Westat education experts will share insights on research findings, research methodology, and capacity building, providing a breadth of evidence-based efforts at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) conference, October 24-26, 2022, in Washington, DC.

Westat staff will be participating on the following panels.

Monday, October 24

Allison Crean Davis. Scaling and Sustaining Summer: Reflections from National Research, 2:15-3:30 pm. This panel will highlight current policy-relevant research and discuss implications for planning for and sustaining future summer programs.

Shawn Petty. Pursuing Longitudinal [Science and Technology, interpreted through Engineering and the Arts] STEAM Outcomes Through Professional Sports. 2:15-3:45 pm. Panelists will discuss the use of disguised learning to improve academic outcomes particularly in summer learning programs.

Tuesday, October 25

John Hitchcock. Why and How the National Summer Learning and Enrichment Study Is Betting on a Mixed-Methods Research Design. 10:30-11:45 am. This study uses a mixed-methods approach and a convergent parallel design to understand how states and districts responded to the national call to action for summer learning and enrichment programming in 2021 and 2022. Panelists will discuss the need for and benefits gleaned by this approach.  

Allison Crean Davis. Engage Every Student: Access to Summer for All. 10:30-11:45 am. Panelists will explore how, through the American Rescue Plan, school districts, cities, and states have funding and an unprecedented opportunity to partner with high-quality expanded learning programs to support students’ well-being and academic growth.

Allison Crean Davis and John Hitchcock. A National Call to Action for Summer 2021: How Did Districts Respond? 2:15-3:30 pm. Westat’s National Summer Learning and Enrichment Study, supported by The Wallace Foundation, is releasing nationally representative findings that shed light on how districts responded to the 2021 call to action for summer learning.