Areas of Expertise : Education Systems Reform
Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening in Developing Countries
Capacity building and institutional strengthening are integral parts of the technical support AIR provides to developing countries through education systems reform efforts. AIR's systems-level support involves concerned officials within the specific department of the Ministries of Education and trains the appropriate staff to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Examples of areas in which Ministries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) request support and capacity building include:
- financial management and accounting;
- strategic planning and long-term planning;
- policy dialogue and the transition to implementation;
- teacher professional development; and
- strategies for inclusion of marginal populations in education.
Recent Reports
- RISE Final Program Report - July 2006 to August 2010
- School Management Committees/Parent-Teacher Councils
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Recent Projects
- Egypt’s Education Reform Program
- Mejorando el Impacto al Desempeño Estudiantil de Honduras (MIDEH-Honduras)
- Zambia’s Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support 2 Program (CHANGES2)
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Recent Products
Child Labor Prevention
Child labor is a complex problem rooted in the extreme poverty of many developing countries. Prevention of child labor lies in the ability to create an environment that protects children from being exploited. Through its work, AIR adopts a two-pronged approach: 1) focusing on key strategies at the policy level; and 2) focusing on grassroots strategies to mobilize communities against child labor. Reintegration of child workers into their homes and schools has proven crucial to breaking the cycle of child labor. AIR has worked to achieve this goal by focusing on issues such as psychosocial support for child workers, family reunification, community development and training, teacher sensitization, conducive school-fee and school-readmission policies, and vocational training.
Recent Projects
Conditions for Learning
Successful schools must create and maintain effective conditions for learning. Such conditions have historically been regarded as including high-quality pedagogy, well-trained teachers, adequate resources, and effective leadership. AIR has proposed that educators also examine the social and emotional conditions for learning—the factors that ensure students feel safe and supported in school. AIR conducts research and evaluation, designs and analyzes surveys, synthesizes information, develops tools to improve, and provides consultation and technical assistance regarding student and teacher perceptions of safety, support, and connectedness; academic challenge and engagement; and individual and peer social emotional learning. AIR’s work is both national and international and includes consultation with districts, states, federal officials, and Ministries of Education regarding how to monitor and improve conditions for learning and teaching.
Recent Reports
- Wisconsin Culturally Responsive Education for All (CREATE) Initiative - Training and Enhancement Initiative
- Texas Principal Excellence Program (TxPEP)
- Student Connection Research: Final Narrative Report to the Spencer Foundation
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Recent Projects
Content and Performance Standards in Developing Countries
In a number of projects across the developing world, AIR has contributed, in collaboration with Ministries of Education, to the definition of three types of educational standards.
- Learning standards are designed to inform stakeholders in education of specific grade-by-grade learning objectives in a particular subject area.
- Professional standards facilitate the development of a licensing system to ensure that teachers are appropriately trained, to guide trainers in determining the content of pre-service and in-service training programs, and to provide a means by which other practitioners in education can be held accountable.
- School standards allow schools to offer the appropriate range of services to students, teachers, and parents to ensure that effective learning takes place; such standards can be used as the basis for the design of an accreditation system.
Recent Reports
- Comparing Mathematics Content in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 Assessments
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Recent Projects
- Mejorando el Impacto al Desempeño Estudiantil de Honduras (MIDEH-Honduras)
- EQUIP2: Namibia Basic Education Support (BES III) Technical Support to DNEA
- Programme Haitien d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Education (PHARE) – ABE/LINK
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Recent Products
Content Knowledge Strengthening in International Schools
AIR believes that effective teacher professional training includes both strengthening teacher content knowledge in subject matter and improving teachers’ instructional methodologies. Using a country’s curriculum, which maps out the concepts and skills prescribed to achieve the country’s educational goals and objectives, AIR works with teachers to help them achieve mastery of the content knowledge so they can better deliver the concepts within their subject area.
Recent Projects
- TELL (Teach English for Life Learning) Program in Ethiopia
- Pakistan’s Revitalizing, Innovating, Strengthening Education (RISE)
- Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA)
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Recent Products
Curriculum and Instructional Systems Design in Developing Countries
AIR helps developing countries’ Ministries of Education design curricula that reflect the educational goals and objectives of each country for its citizens, usually by content focus and grade level. AIR works with stakeholders to identify their needs, design a program to develop instructional materials, provide different models and technical support, and involve the users in the development process.
Recent Projects
Education Systems Reform in Developing Countries
Bringing sustainable change to underperforming education systems requires a holistic approach. AIR works collaboratively with Ministries of Education of developing countries, development agencies, and donors to coordinate a sector-wide approach to education improvement. Our work supports effective policy dialogue and financing, and strengthens policies and systems for teacher training, school health and nutrition, literacy programs, improvement of the learning environment, and inclusive strategies for learners with disabilities. We build the capacity of education officials and institutions in developing countries to:
- improve their use of data and information for decision-making;
- enhance curriculum development and assessment;
- facilitate changes in public policy;
- increase enrollment of girls and other neglected groups and communities; and
- promote the use of technology in education.
Recent Reports
- Addressing Perception in the Delivery of Education in Conflict and Crisis
- RISE Final Program Report - July 2006 to August 2010
- School Management Committees/Parent-Teacher Councils
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Recent Projects
Recent Products
Educational Organization and Leadership
Paired with expertise in organizational and leadership theory, AIR boasts a staff that includes several former district and school leaders and works closely with several large- and mid-sized districts conducting evaluation and providing technical assistance that requires an understanding of how educational organizations and leaders work.
Recent Reports
- The Ripple Effect
- Measuring School Climate for Gauging Principal Performance
- Exploratory Study of the HOPE Foundation© Courageous Leadership Academy: Summary of Findings
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Recent Products
Evaluation of Educational Programs and Policies
AIR is a national leader in identifying and evaluating education environments and systems both locally and nationally. We help stakeholders determine which policies and practices are most effective in their schools and communities. AIR provides a range of program assessment and evaluation tasks, including: developing evaluation plans; training; technical assistance; formative research; survey design and analysis; and process and outcome evaluations.
Recent Reports
- Instruction Across the High School—College Divide (2009)
- Can Financial Aid Improve Student Success at Louisiana’s Community Colleges?
- Hawaii Race to the Top Evaluation
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Recent Projects
- ELL Policy Analysis and Related Work
- Evaluation of the Massachusetts Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners (RETELL) Initiative
- Evaluation of the TEACh Initiative
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Recent Products
Information and Communications Technology Integration for Schools in Developing Countries
AIR is an active proponent of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Integration—the use of electronic and/or digital devices to increase access to and/or improve the quality of education. Examples of AIR’s ICT integration efforts include computer- and Internet-delivered instruction; radio, MP3, or personal media players to deliver audio or video segments to teachers and learners; and Short Messaging Service (SMS) texts to cell phones with tips for teachers or homework challenges/quizzes for students after school. AIR also uses ICT tools to collect school- and student-based data to increase the speed and accuracy of vital information that stakeholders need to develop evidenced-based policies.
Recent Projects
International Comparisons in Education
AIR has extensive experience in international educational research and assessment. At one end of the spectrum, we analyze data from comparative assessments to inform research programs and to develop indicators and reports for policy makers. At the other end of the spectrum, we collaborate on behalf of the United States with other countries in the design and planning of such programs, working with outside experts to advise on policy issues at the national level, and utilizing prominent experts to provide technical assistance to the agencies engaged in the implementation of such programs.
Recent Reports
- How Massachusetts Students Compare to Hong Kong Students in Grade 3 Mathematics
- Counting on the Future
- Lessons Learned from U.S. International Science Performance
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Recent Projects
Recent Products
Program and Impact Evaluation in Developing Countries
AIR is experienced evaluating complex programs in low- and middle-income countries. We design and conduct impact evaluations of programs and policies using experimental and quasi-experimental designs. We work with donors, governments, and foundations to ensure that our studies provide them with evidence-based findings that address their programmatic and policy needs. Our partners in these evaluations are typically in-country organizations and individuals.
Recent Reports
- Child Friendly Schools Evaluation: Country Report for Nigeria
- Child Friendly Schools Evaluation: Country Report for Thailand
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Recent Projects
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that focus on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. It emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of mandatory schooling. PISA is organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries. Begun in 2000, PISA is administered every 3 years. AIR’s experts provide analytical support for U.S. participation in PISA, as well as technical consultation and management support, including expert analysis, and technical review of assessment frameworks, field test items, and reports.
Recent Reports
- Highlights from PISA 2006: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Science and Mathematics Literacy in an International Context
- Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009
- Lessons Learned from U.S. International Science Performance
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Recent Projects
Recent Products
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative study of the reading literacy of young students. PIRLS studies the reading achievement and reading behaviors and attitudes of fourth-grade students in the U.S. and students in the equivalent of fourth grade in other participating countries. AIR’s experts provide analytical support for U.S. participation in PIRLS, including consultation and management support, expert analysis, and technical review of assessment frameworks, field test items, and reports.
Recent Reports
- Teacher Strategies to Help Fourth-Graders Having Difficulty in Reading: An International Perspective
- Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009
- The Reading Literacy of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context Results From the 2001 and 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
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Recent Projects
Recent Products
Teacher Professional Development in Developing Countries
AIR helps teachers in developing countries improve their skills and content knowledge by creating and enhancing learning opportunities for them throughout their careers. We formulate policies to support teachers’ professional development and design, implement, and evaluate programs for teacher learning. AIR’s expertise extends from teachers’ pre-service training in post-secondary institutions to in-service training opportunities, including support through cluster schools and other mechanisms.
Recent Projects
Recent Products
Training in Developing Countries
Training is the vehicle used to provide technical support to the educational system. AIR delivers training through different formats including consultation, discussion, presentations, conferences, and workshops. Effective training involves the learners in exploring the issues related to the theme/topic under discussion and provides hands-on-experience and materials that participants can use to demonstrate their understanding.
Recent Projects
- Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA)
- Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative (USETI)
- Reducing Exploitive Child Labor in Mozambique (RECLAIM)
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Recent Products
Youth Employability in Developing Countries
AIR’s approach to supporting youth employability in developing countries includes conducting assessments to examine the extent to which young people are aware of existing career pathways in various sectors, identifying prospects for employment, and defining the core skills needed in the labor market. AIR then provides employability skills training programs based on the findings of the youth assessments. Such programs address the need to provide opportunities to learn basic workforce readiness skills such as punctuality, team work, and communication skills, along with specific technical job skills.
Recent Projects
Youth Empowerment in Developing Countries
Youth empowerment refers to interventions that lead to the creation of self-actualized behaviors in young people. AIR uses strategies such as youth advocacy, peer education and exchange programs, vocational schooling, distance learning programs, practical and social-skills building, and training programs for illiterate youths, which can help mobilize marginalized and vulnerable young people, including child workers. Youth empowerment allows young people to understand and assert their rights, appreciate their status and roles within their families and communities, and act as agents of change in the future development of their communities.
Recent Projects
- Nicaragua’s ENTERATE (Educando Niños Trabajadores y Erradicando Actividades y Trabajos Explotadores)
- Reducing Exploitive Child Labor in Mozambique (RECLAIM)
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Recent Products
