Assessing access to early care and education is a key first step in any policy improvement initiative. In part because of the diverse delivery system for early childhood programs in the U.S., there is no single source of data on the availability of programs much less on the enrollment in ...
Jessica Newman is a senior researcher who leads research, evaluation, and capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with a variety of national, state, and local entities. Her work is primarily focused on positive youth development and social and emotional learning (SEL) in supportive learning environments, including out-of-school time and informal learning settings. ...
This randomized-controlled trial seeks to understand how family-based restorative justice can improve the lives of men and women suffering from addiction as they transition from the criminal justice system back to their communities.
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.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives states the authority and flexibility to turn around their lowest performing schools. In this blog post, Allison Gandhi asks if states can succeed where federal policy requirements have run into walls, using the success of the Massachusetts Wraparound Zone initiative as an example. ...
Advances in awareness and knowledge of the prevalence and impact of traumatic stress have led to a call to action by federal agencies, researchers and service providers to implement “trauma-informed care” across service systems. What is trauma-informed care? How is it different from trauma-specific services? How does it change the ...
Lacy Wood is a principal TA consultant for AIR. Wood has over 20 years of experience with information and support systems for school improvement and over 19 years of experience in family and community engagement. In her current role, Wood is the associate project director supporting technical assistance for the ...
Russia’s child protection system is engaged in a national initiative to reduce the number of children in orphanages and state care, build capacity of foster parents, and recruit mentors and adoptive parents to support young people as they learn to live on their own. The US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange is ...
The achievement gap, which refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students, is a pressing issue facing K-12 education. AIR is supporting states to close academic achievement gaps through strategies including alternative school discipline policies, GIS mapping, improved early childhood education, and culturally responsive instruction. In this ...
Credentials certify performance based on a set of defined skills and knowledge and allow established or emerging staff to be recognized for their competence and commitment to professional growth. To date, though research suggests that well-trained staff, such as those with credentials, are more likely to deliver high quality programs, ...