Areas of Expertise : Reading and Literacy
AIR Experts in Education Guide (PDF)
Adult Education
Adult Education enables adults to acquire the basic skills necessary to function in today's society so that they can benefit from the completion of secondary school, enhanced family life, attain citizenship and participate in job training and retraining programs. AIR’s adult learning work focuses on adult literacy, English language learning, and adult learning environments such as community colleges. We conduct research and provide professional development and technical assistance to state and program staff. Our team includes former teachers and practitioners, researchers, data analysts, and professional development specialists.
Recent Reports
- The Adult Education Training and Education Survey (ATES) Pilot Study
- Children’s Elementary School Outcomes After Participating in Family Literacy Programs
- Evaluation of the First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative: Final Evaluation Report
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Recent Projects
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology (AT) includes any technology item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. AIR evaluates the implementation and effectiveness of devices designed to improve functional capabilities of students with disabilities.
Recent Reports
- National Leaders Explore Technology Issues During NCTI’s 2010 Technology Conference
- The Use of Simulation for Training Teamwork Skills in Health Care
- Toward a Generalized Human Factors Taxonomy for Classifying ASAP Incident Reports, AQP Performance Ratings, and FOQA Output
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Recent Projects
At-risk Populations in the Educational Setting
AIR conducts research and evaluation on individual, school, and community interventions for students who are at risk for poor school and community outcomes. Further, AIR provides consultation and technical assistance for developing and implementing such interventions. AIR’s approaches involve promotion, prevention, early intervention, dropout prevention, and treatment. They are strength-based and child- and youth-guided or driven.
Recent Reports
- Children’s Elementary School Outcomes After Participating in Family Literacy Programs
- National Disability Policy: A Progress Report
- Texas Ninth Grade Transition and Intervention (TNGTI) Grant Program: January 2011 Evaluation Report
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Recent Projects
- New York State Curriculum Audits
- Milwaukee Public Schools Striving Readers Evaluation
- Supplemental Educational Services in Texas
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Recent Products
Classroom Instruction
Understanding and improving classroom instruction is a central component of many of AIR’s evaluation and technical assistance projects. AIR designs high- and low-inference classroom observation tools and, using highly trained observers, conducts observations in a variety of classroom settings. Data on classroom instruction are integrated into recommendations for improving schools and classrooms.
Recent Reports
- Study of Teacher Preparation in Early Reading Instruction
- Expectations and Reports of Homework for Public School Students in the First, Third, and Fifth Grades
- Impact of Two Professional Development Interventions on Early Reading Instruction and Achievement Report
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Recent Projects
- Wisconsin Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success Initiative (READS)
- Indiana Diagnostic Assessments Study
- Ohio Healthy Schools Profile System
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Recent Products
Data Analysis
Recent Reports
- The Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study
- Examining NAEP Achievement in Relation to School Testing Conditions in the 2010 Assessments
- Alternative Approaches to Setting Performance Standards for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Recent Projects
- Center for Survey Methods
- National Household Education Survey (NHES)
- Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)
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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
Evidence-Based Research in Education
AIR applies rigorous standards to the review and synthesis of research to determine what approaches to education are based on high quality evidence. Our staff help set standards for the quality of impact studies, through the What Works Clearinghouse and Doing What Works, as well as other federal, foundation, and state projects. AIR also develops tools for analyzing data across studies and manages complex reviews.
Recent Reports
- Hawaii Race to the Top Evaluation
- The Kindergarten Year
- Wisconsin Culturally Responsive Education for All (CREATE) Initiative - Training and Enhancement Initiative
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Recent Projects
- Texas Statewide 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- Wisconsin Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success Initiative (READS)
- New York State Curriculum Audits
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Recent Products
Implementation of Educational Programs and Policies
AIR evaluates the implementation of educational programs, policies, and practices, and provides recommendations to improve implementation. We also look at capacity, challenges, and strategies for scaling up model programs and practices.
Recent Reports
- Instruction Across the High School—College Divide (2009)
- Hawaii Race to the Top Evaluation
- Turnaround Schools in California: Who Are They and What Strategies Do They Use?
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Recent Projects
National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is a nationally representative assessment of English literacy among American adults age 16 and older. Sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NAAL is the nation's most comprehensive measure of adult literacy since the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS). AIR provides technical assistance and management support, including expert analysis, and technical review of assessment frameworks, field test items, and reports. We also provide technical assistance on NAAL-restricted and public use files.
Recent Reports
- The Literacy of America's College Students
- Highlights from the 2003 Maryland State Assessment of Adult Literacy
- Highlights from the 2003 Kentucky State Assessment of Adult Literacy
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Recent Projects
National Educational Longitudinal Study
AIR recently conducted a project to analyze results of two national studies—the National Longitudinal Study of No Child Left Behind (NLS-NCLB) and the Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality Under No Child Left Behind (SSI-NCLB). AIR provides support for the large-scale longitudinal surveys including data collection, design of future cohorts, and lending expertise for teaching researchers how to use large-scale databases.
Recent Projects
National Household Education Survey (NHES)
The National Household Education Survey (NHES) program provides descriptive data on the educational activities of the U.S. population. The surveys cover learning at all ages, from early childhood to school age through adulthood. AIR’s experts provide support for all aspects of the survey, including:
- developing questionnaires;
- assisting with sample design;
- assisting with disclosure review analyses;
- providing a quality review on data files;
- producing data products and reports;
- providing training staff;
- developing incentives and informational materials; and
- providing quick turnaround analysis upon request.
Reading and Literacy
AIR’s work in reading and literacy spans early childhood to adult education, and focuses on literacy in schools and the workplace. Varied methodologies include quantitative and qualitative analyses, cognitive laboratory interviews and critical incident exercises, and evidence-based technical assistance. Whether investigating teacher knowledge about beginning reading instruction, studying the effectiveness of computer-based reading interventions, or providing guidance about adolescent struggling readers, sound theoretical principles and scientifically-based evidence are AIR’s touchstones.
Recent Reports
- The Impact of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Program on Student Reading Achievement
- Evaluation of the Content Literacy Continuum: Report on Program Impacts, Program Fidelity, and Contrast
- Children’s Elementary School Outcomes After Participating in Family Literacy Programs
- View All Reports
Recent Projects
- Wisconsin Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success Initiative (READS)
- New York State Curriculum Audits
- Milwaukee Public Schools Striving Readers Evaluation
- View All Projects
Recent Products
