The Illinois Center for School Improvement (Illinois CSI) at American Institutes for Research presents the video series The Illinois CSI Effect: Leading the Way to Continuous Improvement. The videos in this series highlight the stories of five rural and urban Illinois districts, providing a sample of the positive changes happening across the state as a result of the multiyear partnership at the district, school, and classroom levels.

Patient-reported outcomes measure patients’ direct experiences of their health condition and health care. San Keller explains the value of such outcomes in promoting public health and improving the quality of health care.

Transitional kindergarten is a universal, age-based early childhood program in California that is intended to prepare five-year-olds for kindergarten. Karen Manship explains how student outcomes compare between those who attend transitional kindergarten and those who do not and how the program helps ensure children receive a strong start to their educational careers.

School climate reflects how members of a school community experience their environment. Greta Colombi discusses how to identify and measure the many factors that affect conditions for learning and her work to improve school climate through the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Response to intervention (RTI) is a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavioral problems. Dia Jackson describes the importance of implementing RTI with fidelity and how she provides coaching and professional development to schools so that they see gains in student achievement.

High-quality early care and education (ECE) provides an important foundation for young children’s success in school and in life. Yet fewer than two of three U.S. children are enrolled in center-based ECE programs. Gabriele Fain examines ECE internationally and the factors that may contribute to the high rate of participation in many European countries.

Interventions and protections for employees with cancer have increased as their numbers in the workforce have grown. Kathleen Murphy talks about how employees with cancer can access different interventions and protections, such as those in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The achievement gap, which refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students, is a pressing issue facing K-12 education. AIR is supporting states to close academic achievement gaps through strategies including alternative school discipline policies, GIS mapping, improved early childhood education, and culturally responsive instruction. In this video, the four directors of the federally funded regional Comprehensive Centers discuss promising approaches in Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Texas.

Family engagement seeks better outcomes for children and families by actively involving them in the different systems that serve them. Lacy Wood and Rebecca Ornelas discuss how family engagement may improve both academic outcomes and mental health for children.

What does social and emotional learning look like in practice? Specifically, what can district and school leaders do to promote it? In this 75-minute webinar, co-hosted by AIR, American Youth Policy Forum, the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, and the Washoe County School District, audiences heard from a panel of researchers and practitioners on ways in which districts and school leaders have implemented a coordinated and purposeful SEL effort.