Informing practice with the best research and making research more relevant to practice are easier said than done. Making a tangible difference in people’s lives is harder still. In this series of short commentaries, AIR experts reflect on ways to meet the challenge.
Principals' roles have expanded significantly over the past decade. These leaders face new challenges and new levels of accountability. AIR engaged educators in three states to design a framework, a foundation for facilitating principal growth and accountability. The framework can be used for principal coaching, self-reflection, and performance evaluation. ...
Postsecondary competency-based education (CBE) is receiving considerable attention from advocates, colleges, and policymakers as a way to help more students complete high-quality postsecondary credentials in less time and at a lower cost—but we're just beginning to build rigorous evidence to understand whether CBE programs are fulfilling those value propositions. ...
This policy brief provides principal evaluation system designers information about the technical soundness and cost (i.e., time requirements) of publicly available school climate surveys.
Acceleration programs are academically challenging courses in which high school students can simultaneously earn credit toward a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree. The results of this study raise several considerations for educators and policymakers, including the potential importance of expanding opportunities for underrepresented students to enroll in acceleration ...
Early reading is an important indicator of future academic success, but results from the recent national reading assessments show that more than one-third of the nation’s fourth graders do not have sufficient reading skills. By utilizing two nationally representative datasets, this study replicates and expands the early reading growth research ...
The First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative is a comprehensive program to promote language and literacy development, parenting knowledge and skills, and economic self-sufficiency among low-income families in Los Angeles County. Findings from the eight-year evaluation of this Family Literacy Initiative have shown significant growth in language and literacy skills ...
Safe and supportive school communities foster students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. Educators want actionable strategies and practices to ensure that all students can access equitable learning environments. Creating Safe, Equitable, Engaging Schools helps school leaders make sense of the various evidence-based resources and frameworks designed to support the whole ...
New national standards documents have been developed over the past few years in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and are leading to major changes in state curricula and assessments. This study provides information primarily on the extent of alignment between the Next Generation Science Standards and National ...
This spotlight takes a look at the history of Title I, how the program has changed over time, and how it affects children, schools, families and education policy. Experts weigh in on the program's past and future in interviews, briefs, and blogs.