New educator evaluation systems require measures of teacher effectiveness that are timely and meaningful, and many new systems specifically require measures of student growth. Student learning objectives (SLOs) are emerging as innovative measures of student growth because of their versatility and potential for promoting good teaching practices. This fact sheet ...
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.
Are teachers working in charter schools more effective in improving student outcomes compared to teachers working in traditional public schools? In this blog post, Umut Özek, a principal researcher at AIR, describes a new study in which he and his fellow authors examined the disparities in teacher effectiveness between charter ...
School improvement policy for the past few decades has been characterized by mandated lists of activities designed to stimulate a dramatic turnaround in student achievement. In the long run, this policy approach did not engender the necessary school-level changes. This brief demonstrates why new policies must aim to get the ...
The goal of UTeach at the University of Texas at Austin is to increase the numbers of highly qualified STEM teachers in high-needs schools by expanding preparation pathways, and to broaden participation of underrepresented students in high-needs schools through evidence-based professional development and ongoing support of in-service teachers. AIR is ...
Despite large investments and efforts, schools and districts have long struggled to provide ongoing, effective, and sustained support for teachers’ professional development. This study examined the experiences of teachers in six schools participating in one of three teacher network programs during the 2016–17 school year. ...
This Special Issues Brief, and related materials, from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders aims to help state and regional staff engage districts to create coherence between the Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluation, and professional learning. The process of making meaning builds an understanding of the reforms and ...
AIR's team of researchers and practitioners works with clients to achieve solutions to complex policy and practice problems and to identify and support effective approaches that help teachers thrive. Our team supports clients in developing impactful policies and practices across teachers’ entire career, beginning with recruitment and preparation, and continuing ...