Eric W. Crane

Overview

Eric Crane directs WestEd’s Bureau of Indian Education Comprehensive Center subcontract, which provides broad technical assistance to the state education agencies of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Crane leads assessment and accountability research as well as projects providing evaluation, data visualization and use, and consulting/technical assistance. 

Crane advises multiple state departments of education on the development and implementation of school accountability systems. An experienced facilitator and presenter, he has testified before the California Assembly Committee on Education, the California State Board of Education, and several policy advisory committees. Crane’s work focuses on effective formative assessment practices, public school accountability, statewide and district data systems, survey and test design, applied statistics and psychometrics, and program evaluation. Since coming to WestEd in 2003, he has led assessment development projects, analytic studies of charter school performance, and evaluations of statewide policy initiatives. 

Before coming to WestEd, Crane managed the Research and Analysis Unit at the California Department of Education. A past president of the California Educational Research Association, Crane has served on California’s Technical Design Group since 2015, supporting the state’s school accountability system. Crane is committed to bringing sound methodology and strong, supportive partnerships to states and districts so that all students have the chance to achieve both academic success and emotional resilience. 

Education

• PhD (ABD) in quantitative methods in education, University of California, Berkeley 
• MA in statistics, University of California, Berkeley 

Select Publications

Herz, M. P., Johnson, L. L., & Crane, E. W. (2023). Accountability for postsecondary readiness: A 50-state analysis. WestEd. 

Crane, E. W., & Wynveen, K. (2023, May). Charter verified data [Presentation]. California State Board of Education, Sacramento, CA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhiRSvvmRgE&list=PLgIRGe0-q7Safim1TwdTNlcV7auIbigPr

Crane, E. W. (2022, September). California School Dashboard principles [Presentation]. California State Board of Education, Sacramento, CA, United States.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc3ZUoI7HyU&list=PLgIRGe0-q7Safim1TwdTNlcV7auIbigPr  

Crane, E. W. (2022, August). California School Dashboard principles—CPAG [Presentation]. California Practitioners Advisory Group, Sacramento, CA, United States.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLgIRGe0-q7SY4E_1UPRV603qCTdyaXOO3&v=1qbGRj-EP8E  

Crane, E. W., Mandinach, E. B., & Moore, J. P. (2022, February). Everyone has a role in effective data cultures [Paper presentation]. National ESEA Conference, New Orleans, LA, United States. 

Burr, E., Makkonen, R., Lewis, R. W., & Crane, E. W. (2021). Strong professional learning systems for math instruction in California: What do we know today? WestEd. 

Arnold, J., & Crane, E. W. (2021). Making decisions using assessment data in the time of COVID-19 and beyond. WestEd. 

Arnold, J., & Crane, E. W. (2021, November). Making decisions using assessment data in the wake of a pandemic [Paper presentation]. 100th Annual Conference of the California Educational Research Association, Anaheim, CA, United States. 

Crane, E.W. (2021, May 25). Effective data use to support English learner students, part 1: Using data to inform policies and practices for English learner students [Webinar]. Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/events/event-05-25-21_effective-data-use-to-support-english-learners-students_part-1.asp  

Burr, E., Lewis, R. W., & Crane, E. W. (2020). What California teachers are saying about their instructional materials for English learner students. WestEd. 

Delgado-Jones, F., Burr, E., Crane, E. W., & Lewis, R. W. (2020). Voices from the field: County office of education leaders discuss COVID-19’s impact on California education. WestEd. 

Crane, E. W. (2020, November). Charter verified data technical and policy support [Presentation]. California State Board of Education, Sacramento, CA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISbDxZSLgO8&list=PLgIRGe0-q7Safim1TwdTNlcV7auIbigPr  

Crane, E. W. (2020, July). Growth model stakeholder update [Presentation]. California State Board of Education, Sacramento, CA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLgIRGe0-q7Safim1TwdTNlcV7auIbigPr&v=MSj3faX_NfY 

Crane, E., Hemberg, B., & Sigman, D. (2019, July). Standards, assessment, and accountability under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) [Presentation]. Tribal Consultations, Window Rock, AZ, and Kyle, SD, United States. 

Crane, E. W. (2018, March). California standards implementation: What educators are saying [Presentation]. California Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), Sacramento, CA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLgIRGe0-q7SYnM_1IGRngzStELk1Ocb8T&v=jp2K7a6W15E  

Crane, E. W., & Kubinec, J. L. (2017, April 19). Review of Arizona A–F school accountability reporting system. Prepared for the Arizona State Board of Education. 

Crane, E. W. (2017, April 5). Testimony on interim assessment [Presentation]. California Assembly, Committee on Education, Sacramento, CA, United States. http://calchannel.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=4321  

Crane, E. W. (2016, December). State accountability: Progress and next steps [Paper presentation]. 95th Annual Conference of the California Educational Research Association, Sacramento, CA, United States. 

Crane, E. W. (2016, July). Examining the progress needed to meet targets: District, school, and student subgroup examples [Presentation]. California State Board of Education, Sacramento, CA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLgIRGe0-q7Safim1TwdTNlcV7auIbigPr&v=ozKqrJfaVLQ  

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

California Technical Design Group for Accountability Policy (2015–Present) 

Evergreen Data Visualization Academy (2017–2020) 

California Educational Research Association (Board of Directors, 2009–2013; Past President, 2013; President, 2012; Vice President, 2011; Secretary, 2010)