U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students made long-term achievement gains in mathematics, but not in science, according to the U.S. results on the 2019 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study. In this Q&A, AIR’s Tad Johnston, senior technical assistance consultant and a math specialist, and Danielle Ferguson, researcher and a science ...
Jessica Heppen, a nationally recognized expert in education research, policy, and practice, is the president & CEO of AIR. Dr. Heppen been with AIR for 20 years and, in that time, has held several key roles during her tenure.
Rural educators in the Northeast Region are beginning to implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. For the implementation to be successful, teachers reported needing more time to collaborate and increased access to high-quality curricula and professional development opportunities.
These teaching ideas are instructional routines teachers can implement in their classrooms to help students become more deeply and actively engaged in understanding algebra. The ideas focus on how teachers can help students better engage, defined as making deep mathematical connections, justifying and critiquing mathematical thinking, and solving challenging problems ...
The recent release of the 2015 NAEP results by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics have been labeled “historic” by some because math scores at both Grades 4 and 8 and reading at Grade 8 have all declined, the first decline since NAEP's framework was put ...
This research brief, the fourth from the Back on Track study, evaluates the content provided in online and face-to-face algebra credit recovery courses and reveals possible differences based on instructor preferences and district guidelines.
Incorporating work-based learning into the curriculum as part of a career and technical education program may improve students’ readiness for college and careers. This study will provide the first causal evidence on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Virtual Enterprises, a year-long course in which students run a virtual firm. ...
Recent data shows that while students from low-income families began 9th grade with high aspirations of going to college, by junior year their expectations decline considerably. In this blog post, Sakiko Ikoma and Markus Broer argue that closing the enrollment gap between low-income students and their more affluent counterparts means ...
AIR formed the NAEP Validity Studies Panel in 1995 under contract with the National Center for Education Statistics. The panel provides a technical review of NAEP plans and products and identifies technical concerns and promising techniques worthy of further study and research.
Elizabeth Zachry Rutschow is a managing researcher at AIR. She is an expert in postsecondary and adult education reform and has led many large-scale, mixed-methods evaluations of community college and adult education reforms. She is dedicated to using qualitative and quantitative research to improve equity and the prosperity and well-being of ...