WERA Awards

WERA recognizes contributions to educational research with five awards that may be given at the spring conference. Members are encouraged to make nominations for the awards. Self-nominations are accepted.

WERA Outstanding Dissertation Award

Purpose - To recognize exemplary dissertation research by doctoral students related to improving K-12 or higher education.

Awards - One-year complimentary membership in WERA, Presentation of a plaque at the March WERA conference and Complimentary March WERA conference registration and travel costs up to $250.

Eligibility - Candidates must have successfully defended their dissertation and been awarded a doctorate degree by an accredited Washington state institution in the calendar year in which the application is due.

More information is available here.

WERA Research Award

This award is given to an individual, group, association, or agency. Recipient need not be a WERA member.

Criteria: Outstanding educational research. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• instructional research
• program evaluation
• intervention research
• research on or for special populations
• assessment research
• educational policy research
• school climate research
• parent/community needs assessments

Research should have state-wide application in terms of results, methodology or analyses. Research should have long-term value.

WERA Product Award

This award recognizes outstanding professional products related to:

• testing
• assessment
• program evaluation
• policy research
• instructional research
• school or district profiles
• instructional evaluation
• test or evaluation reporting

Criteria:

• Product must be of high technical quality.
• Product must be original work.
• Product must effectively communicate to a wide audience.
• Product must have state-wide value.
• Product must have long-term value.

For the above two awards, provide name and address of nominee, a description of the project or product that serves as the basis for the nomination, and the reason you are making the nomination. Please explain the significance of the contribution made by the nominee. For the product award, please send documentation and a copy of the product to Leonard Winchell, WERA Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 64489, University Place, WA 98464. Deadline: January 15 annually.

Gordon B. Ensign Award

This award is presented to a person or institution that has demonstrated and exemplified outstanding contributions to the education of students in Washington State in keeping with WERA's mission. This award does not require that the recipient be or have been a member of WERA.

Art Maser Service Award

This award is presented to a WERA member (or institution, education service association or organization) who has demonstrated and exemplified outstanding service to WERA and who has made a significant contribution to the field of educational research.

For the above two awards, send a letter with the name and address of nominee and a description of the individualÔs contributions to Leonard Winchell, WERA Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 64489, University Place, WA 98464. Deadline: January 15 annually.

WERA Distinguished Paper Award
 
This award recognizes an outstanding paper related to an important educational topic, and will be submitted by WERA for the author to present the paper at the AERA annual meeting.  This award helps promote and recognize important educational research taking place in the state.
 
Click here to download complete description and application procedure.

Assessment Directors’ Network Award
 
This award is given for outstanding contributions in assisting district assessment directors and coordinators with operating their assessment programs.  This award is given by the Assessment Directors’ Network subgroup of WERA at their discretion.

Past Award Winners

WERA Research Awards:

March 1999 to Carl Hauser for research on "Scaling Running Records Passages for Precise Reading Assessment"

March 2003 to Cathy Taylor for contributions to the research literature on student assessment in Washington State

March 2003 to Debbie McGhee for the study of the "WASL and Higher Education Indicators"

March 2004 to Jeff Fouts for the body of research on Educational Reform

March 2005 to Michael Riley for the body of research on math and science standards

March 2006 Steve Hirsch for research correlating oral reading fluency with WASL performance

March 2007 to SESRC Center – Olympia for the body of work related to college preparation and post-secondary outcomes

WERA Product Awards: These awards recognize outstanding professional products related to assessment, evaluation, or research.

March 1999 to the Washington Forest Protection Association for its environmental education materials

March 1999 to the Bethel School District for materials on WASL and norm-referenced testing practices

March 2002 to Geoff Praeger for development of the "Assessment Coordinator's Notebook"

March 2005 to Sue Shannon for the document "Characteristics of Improved School District: Themes for Research"

March 2005 to Cathy Grimes for her series of newspaper articles in Walla Walla on "No Child Left Behind"

March 2006 to Lesley Klenk, Nikki Elliott-Schuman, and Bev Neitzel for outstanding professional products related to statewide assessments

March 2007 to Mike Knapp and Mike Copland for the series entitled “Improving Leadership for Learning”

WERA Gordon B. Ensign Jr. Service Award:

March 1999 initial award to Gordon B. Ensign

March 2003 to Terry Bergeson

March 2004 to Ken Sirotnik

March 2007 to Peter Hendrickson

March 2008 to Joe Willhoft

Art Maser Service Awards:

March 2002 to Jim Nelson

March 2003 to Bob Silverman

March 2004 to Linda Elman

March 2005 to Ric Williams

March 2006 to Joe Kinney

March 2007 to Sylvia Dean

March 2008 to Michael Power

March 2009 to Peter Hendrickson

Outstanding Dissertation Awards

March 2007 to Jack Monpas-Huber, doctorate from University of Washington, for his dissertation entitled “School Context and Motivation to Use State Assessment Data as Resource for Improving Classroom Instruction:  A Multilevel Study of High School Teachers in Washington State”

March 2008 to Hilary Loeb for her University of Washington dissertation entitled, “National Board Certification as a Support for Work with Historically Underserved Students: A Case Study of Washington State Teachers.”

Assessment Directors' Network Award

2005 Pete Bylsma, OSPI

2006 Razak Garoui, OSPI

2007 to Robin Munson, OSPI