Teachers from Puerto Rico Visit American Institutes for Research to Learn About Advances in Education Research and Policy

Washington, D.C. – Twenty-five K-12 teachers from Puerto Rico took part in a professional development training event at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on July 12, 2011. The teachers, who are interns in the Pilar Barbosa Education Program, listened to AIR education experts discuss subjects such as teacher quality, high school dropout prevention, students with disabilities and English language learners.

The Pilar Barbosa Education Program was created in 1998 by the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly to serve as a professional development training provider for public school teachers and administrators. Each year, 25 participants travel to Washington, D.C. and participate in workshops, presentations, tours, lectures and group assignments that focus on U.S. education trends and policies as they relate to Puerto Rico, integration of technology in school curriculums, educational leadership, and innovative curriculum design.

At AIR, the teachers talked with experts on the following issues:

• Teacher leader standards and other resources from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality at AIR (Molly Lasagna, research and policy analyst, AIR)
• Serving students with disabilities: Recent research and resources (Darren Woodruff, principal research analyst, AIR)
• Recent developments in English Language Learner policy in the United States (James Taylor, principal researcher, AIR)
• Addressing the high school dropout crisis: Recent research and resources from the National High School Center at AIR (Joseph Harris, managing research analyst, AIR)

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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