In 2011, the Anchorage School District asked AIR to conduct a quick-turnaround analysis examining whether student responses to a particular set of items on the School Climate and Connectedness Survey were a reliable measure by which to gauge school progress in fostering students’ social and emotional learning skills and whether ...
The USAID Bridge to Middle School Activity, led by FHI 360, aims to strengthen the Ministry of National Education's capacity to implement new, student-centered curricula in Arabic and selected science subjects, as well as English, in ways that lead to measurable impacts on learning outcomes.
The second of three guides that address the 1997 Amendments to IDEA as they relate to the issue of functional behavioral assessment and positive behavioral interventions and supports.
Zero tolerance policies were born out of fear and even desperation. After the 1999 school shootings in Colorado, some educators and public figures adopted a tough law-and-order stance; but, instead of deterrence, we got a discipline regime of mass suspensions. In this blog post, AIR's Peter Cookson argues that zero ...
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District implemented an evidence-based social and emotional learning program—Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS). AIR’s evaluation of the program indicates that student outcomes improved, despite the challenges faced by this complex urban school district, and even with imperfect implementation and uncertain fidelity. ...
This third monograph, addressing the 1997 Amendments to IDEA, discusses how to use the information gathered during the functional behavioral assessment process to develop and implement positive behavioral intervention plans that address both the short- and long-term needs of the student.
John Spence is a senior technical assistance consultant at AIR. He has over 17 years of experience directing large-scale initiatives in public education with a solid track record of expanding operations, initiating and maintaining strategic partnerships, managing technical assistance and professional development for educators, developing and sustaining meaningful relationships with ...
Years of research show that students from low-income families are more likely to forget previously learned material over the summer than students from wealthier families. Over time, these losses add up, widening the socioeconomic disparity in academic performances. Carol McElvain explains how high quality summer opportunities for low-income students can ...
The Plan, Do, Study, Act Process is central to the improvement of instructional routines. Watch one of the Better Math Teaching Network members in real time and in a real classroom setting introduce the Plan, Do, Study, Act, or PDSA, process.
A quality recess is one that is safe, engaging, and empowering. Since 2017, Playworks and a team from AIR have partnered to learn more about how effective recess teams drive strong quality and recess outcomes. Currently they are conducting a study with support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation ...