Exploring AI and Education, Early Intervention Services, Black History Month Resources, and More.

To help you enhance equitable learning outcomes for all students and leverage research-driven best practices, we’re diving into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology-enabled instruction, highlights from our recent research, and early intervention services to support children with disabilities and their families.?In recognition of Black History Month, we’re also sharing some WestEd resources intended to support educational equity.

Five Key Questions for Educators to Evaluate EdTech Tools

AI and technology-enabled instruction go hand-in-hand. Or do they? The answer depends on finding the right AI-powered edtech tool for instruction and providing robust support for teachers to effectively leverage each tool.

Dr. Tracy Huebner , Director of Advancement for Teaching and Learning at WestEd, and researcher Dr. Rachel Burstein shared five questions to help educators better align an AI-powered edtech tool with technology-enabled instruction:

1. Does the tool allow teachers to differentiate?
2. Does the tool offer access to vetted educational materials?
3. Does the tool help teachers promote student interest?
4. Does the tool offer opportunities for relationship-building?
5. Does the tool offer impactful learning analytics?

Check out this SmartBrief article and this resource, Strategies for Encouraging Effective Technology-Enabled Instructional Practices in K–12 for actionable strategies!

Celebrating 2024 Black History Month

Happy Black History Month! This year’s theme is African Americans and The Arts, emphasizing art as a platform for social justice and the influential cultural changes led by Black artists.?

To commemorate #BHM2024, we are sharing information to support positive outcomes for Black students, families, educators, and leaders, including culturally responsive policies and practices and insights for leading systems change.?

• Read about how to support positive student learner identities?in this Q&A? with REL West’s Dr. Jason Snipes .
• Listen to WestEd expert Dr. Raifu Durodoye Jr. discuss improving equity for students who have been historically underserved by improving state accountability systems on the Leading Voices podcast.?
• Watch the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) ’s?webinar series , Pursuing Equity for Black Students of K–12 Education, for information on developing equity mindsets.?
• Reflect on the origins of Black History Month by following the?National Museum of African American History & Culture and visit?Black History Month’s website ?for teaching resources.?

New Q&A with WestEd’s Angela McGuire: Transforming Early Intervention and Improving Outcomes for Children

Early intervention services are essential for promoting the well-being of infants and toddlers with disabilities—creating a foundation for their success in life and learning environments. In 2022–2023, more than 441,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families received early intervention services across the United States.?

Early interventionists help parents of children with disabilities gain knowledge about child development, set actionable goals, address challenges, and build relationships with other families for camaraderie and mentorship.

Through its close partnership with California Early Start, the Comprehensive Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network (CEITAN)?at WestEd has supported the professional growth of early childhood interventionists for more than 30 years.

To take a look at the benefits of early intervention services, CEITAN’s impact in the field, and how they’re helping their partners address challenges, we sat down with Angela McGuire , a Project Director on WestEd’s?Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion ?team who leads CEITAN.?Watch this video and read the full Q&A with Angela McGuire to learn more. ?

Research Spotlight

Accelerating Science Learning and Literacy Development: A WestEd evaluation study finds that after one year of using Amplify’s K—8 science curriculum that intentionally integrates literacy development, first grade students were better prepared to meet science standards. Secondly, spending an increased amount of time on science learning yielded no difference in reading performance.

For more about the evaluation and integrated instruction, read the Education Week article , Aligned Science Curriculum, Better Scores? Research Finds a Connection.

Boosting Student Engagement and Leading School Improvement: WestEd and KnowledgeWorks teamed up with the Springfield International Charter School (SICS) in Springfield, Massachusetts to co-lead a high school Youth Participatory Action Research Course (YPAR) . This course is an innovative approach to positive youth and community development in which young people are trained to conduct systematic research to improve their lives, their communities, and the institutions intended to serve them.

“The class was a diverse group of people, and we learned how to work together to reach a common goal, which will be useful in whatever we do in the future.” - YPAR Student Participant

Read more about the experiences of students and educators in the student-directed YPAR course and their impact on school improvement.

Translating Opportunity: Improving Postsecondary Pathways for Multilingual Learners of English

Using data from interviews, English as a Second Language (ESL) course maps analysis, a literature review, and a 50-state policy scan. WestEd and Student-Ready Strategies examined the characteristics of students who are multilingual learners.

Read the report .

Upcoming Appearances & Learning Opportunities

• Winter & Spring A-GAME Convenings hosted by the National Charter Schools Institute for charter school authorizers and school leaders. Learn more about these virtual and in-person convenings on April 3 and May 2–3.
• The Western Educational Equity Assistance Center will host its third session in the ongoing webinar series, Solving Disproportionality & Culturally Responsive Data Literacy, on Thursday, February 22. Register for this event.
• 2024 Program for Infant/Toddler Care Implementation Training from March 16—April 27. Register before Friday, February 23. ?
• Navigating the Data Frontier: The Role of Lawyers in Data Sharing and Integration, hosted by the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) at 美国宾夕法尼亚大学 . Join us for the first virtual session on February 26.
• Supporting Practice Guide Implementation: Preparing Young Children for School, Language, and Literacy Recommendations, hosted by the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). Sign up here for the webinar on Tuesday, February 27 .
• 2024 Virtual Statewide School Climate Conference: Transforming School Climate Mindsets and Ecosystems, hosted by the California Center for School Climate and the California Department of Education . Save your seat for this event on Thursday, February 29 .
• Translating Opportunity: Learning from Research, Institutional Innovation, and Student Voices to Improve Postsecondary Pathways for Multilingual Learners of English on February 29. Sign up here .
• Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Deep Dives: Cultivating Compassionate Classrooms: Heart-Centered Teaching and Learning, led by the California Center for School Climate from April—May 2024. Application Deadline: March 1. Register .

Thank you for reading, subscribing, and sharing with your LinkedIn community. See you next month!