Education

AIR, which has been conducting scientifically rigorous evaluations since its creation in 1946, has established a new State and Local Evaluation Center that marshals the organization’s broad range of expertise and resources to support state education agencies and district offices as they decide whether to keep, revise, or end a policy or program.

The Evaluation Center brings together experts in many areas of education research to empower states and districts to address vexing issues in district and school reform, educator quality, special education, school financing, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), literacy, virtual learning, extended learning, English learning, early childhood education, and college and career readiness. The Evaluation Center’s staff:

• Helps identify and clarify research objectives so that the findings produce meaningful results.
• Uses rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodology, measurement, and analysis.
• Effectively uses extant data and efficiently collects new data.
• Produces reports that clearly communicate findings and actionable recommendations.