WestEd’s experts, along with leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of education and human development, discuss ways to help every learner to thrive in school, career, and life—from educator well-being and school climate to evidence-based approaches to research, evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance.
In each episode, host Danny Torres welcomes WestEd’s leading and emerging voices to discuss the most pressing and enduring issues in education and health and human development.
Drawing from evidence, research, and extensive experience, guests offer innovative and actionable strategies for ensuring success for every learner.
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WestEd’s experts, along with leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of education and human development, discuss ways to help every learner to thrive in school, career, and life—from educator well-being and school climate to evidence-based approaches to research, evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance.
In each episode, host Danny Torres welcomes WestEd’s leading and emerging voices to discuss the most pressing and enduring issues in education and health and human development.
Drawing from evidence, research, and extensive experience, guests offer innovative and actionable strategies for ensuring success for every learner.
Assessing Student Readiness for Accelerated Math in Middle School
Leading Voices Podcast
30 minutes 10 seconds
5 months ago
Assessing Student Readiness for Accelerated Math in Middle School
Placement into accelerated mathematics courses can open doors for students, paving the way toward advanced high school coursework, college readiness, and future career opportunities. But ensuring students are placed accurately requires a rigorous, evidence-based approach.
In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with Scott Firkins, Director of Assessment Content at WestEd, and leaders from the Palo Alto Unified School District in California, Dr. Guillermo López, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, and Janine Penney, Manager of Assessment. They discuss how the district collaborated with WestEd to transform its placement process for accelerated mathematics in middle school. The result is a fair and evidence-based mathematics validation process designed to accurately place students in the right course in the mathematics pathway.
Their conversation covers the following topics:
Why Palo Alto Unified School District sought to redesign its validation assessment
The role of high-quality assessment development and psychometric validation in the redesign
How ensuring transparency builds trust within the community
What early results are revealing about the new process and student readiness and success
Transcript
Additional Resources
PAUSD Validation Test Research Brief (PDF)
Palo Alto Unified School District Mathematics Program (Website)
Designing High-Quality Assessment Solutions with WestEd (Website)
Comprehensive Assessment Solutions (Website)
Leading Voices Podcast
WestEd’s experts, along with leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of education and human development, discuss ways to help every learner to thrive in school, career, and life—from educator well-being and school climate to evidence-based approaches to research, evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance.
In each episode, host Danny Torres welcomes WestEd’s leading and emerging voices to discuss the most pressing and enduring issues in education and health and human development.
Drawing from evidence, research, and extensive experience, guests offer innovative and actionable strategies for ensuring success for every learner.
