Increasing the rigor of courses taken in high school is a crucial part of education policy. However, existing knowledge about high school coursework is outdated. Using data from a recent nationally representative data set, this brief reports results that expand our knowledge base on the relationship between a rigorous coursework ...
Over the last two decades, the expanded learning community has grown and developed, both in its day-to-day practice as well as in its knowledge of what works well. This article, written by Carol McElvain, a managing director at AIR, focuses on what the development of a robust program quality indicator ...
Ensuring strong alignment between quality standards and afterschool programs requires creative thinking, planning, and collaboration. Afterschool programs that align professional development with quality standards can support staff learning and sustain continuous improvement by reinforcing professional standards and practices. ...
The National Center for Healthy Safe Children offers resources, training, and technical assistance to support states, tribes, territories, and local communities as they promote overall wellbeing for students and their families.
The Better Math Teaching Network comprised high school Algebra I teachers from across New England and researchers committed to deepening and expanding student-centered instruction in high school mathematics.
The Wind River Elementary Computer Science Collaborative is team of teachers, professional development providers, and researchers working together to bring culturally relevant computer science education to Indigenous elementary school students who live on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.
Core competencies are the capabilities that are critical for afterschool staff to deliver high quality programs. These competencies are intended to set a foundation for professional development, provide opportunities for career advancement, and inform program quality and continuous improvement.
Afterschool staff working with youth are essential partners in any program’s efforts to implement quality programming. Ultimately, strong relationships are key to whether youth feel safe and can authentically engage with peers and adults. Building staff members’ capacity to strengthen relationships and align program offerings to quality standards will help ...
Big data has entered the field of education increasingly over the last decade. The most important factor for this increase is the introduction of online/digital learning and assessment environments. AIR is working with NCES to maximize the potential of this data to deepen our understanding of student behavior and assessment ...
In this brief, AIR researchers offer a potential pathway to understanding how learning and development happen in quality afterschool and summer programs. This pathway emphasizes three key competencies—relationship skills, a sense of agency, and identity development—that research suggests can facilitate learning and development in other areas. ...