Jessica Newman is a senior researcher who leads research, evaluation, and capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with a variety of national, state, and local entities. Her work is primarily focused on positive youth development and social and emotional learning (SEL) in supportive learning environments, including out-of-school time and informal learning settings. ...
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinics and other community-based organizations play a vital role in providing timely access to STI prevention services, particularly for medically underserved communities. Medicaid is a critical partner in STI prevention and treatment; however, many people who receive Medicaid benefits are not able to receive treatment for ...
This randomized-controlled trial seeks to understand how family-based restorative justice can improve the lives of men and women suffering from addiction as they transition from the criminal justice system back to their communities.
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.
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. ...
Advances in awareness and knowledge of the prevalence and impact of traumatic stress have led to a call to action by federal agencies, researchers and service providers to implement “trauma-informed care” across service systems. What is trauma-informed care? How is it different from trauma-specific services? How does it change the ...
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 ...
Russia’s child protection system is engaged in a national initiative to reduce the number of children in orphanages and state care, build capacity of foster parents, and recruit mentors and adoptive parents to support young people as they learn to live on their own. The US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange is ...
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 ...
A study looking at the first year of transitional kindergarten in California finds that most districts implemented the new grade level, and that approaches varied widely. Overall, transitional kindergarten appears to provide a different experience than traditional kindergarten, one more appropriate for young learners. ...