Social and emotional skills undergird student success—and mold better citizens. Results from the Collaborating Districts Initiative suggest that even modest investments can pay off for individuals, schools, and society. In this policy brief, Kimberly Kendziora and Nick Yoder share the results of the evaluation and offer policy six recommendations for ...
New research is again highlighting the wide variation in states’ student performance standards and overly optimistic reports of student proficiency. Alicia Garcia argues that, going forward, states must adopt evidence-based methods of standard setting that prepare students to compete in the global marketplace. ...
Eric S. Waters is a web development specialist at AIR. Waters has more than 16 years of experience as a database developer, with a particular focus on data tools and web applications serving internal and external education clients. In his present position, Waters creates and maintains both Drupal and FileMaker ...
In response to the federal mandate to devise strategies that are effective in fostering and sustaining improvement among their lowest performing schools, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) devised layers of support to schools identified as high priority. AIR and its partner, the University of Michigan, conducted a three-year study ...
School Improvement Grants are provided by the Department of Education in an attempt to raise the achievement of students in the state’s lowest-performing schools. The purpose of this report is to describe several state-developed alternative intervention models approved by the Department of Education. ...
To support state- and district-wide school-monitoring processes and strategic and effective school improvement efforts, AIR conducts school quality reviews that are grounded in research and informed and refined by practice. AIR works collaboratively with states and districts to implement a school monitoring process that relies on rigorous research methods and ...
This paper is a demonstration of how partitioning analysis can be used to help separate changes in reading and mathematical proficiency from changes in school populations over assessment years, using NAEP data.
Bitnara Jasmine Park is a principal researcher at AIR, where she applies her skills and knowledge to various projects including but not limited to NAEP-related review and research activities, evaluation of literacy interventions, development of literacy assessments for teachers, and evaluation of career development programs targeting individuals with disabilities.Dr. Park ...
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 Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) Community Schools initiative aims to support students, their families, and the broader school community by creating partnerships among district schools and community-based organizations and providers. AIR conducted an evaluation of the implementation of the Community Schools initiative in PPS with all five schools adopting the ...