Areas of Expertise
School Crime and Safety
AIR conducts research and evaluation, synthesizes information, develops tools to improve, and provides consultation and technical assistance regarding school crime and safety. AIR’s work has included conducting school and district audits, collecting and analyzing national data, and producing guides which have been released by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice. AIR also provides technical assistance and support for questionnaire development and sample design, producing and fully documenting analytic data files from raw survey data for the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) and for the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.
Recent Reports
- Student Victimization in U.S. Public Schools: Results from the 2005 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey
- Student Connection Research: Final Narrative Report to the Spencer Foundation
- Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007
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Recent Projects
School Health and Nutrition in Developing Countries
AIR is actively engaged in school health and nutrition programs worldwide that promote policies to empower schools to implement skills-based health instruction at the classroom level, provide simple school-based health and nutrition services to learners (e.g., deworming), and educate learners and communities about the importance of safe water, sanitation, and the prevention of infectious diseases. Because simple health interventions and health-focused life skills promote school attendance and participation, school health programs are often designed and implemented as part of a broad systemic education reform that aims for UNESCO’s Education for All by 2015.
Recent Projects
- Zambia’s Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support 2 Program (CHANGES2)
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Recent Products
School Reform and Effectiveness
AIR’s efforts in the area of school reform and effectiveness encompass a broad range of issues, including comprehensive school reform, turnaround schools, and standards-based reform, as well as policies and practices that influence teacher effectiveness. We conduct evaluations and critical reviews of the research, identify promising and proven practices, and provide tools and technical assistance to help implement them.
Recent Reports
- The Ripple Effect
- Characteristics of Public School Districts in the United States: Results from the 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey
- Making the Move: Transition Strategies at California Schools with High Graduation Rates
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Recent Projects
- Technical Assistance to New York State Districts for ELLs to Help Turn Around Low-Achieving Schools
- National Charter School Resource Center
- Boston Public Schools: Turnaround Using Increased Learning Time
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Recent Products
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
The Center for STEM Education and Innovation is designed to meet demands for innovation and evidence to improve teaching and learning of 21st century science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills that students need to thrive in the global economy. We focus on the needs of all students, particularly struggling and disengaged students, those with learning disabilities, English language learners, and students for whom traditional education is not working. The Center draws on AIR’s experience working across all educational levels, subjects, and domains
Recent Reports
- The Price of a Science Ph.D.
- Teacher Practice and Student Outcomes in Arts-Integrated Learning Settings: A Review of Literature
- Broadening Participation in STEM: A Call to Action
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Recent Projects
- Texas Statewide 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- Vermont Enhancing Education Through Technology Statewide Evaluation
- Evaluation of Amarillo Independent School District’s Vision 2020 Grant Program
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Recent Products
Skills Assessment in Developing Countries
Basic skills required in the workplace can be measured, assessed, and evaluated using a variety of strategies and tools ranging from simple self-assessment diagnostics to more elaborate assessments. In order to help individuals develop competencies needed in the workplace, AIR designs appropriate assessment tools and uses feedback and results from the assessments as the basis for designing effective intervention training programs.
Social and Emotional Learning
AIR conducts a wide variety of work regarding the development and measurement of the social and emotional capacities of children, youth, and adults. This work includes development of individual assessments, support for the development of social and emotional learning standards and the efficient integration of academic and social emotional learning, and the alignment of social emotional learning with mental health interventions and positive behavioral approaches. AIR’s work in these areas is both national and international.
Recent Reports
- What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools: A Focus on Students with Disabilities
- Student Connection Research: Final Narrative Report to the Spencer Foundation
- Children’s Self-Report About Their Social-Emotional Development from Third to Fifth Grade: Findings from the ECLS-K
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Recent Projects
- Anchorage Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Analysis
- Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP)
- Conditions for Learning
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Recent Products
Social Marketing
In recent years, AIR has used its social marketing expertise to help clients create behavior change in areas such as diabetes control and prevention, tobacco prevention and cessation, nutrition, physical activity, breast cancer screening, and HIV/AIDS prevention. AIR applies social marketing principles to work in education, working with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) on a U.S. Department of Education grant to encourage reading readiness of low-income children.
Recent Reports
- Developing a Measure of Health Insurance Literacy: Understanding Consumers’ Ability to Choose and Use Insurance
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Recent Projects
- Using Social Marketing and Community Engagement to Help Low-Income Children Get Ready to Read
- I-131 Public Education Campaign
- Communicating About Pandemic Flu
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Recent Products
Special Education
AIR has a long history of conducting federal, state, and local projects designed to improve outcomes for children with disabilities, other disadvantaged children, and their families. We analyze and synthesize information related to policy initiatives in special education and early intervention. We assess and develop special education fiscal policy alternatives, measure special education costs, and conduct program evaluations such as the adequate yearly progress of students with disabilities. Additionally, AIR provides technical assistance support for implementing evidence-based practices in each of the 50 states and 10 U.S. territories, as well as in hundreds of local school districts.
Recent Reports
- AIR Experts Author Report on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in School Accountability Systems
- National Leaders Explore Technology Issues During NCTI’s 2010 Technology Conference
- What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools: A Focus on Students with Disabilities
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Recent Projects
- National Charter School Resource Center
- The National High School Center
- Center for Special Education Finance (CSEF)
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Recent Products
Stakeholder Development in Health
AIR has special expertise in strategically identifying and cultivating third-party stakeholders for the purpose of supporting a specific public health goal. In many cases, this is as simple as determining other parties who will be affected by the issue at hand.
On a more sophisticated level, our stakeholder development initiatives bring together seemingly disparate interests around a specific desired outcome. This allows many individual interests to be served by a single action—often in different ways. Our communication and outreach efforts with Supporters of the Physical Activity Guidelines and stakeholder efforts related to Healthy People 2020 goals and the Center for Disease Control’s Act Against AIDS Campaign are good examples of AIR’s recent work in this area.
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) was created as a mechanism for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states to establish and maintain health insurance advisory services programs for Medicare beneficiaries. The National SHIP Resource Center, operated by AIR, strives to enhance the ability of CMS and the states to sustain and improve their health insurance counseling and education programs for Medicare beneficiaries. The Resource Center aims to foster improvements in SHIP performance by identifying best practices, offering training and technical assistance support, and ensuring that the most current and accurate information is disseminated to SHIPs to aid them in their beneficiary counseling and education programs.
Recent Projects
Recent Products
Statistical Compendia
AIR’s experts compile, maintain, and analyze survey data for the Condition of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics. AIR staff author reports and indicators and make available the information gathered by federal and non-federal education data providers. In addition to these annual reports, AIR has responsibility for a variety of other recurring and one-time analytic, indicator, and tabular reports on education statistics, including those focusing on minority populations and the disadvantaged.
Recent Reports
- New Report on Trends in U.S Education Finds Fewer High School Students Are Employed Compared to 1990
- Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts in the United States
- Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, and School Districts: School Year 2003-04
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Recent Projects
Recent Products
Statistics and Psychometrics
AIR’s nationally recognized psychometricians and statisticians use the most advanced sampling methods and state-of-the-art psychometric procedures to provide each of our clients with world-class information that exceeds industry standards and can be counted on to inform policy and curriculum decisions. More information may be found on our Statistics and Psychometrics Web page.
Recent Reports
Substance Abuse
AIR is deeply involved in public and private efforts to prevent and treat substance abuse. Through the BEST Foundation, AIR conducted an assessment of treatment providers’ organizational strengths, challenges, and priorities, leading to the development of a self-guided process to enhance and improve performance. At the state level, we have provided technical assistance to federal block grantees to enhance program performance and outcomes, and to implement expanded access to care and choices of treatment. AIR has also supported federal substance abuse agencies in the development of clinical guidelines and management information systems.
Recent Reports
- NIDA Notes: Behavior Game Reduces Later Drug-Related Problems
- Performance Management: Improving State Systems through Information-Based Decisionmaking
- Integrating State Administrative Records To Manage Substance Abuse Treatment System Performance
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Recent Projects
Survey Methodology and Data Quality
AIR’s survey methodologists combine knowledge from statistics, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, computer science, and business management to provide high quality data for research. Emphasis is placed on:
- the statistical foundations of sampling and estimation in complex surveys;
- questionnaire design;
- data collection and the impact of different modes of data collection on data quality;
- analysis of survey data properly reflecting the complex survey design features; and
- total survey error perspectives on survey design and analysis.
Recent Reports
- NCES Handbook of Survey Methods
- Airline Pilots' Experiences in and Reactions to Their Check Rides: Results from a Nationwide, Representative Survey
- A Guide for Education Personnel: Evaluating a Program or Intervention
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Recent Projects
- Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)
- Veterans’ Health Administration Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients
- Medicare Part D Consumer Research
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Recent Products
Sustainable Agriculture in Developing Countries
AIR’s international expertise in areas such as education, training, community mobilization, and behavior-change communication are employed in developing the capacity and improving the well-being of smallholder farmers. Our approach begins with youth through interventions such as junior-farmer schools and clubs, or life-skills training. It continues with adults through new types of extension service, with particular emphasis on the special needs of smallholder farmers. Inexpensive and ubiquitous information-and-communications technologies such as radio and cell phones can not only reach large numbers of farmers with vibrant, impact-driven agricultural programming; they can also capture the farmers’ own voices to share lessons learned and help set extension agendas.
Recent Projects
