The New Mexico Public Education Department developed the Kindergarten Observation Tool (KOT) as a multidimensional observational measure of students’ knowledge and skills at kindergarten entry. This study examined the construct validity of the KOT to determine whether data from a field test supported using the KOT to measure six school ...
The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program will expire as ESSA is implemented, but the challenges of low-performing schools have not. SIG provided some promising examples, as well as caveats that can challenge and inform those of us who believe our nation’s most disadvantaged students deserve better. In our latest blog ...
As ESEA turns 50 this month, the time is ripe to rethink whether the “E” in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the best place to start. In this blog post, Susan Muenchow discusses the robust research that reveals students are most successful when they get a good jumpstart ...
The schoolwide program and the targeted assistance program are two approaches related to the ideas established in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that focused on funding being provided to assist low-achieving students in high-poverty schools. This study compares services and resources provided by each approach and the ways these ...
AIR conducted an evaluation to measure the impacts of week-long residential outdoor education programs for at-risk sixth graders in California. As described by California Assembly Bill (AB) Number 1330, Chapter 663, the Outdoor Environmental Education Program is designed to "foster stewardship of the environment and an appreciation of the importance of ...
Susan Therriault is an education researcher whose work straddles equity, K-12 school improvement, and policy. In this Q&A, she describes her career and her work with the COVID-19 Equity in Education project.
The leaders of two of California’s largest urban school districts—Fresno and Long Beach—entered into a formal learning partnership with the goal of preparing all students for success. This is an overview of four briefs developed by AIR about different aspects of the partnership, and calls out key lessons for district ...
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. ...
Keeping an eye on issues of equity in remote learning environments can seem overwhelming, particularly when moving teaching and learning from the classroom to an online platform. Taking the time to address digital accessibility has an overarching benefit: Universally designed and accessible learning materials can benefit all learners. ...
Evidence-based practices are commonly understood as those practices informed by research that lead to improved educational outcomes. This action guide offers education leaders three action steps to ensure the evidence-based practices they select meet ESSA requirements and fit their specific needs.