The use of student test-based measures of teacher effectiveness in personnel decisions, such as tenure, is controversial. It is a major bone of contention in the recent Chicago teacher strike. The conversation here focuses on the uses, value and limitations of these measures, often called value-added measures. ...
AIR is developing a tool to identify barriers and leakages in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education pipeline with an audit tool that identifies specific factors contributing to the low completion rates of STEM students. The tool will help locate specific problems within institutions and their STEM departments. ...
In his final State of the Union address, President Obama said, “We live in a time of extraordinary change… and whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.” In this blog post, AIR’s Peter Cookson says the key to dealing with this change is ...
This special analysis examines the performance of U.S. students in reading, mathematics, and science compared with the performance of their peers in other countries that participated in PIRLS, PISA, and TIMSS in terms of students’ average scores and the percentage of students reaching internationally benchmarked performance levels. ...
AIR recently reviewed the approved Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility plans to identify policies and practices relevant to English learners, provided considerations based on our knowledge of research for the implementation of proposed reforms and described exemplary state and district practices. ...
Although a wealth of research has shown that financial aid reduces hurdles to college enrollment, relatively little is known about how aid affects students after they are enrolled, much less how they react to the common occurrence of losing aid midway through their college careers. A CALDER working paper co-authored ...
Dual language leaners represent large and growing population in California’s early learning programs. Yet, without formal certifications or training requirements, many early learning providers are not sufficiently prepared to work with DLLs. This report summarizes results from a study created to examine the implementation and impact of an investment in ...
The purpose of the Getting Ready for School intervention is to increase the successful transition of disadvantaged young children into school by imparting school readiness skills provided by their parents in their home. The Open Society Foundations contracted AIR to provide technical support for the evaluation of the pilot Getting ...
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, a working group of 15 federal agencies, provides information to the public and policy-makers on the financial, physical, social, and psychological well-being of America’s seniors.
Ensuring strong alignment between quality standards and afterschool programs requires creative thinking, planning, and collaboration. Afterschool programs that align professional development with quality standards can support staff learning and sustain continuous improvement by reinforcing professional standards and practices. ...