Sola Takahashi is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd, where she leads the work of integrating continuous improvement methods in the coaching, technical assistance, and research conducted by the Innovation Studies and Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) teams.

Takahashi is experienced in the use of improvement science methods and specializes in measurement and analytics that support continuous improvement efforts; She also has expertise in traditional research methods, including quasi-experimental design. Her areas of content interest include the teaching profession and educational equity.

Takahashi is currently bringing Improvement Science methods to three REL West partnerships—Arizona Literacy, Literacy Improvement Project (in Nevada), and Salt Lake Collective Impact—and two Innovation Studies projects—College Futures Project and Next Generation of Educators Initiative.

She was previously at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, where she led the development of measures and analytic systems that support improvement efforts in schools. She also served as a public school teacher in San Leandro, California.

Takahashi received a BA from Wesleyan University, an MA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.