As district leaders search for the best ways to improve student learning with the Common Core State Standards, some early implementers are giving us an opportunity to learn from their experience.This brief describes Sacramento City Unified School District’s approach to developing units of study that guide teachers’ classroom practice. The ...
In 1983, A Nation at Risk laid bare the state of American education and exposed what that meant for individuals and the country. Here, seven education experts from AIR weigh in on whether the report made a difference and where education is today.
Using nationally representative data from the Adult Education for Work-related Reasons Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES), this Issue Brief examines the reasons that adults participate in formal educational courses for work-related reasons.
Youth engagement is a “win-win proposition”—it benefits young people, adults, and organizations. AIR interviewed six youth development organizations in Chicago to learn about their youth engagement strategies. This brief highlights five youth engagement strategies.
In recent decades, most school systems have not prioritized civic learning in policy and practice. In this brief, we discuss the need for action in two inter-related areas to help address the current state of democracy through the promotion of K–12 civic learning: measurement and causal research.
Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders are increasingly aware of the powerful potential for summertime experiences and the need to design, implement, and continuously improve summertime experiences for all.
Nature-based youth programming combines the benefits of being outside and active with opportunities for deeper learning through authentic, hands-on, real-world projects. This interactive brief features three nature-based youth programs and highlights examples of how these programs are bringing the project-based approach to life. ...
Student learning objectives (SLOs) have become the preferred measure of student growth in many new systems of teacher evaluation and compensation. This SLO practice brief aims to assist states and districts in the implementation of SLOs by providing practical steps for building a sustainable system of developing and measuring student ...
Through the national Comprehensive Centers Program and Regional Education Laboratories, AIR is building states’ capacity to support their districts and schools—and ultimately improve teaching and learning for all students, including special populations such as English learners and those with special needs. ...
Academically resilient students are those students who are academically successful, despite coming from the socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds that have typically predicted poorer educational outcomes. This brief uses 2011 eighth-grade data from the TIMSS to explore (1) how prevalent academically resilient students are across education systems and (2) what factors are ...