Sami Kitmitto is an economist and quantitative analyst specializing in quasi-experimental and experimental methods for research and evaluation in the areas of education and the workforce. He is currently deputy project director on the NAEP Validity Studies project for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), a principal investigator on an ...
Cheryl Harris is a senior technical assistance consultant at AIR. Her current work involves providing technical assistance for the Texas (TXCC) and Southeast (SECC) Comprehensive Centers, addressing state and local capacity building in school improvement and key content areas. This work includes assisting states and their statewide systems of support ...
California's Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is intended to provide an additional year of early education for younger children, with the goal of promoting their success in school. The Heising-Simons Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation are partnering with AIR to study the impact of TK on children’s academic and ...
Using data from the 2018 NAEP grade 8 civics assessment, this study investigates disparities in access to civics content and effective instructional approaches, highlighting disparities along a range of dimensions including student, school, and state characteristics. The findings conflict with most of the prior evidence regarding disparities, showing higher reported ...
This paper describes a research project which drew on longitudinal student data in two states to examine the validity of existing English Language Learner (ELL) reclassification systems—the process by which ELL students are reclassified as fully English proficient and ready to function without special services. ...
Martin Hooper is a principal researcher at AIR. Since joining AIR in October 2018, Dr. Hooper has been involved in researching NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) and international large-scale assessment methodologies with a special focus on context questionnaires and trend analysis. Dr. Hooper also supports the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the management of ...
Amy Dalsimer is a principal technical assistance consultant with the Adult Education and Literacy Practice Group at AIR. Her work is focused on improving services and instruction to adult learners by conducting research and providing professional development to states and local providers, strengthening accountability and use of data for program ...
Michelle Perry is a senior technical assistance consultant in the Youth, Family, and Community Development program area at AIR. She currently serves as deputy project director for the Corrections and Community Engagement Technical Assistance Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. In this role, she ...
The National Assessment Governing Board has recently turned increased attention towards the NAEP achievement levels and associated achievement level descriptors. This white paper offers two specific contributions for NAGB to consider as they move forward with plans to develop evidence to support removal of the trial status of the NAEP ...
The initiatives to enhance adult learning program accountability and assessment systems of the following states are described in this paper: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon, Texas, Washington, West Virginia.