AIR Forum: Turning the Corner on School Improvement Grants: What’s on the Horizon?

Washington, D.C. – A panel of experts, including an official of the Michigan Department of Education and the principal of a Hampton, Va., school, will discuss the challenges of turning around chronically low-performing schools and the new requirements of the federal School Improvement Grants during a Capitol Hill forum on Friday, September 24, 2010.

The “Turning the Corner on School Improvement Grants: What’s on the Horizon?” discussion forum will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in Room 2261 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. School Improvement Grants are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The forum is hosted by Learning Point Associates, an affiliate of the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

The panelists include:

• Mary Alice Galloway, Michigan Department of Education
  Topic: State Experiences in Implementing School Improvement Grants
• Donna Warthan, Principal, Hampton, Virginia
  Topic: Supports Schools Need for Successful Turnaround Efforts
• Catherine Barbour, Learning Point Associates, an affiliate of AIR
  Topic: Status of Turnaround Plans as Schools Start the New Year
• Becki Herman, AIR, Coauthor of the IES Practice Guide, Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools
  Topic: Consistent Elements of Successful School Change
• Moderator: Cary Cuccio, Senior Program Manager, Learning Point Associates, an affiliate of AIR

In addition, the updated Guide to Working With External Providers will be released. The guide seeks to aid districts and schools by offering a step-by-step approach to researching and selecting a high-quality service provider, establishing an effective partnership agreement, and evaluating the success of the partnership.

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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