Thomas de Hoop is a development economist, with twelve years of experience designing, implementing, and leading mixed-methods impact evaluations and systematic reviews. His work has primarily revolved around South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
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. ...
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.
Bobbi Newman is a principal researcher and director of AIR’s practice area for standards and assessments. She has more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation of school reform efforts. Dr. Newman has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the state. As ...
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 ...
Through the AIR Equity Initiative, AIR has provided funding to generate and apply evidence on a community engagement program to change gendered practices and norms in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). AIR has partnered with Women for Women International (WfWI) to study the implementation and impact of WfWI’s ...
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 ...
Smallholder farmers rely on crops for income and food security, but their ability to generate income and maintain food security is threatened by a number of factors. Kenya’s Plantwise program is a global initiative that provides smallholder farmers with vital information on the maintenance of crop health and environmentally sustainable ...