by educators for Education Week's Ultimate PD Reading List? 🎉We're thr...
09/21/2026

Did you know Reading for Understanding was chosen by educators for Education Week's Ultimate PD Reading List? 🎉

We're thrilled for the Reading Apprenticeship at WestEd team, and grateful to every teacher, coach, reading specialist, and leader who has championed this work nationwide — bringing Reading Apprenticeship strategies into classrooms and professional learning sessions across the country.

As we celebrate literacy across every classroom and discipline this month, thank you to everyone for helping spread the word.

📖 Explore the newly updated 3rd edition, featuring our most current research and practice: https://bit.ly/4wZC7vt

The responsibilities of a school principal continue to grow, but the hours in a day remain the same. To manage these shi...
09/20/2026

The responsibilities of a school principal continue to grow, but the hours in a day remain the same. To manage these shifting demands, it's essential to develop and empower other educators who can help share the load.

In our latest In Their Words carousel, we highlight how California principals Christine Aroyan and Christine Benitez transformed their approach to school management through WestEd's Leadership Playbook.

🔑 Key Takeaway: Instead of managing more by themselves, they focused on building leadership using the following strategies:

* Predictable Routines: Creating consistent, easy-to-follow collaboration structures
* Shared Ownership: Giving teachers the trust and support to run with new ideas
* Protecting Joy: Intentionally reconnecting with students to stay grounded

Read the full story to see how they are sharing leadership in two vastly different schools: https://bit.ly/4xH7k7f

WestEd experts had a fantastic time presenting and connecting with colleagues at the 2026 California Community Schools E...
09/19/2026

WestEd experts had a fantastic time presenting and connecting with colleagues at the 2026 California Community Schools EMPOWER Summit! We enjoyed rich discussions focused on participatory data practices, family engagement, student wellness, sustainable funding, and community-driven leadership.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the WestEd booth to learn more about our work 😀

Kudos to Amanda Duncan-Badorek, Amber Valdez, EdD, Ashley Boal, Jenny Betz, Lisa Eisenberg, MPP, MSW, Nakanya Magby, MA, Rebeca Cerna, Sara Martinez, Timothy Ojetunde, and Tom Hanson as well as our collaborators for sharing your expertise 👏

09/18/2026

Charter school leaders, special education and general education teachers, and coaches: join us for an upcoming webinar on designing high-impact and inclusive academic instruction!

On September 22 at 12:00 pm PT, WestEd experts will explore a set of High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), published by the Council for Exceptional Children in partnership with the CEEDAR Center, and how they can support academic instruction and contribute to positive student outcomes.

This webinar is offered by the California Statewide Technical Assistance for Charter Schools (STACS), funded by California Department of Education

📌 Register today! https://bit.ly/3QIztKK

Principals, find your next leadership move with a consistent improvement partner to strengthen and empower your leadersh...
09/17/2026

Principals, find your next leadership move with a consistent improvement partner to strengthen and empower your leadership practice.

With My School Improvement Partner, principals can upload school data, assessment results, and improvement plans, then work through guided, evidence-based reflection to identify what is gaining traction, where challenges remain, and what to do next.

Developed by WestEd's Center for School Turnaround and Improvement (CSTI), My School Improvement Partner is designed to complement your coaches and team.

🧭 Ready to put it into practice? See how My School Improvement Partner strengthens and empowers your leadership every day: https://msip.wested.org/

09/16/2026

Being a principal means juggling academic, social, emotional, and community needs, often in real time, with change that's hard to notice day to day.

In a new In Their Words story, Principal Christine Benitez shares how she leads a large high school in the Glendale Unified School District, and how she found support balancing those demands with new district priorities.

Benitez joined WestEd's Leadership Playbook—a research-based professional learning series on shared leadership— to learn how others could help lead change, and to reflect on what her own leadership needed next.

That mindset shift led her to start sharing leadership more deliberately with her team:

"I'm trying to give them things that are shared leadership, that they are responsible for," she said. "It worked out really well with intervention. We have a finished product, and we know where we're going next year with it."

⭐ Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4xH7k7f

"School improvement doesn't happen because of a single big decision or a new initiative. It happens through the decision...
09/15/2026

"School improvement doesn't happen because of a single big decision or a new initiative. It happens through the decisions leaders make every day." –Joseph Sassone, Sr. Facilitator, School and District Improvement team at WestEd

With a new school year underway, leadership teams are deciding where to focus their time and energy first, and Sassone offers a research-driven framework to help make these choices count.

His new book, Leading With Urgency: 5 Levers for Effective School Improvement and Lasting Change, is built on the belief that students cannot wait for us to improve. It's rooted in real patterns from schools that made lasting progress, and in WestEd's school turnaround work.

🔔 Read the new Insights & Impact Q&A with Sassone: https://bit.ly/4gD2jXn

🏫 See what the Five Levers could look like in your own system: https://bit.ly/4xnnWju

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