MEET THE RESEARCHERS
Our TeamThe Cultural Validity in Assessment Project is conducted by staff of the Culture and Language in Education (CLE) program at WestEd. Our project is committed to equity in assessment and excellence in education for all students. Its staff is representative of diverse linguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, including African American, Native American, Latino, Native Hawaiian, Asian, Arabic and Anglo Saxon. Our diversity and the range of expertise we possess enable and promote a greater understanding and sensitivity to how diverse groups of students perform in math and science assessments.
Sharon Nelson-Barber, Ph.D., Director, Culture and Language in Education Program at WestEd
Sharon Nelson-Barber, a sociolinguist, is committed to exploring ways in which teachers can more effectively teach the full spectrum of students in today’s classrooms. Her work spans the lower 48 states, Alaska and the South Pacific islands. She serves on a number of national advisory boards and steering committees on teaching and learning in culturally diverse settings. Sharon has taught courses on language, culture and education at Stanford University. She also taught in public schools serving ethnic groups ranging from immigrant southeast Asians in urban New England to the desert Indian peoples of the southwest. Sharon holds a doctorate in Human Development from Harvard University. Sharon can be reached at: snelson@wested.org
Guillermo Solano-Flores, Ph.D., Director, Cultural Validity in Assessment Project
Guillermo Solano-Flores specializes in educational measurement and science and mathematics assessment development. His work focuses on the construction of a new generation of alternative assessments as tools for promoting and evaluating critical, higher-order thinking skills and the linguistic and cultural issues of assessment. He has conducted research on the bilingual testing of linguistic minorities, the assessment of science and mathematics skills in elementary schools, and the development of assessments that honor diversity while measuring the same high standards desired for all students. Guillermo holds a doctorate in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Willy can be reached at: wsolano@wested.org
Jo Ann Izu, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate – Evaluation
Jo Ann Izu specializes in policy research and evaluation of education related reforms ranging from studies of statewide restructuring initiatives and school-linked services to beginning teacher assessment and a mathematics curriculum project based on traditional Yup’ik Indian activities. Her work has focused on school improvement and systemic reform efforts with an emphasis on low income, and/or culturally and linguistically diverse students. More recently, she has studied youth development strategies and family learning in informal settings. She has worked with schools and districts in California, Hawaii, Alaska, and Australia, and more recently, with local public and private agencies and community based organizations in the Bay Area. Jo Ann holds a doctorate in Sociology of Education from Stanford University. JO Ann can be reached at: jizu@wested.org
Ursula M. Sexton, Senior Research Associate–Science Coordinator
Ursula Sexton is a nationally recognized teacher. For the past 18 years, she has taught as a K- 14 bilingual teacher, and as a science specialist for elementary grades. She has contributed to numerous reform projects involving science assessment and systemic professional development, science curriculum for all students, and the use of technology in education. She is an advisor and panelist for state and national science education projects and organizations, and a published author in science education journals. She represents the profession as the 1994 California Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and the National Science Teacher of the Year’98. Ursula can be reached at: usexton@wested.org
Rebeca Diaz-Meza, Ph.D., Research Associate—Community, Family, and School
Rebeca Diaz-Meza’s work focuses on issues of ethnicity, culture, language, and gender in education. Her areas of expertise include conducting research on parent involvement and combining research and practice to strengthen family-school relationships. She evaluates how professional development in the area of culture influences teachers’ classroom practice and increases parent involvement. She also works to support the revitalization and maintenance of California Indigenous languages. Previously, she worked as a bilingual health specialist, collaborating with school, city, and community members in the development of health centers, and working closely with parents, students, community members and educators to enhance family-school relationships among Latino/a families. Rebeca can be reached at: rdiaz@wested.org
Elnora Newkirk, Project Assistant
Elnora Newkirk is the special assistant to both the Cultural Validity in Assessment Project and the Culture and Language in Education Program. She has over twenty years of administrative experience, providing a wide variety of office, customer, and company support services. Her interests include psychology and learning new computer skills. Elnora can be reached at: enewkir@wested.org