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. ...
Rashawn Ray is an AIR vice president and the executive director of the AIR Equity Initiative. Launched in 2021, the AIR Equity Initiative is a five-year, $100M+ investment in behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address the underlying causes of systemic inequities and to increase opportunities for people ...
Students who attend California’s transitional kindergarten (TK) program enter kindergarten with stronger mathematics and literacy skills and are more engaged in their learning than students who did not attend TK, according to a new study released today by AIR. The program provides advantages for all students, with particular benefits for ...
On the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that desegregated U.S. schools, AIR is awarding $5.8 million in grants to fund programs and initiatives to create more integrated, equitable education experiences for preK-12 public school students in the U.S.
To understand better how educators and systems can support dual language learners and their families, AIR conducted interviews, surveys, and direct assessments on their experiences and outcomes in California from 2018-2022. The findings from this multifaceted study could inform policy and practice nationwide. ...
In collaboration with our partners, government leaders, and field experts, AIR has worked to strengthen the evidence base, provide evidence-backed equity resources, and support equal access to programs that can help people and communities thrive.
Just like physical health, mental health is crucial to everyone’s well-being. For Mental Health Awareness Month, five AIR experts reflected on three of the biggest trends and shifts they’ve observed from their collective years in the field.
The Center for Economic Evaluation is committed to rigorous and transparent economic analyses that generate evidence-based insights for more efficient and equitable systems, policies, and practices.
AIR evaluations of two federally funded initiatives aimed at revamping chronically low-performing schools in Massachusetts found that students in both programs improved their scores in state tests of English language arts and mathematics. While both programs resulted in widespread improvement, AIR’s evaluations found particularly strong increases in achievement among students ...
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Wraparound Zones (WAZ) Initiative is designed to create coordinated district systems that allow schools to proactively and systematically address the nonacademic needs of students. AIR conducted an evaluation of how well the WAZ Initiative achieved these goals, which found improvements in student ...