Striving to Achieve Equity is Integral
to WestEd’s Mission
With a focus on equity and excellence, WestEd conducts and applies rigorous research to address the wide range of challenges in education and human development to reduce opportunity gaps and help build communities where all can thrive.
Our work is aimed at supporting diverse learners of all ages and at all stages of life to achieve their dreams. We center equity in everything we do, from coaching and technical assistance to research and evaluation to product development. We operate with a particular commitment to populations that are underserved or excluded. Our staff partner with clients and communities to reduce systemic inequities, eliminate opportunity gaps, and foster equitable opportunities and outcomes.
We believe that equity is most effectively achieved by teams that are diverse and inclusive, that reflect the communities we serve, and that generate bold approaches to address our most challenging issues. In all our work, we are committed to
- illuminating and addressing disparities by identifying and working to resolve inequities within the systems in which we work;
- valuing and elevating the diverse voices—including the knowledge, expertise, capacity, and experiences—of those with whom we work, particularly people of color and those from other historically marginalized groups; and
- ensuring equitable access to WestEd-developed resources and services for diverse communities, including those who traditionally have been underserved.
Defining Equity
WestEd staff developed the following definition of equity to foster a shared understanding of what it means to work toward and achieve equity—in our fieldwork and within our own organization:
Equity is the attainment of comparably positive outcomes for all groups within, or served by, any complex system through implementation of policies, practices, and procedures that remove systemic barriers and provide the supports needed to ensure everyone’s full and successful participation in the system. Equity exists when race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, and other such characteristics are not predictors of outcomes for any group or the individuals in it.
Examples of Equity-Focused Work at WestEd
Our equity work addresses systemic inequities, elevates diverse voices, and ensures equitable access for all learners. Below are a few examples, including our work to guide anti-racist evaluation strategies and a newly launched service to help districts develop and implement anti-racist, equity-focused policies and practices that lead to transformative, systemwide change.
Resources
Services
Systemic Equity Reviews
WestEd’s systemic equity reviews help education agencies engage in an intentional process to address beliefs, policies, and practices and implement culturally responsive recommendations and goals.
Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL)
Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) offers educators rich professional learning opportunities that are designed to expand theoretical and practical knowledge, develop expertise, and promote the kind of quality teaching and student engagement needed to ensure English Learners’ success.
Special Education Program Review
We collect and analyze information that assists districts in gaining a deeper understanding of their efforts to educate students with disabilities and build a dependable, efficient, and cost-effective system that produces positive outcomes.
National Centers
Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety works to expand the knowledge and capacity of the field to integrate evidence-based social and emotional learning and school safety practices and programs to support students’ success throughout their K–12 experience and beyond.
The National Research and Development Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners leads the development of an actionable and powerful portfolio of work to ensure access to rigorous grade-level content and promote success for English Learners in communities, colleges, and careers.
The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) provides technical assistance to help state education agencies to best use their general supervision and professional development systems to establish and meet high expectations for every student with a disability.