The Ohio Department of Education wanted to assess the quality of the literacy instruction received by students in state-funded early learning and preschool programs and to provide teachers with information to improve their practice. AIR conducted more than 1,400 observations of early learning environments across the state using the Early ...
Melissa Hafner is a principal researcher at AIR. Since 2007, she has led various qualitative and quantitative studies, and has managed complex projects involving high-level technical assistance in federal, nonprofit, and contracted research positions.
Hafner currently works on an evaluation of the California Health Foundation’s initiative to integrate behavioral health in ...
AIR is committed to increasing the effectiveness of education globally at all levels through the provision of safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments. Our rigorous, state-of-the-art research and evaluation work provides important evidence for education policymakers and practitioners to use when answering crucial questions about program implementation, challenges, and solutions. ...
AIR experts recently examined a federal approach to address a growing shortage in primary care providers, finding its incentives were not equally effective in increasing provider supply across U.S. counties. They suggest further investigation into a number of factors that may be driving the shortage. ...
Through our Meet the Expert feature, get to know some of AIR’s key staff, learning what drives and keeps them going, the work they find most meaningful, and even a little bit about how they spend their personal time.
The Texas School Ready! (TSR!) Project consists of communities in which independent districts, Head Start agencies, and child care providers agree to collaborate as partners in providing high-quality instruction to 3- and 4-year-old, income-eligible, at-risk children to promote their readiness for school. AIR was one of three organizations that conducted ...
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.
Experts from AIR will present at several sessions during the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Fall Research Conference, being held November 17-19 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. APPAM is a professional organization dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis ...
The Great Lakes Comprehensive Center was one of 15 regional comprehensive centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the October 2012–September 2019 grant cycle of the Comprehensive Centers Program. The centers provided capacity-building technical assistance to state education agencies in their implementation and administration of programs authorized under ...
Kirsten Firminger is a principal researcher at AIR. With a passion for understanding consumers’ perspectives of health care, she has worked extensively on gathering information from patients about their care experiences. She is an expert at developing and testing materials for use by the public, including presenting information on health ...