Timeline
At AIR the information we create is designed to improve lives. Through a close analysis of the evidence, we help people understand their own behavior and the ways in which that behavior can be improved – both individually and organizationally. Whether it’s in the area of education, health, assessment, international development, or workforce research, we are committed to building a better tomorrow, and always have been since our inception in 1946. The following is a list of highlights that illustrate that commitment and show the ways we use evidence to inform new ways of thinking about old – and emerging – problems.
Making Research Relevant to Our Lives
2005
AIR Teams Up With the Campbell Collaboration
AIR joins forces with the Campbell Collaboration (C2), an international non-profit organization that shares AIR’s mission of helping people make well-informed decisions about the effects of research interventions in the social, behavioral, and educational arenas. This alliance enhances AIR’s ability to establish high-quality evidence of “what works” in social and behavioral interventions and public policy, including education and social welfare.
AIR Acquires Sutton Group, Expanding Social Marketing and Health Communications Expertise
AIR’s acquisition of Sutton Group, a social marketing and communication firm, increases the organization’s ability to provide audience research for social causes, strategic planning for social change, and marketing communication, with an emphasis on health. AIR now is better positioned to meet the growing demand for social marketing within both the government and non-profit sectors.
2004
AIR Launches Major Drive For School District Reform
AIR joins forces with nationally recognized experts in education reform as part of a major push to offer school districts practical advice based on sound evidence. Some of the nation’s most innovative and results-driven former school superintendents joined the AIR education consulting practice. For more information on the consulting practice,
Advancing Education in Egypt
AIR is helping Egypt facilitate education reform by establishing effective and efficient decentralized education models and strengthening non-formal education programs. In the poorest communities of Egypt students often attend only three years of school. Just 57 percent of Egypt’s total population over the age of 15 is literate, with less than half of Egypt’s women being able to read and write. With help from AIR, Egypt has begun to change things for the better.
AIR and New American Schools Merge
AIR announces its merger with New American Schools (NAS), creating a relationship between one of the nation’s premier education research organizations and a proven school improvement organization. NAS, an education nonprofit best known for establishing a comprehensive approach to school reform more than a decade ago, provides AIR with valuable resources for building a powerful K-12 consulting practice.
AIR Acquires The McKenzie Group, Inc.
AIR acquires The McKenzie Group, Inc., a nationally recognized education consulting firm specializing in urban reform, in a move to better serve the needs of urban school districts seeking systemic reform. The acquisition supports AIR’s efforts to work with school districts to apply the best results that science has to offer, and enhances AIR’s position as a key player in the school reform movement.
2003
AIR Identifies Digital Gap Between Students and Their Teachers
Internet-savvy students rely on the internet both for school and personal use but view their teachers as either unwilling or unable to support high-level student use of the internet according to an AIR study. The report included student recommendations for how teachers could enhance their skills and better integrate technology into their classes. The report became widely used in school strategic planning initiatives and within teacher preparation programs.
2002
AIR Plays Role in Preparing Nation in the Event of Bioterrorism
In the aftermath of the events of September 11, improving the way federal, state, and local health officials communicate with the public about such events has become of great importance. AIR was selected to develop a crisis communication training program for federal, state, and local staff with responsibility for public health communications during a biological or chemical terrorist attack.
AIR Administers the What Works Clearinghouse
Established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) produces high-quality reviews of scientific evidence of the effectiveness of educational programs, practices, products, and policies. Administered jointly by AIR and the Campbell Collaboration, the WWC applies standards for reviewing and synthesizing research in topic areas that matter most to education and policymakers.
2001
Sol H. Pelavin Becomes President and CEO of AIR
AIR’s Board of Directors named Sol H. Pelavin the organization’s fifth president and chief executive officer, after serving as AIR’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since 1994. Pelavin became a senior executive at AIR when the firm he founded, Pelavin Associates, a leading education research organization, was acquired by AIR. To learn more about Sol H. Pelavin and his career as an education researcher and policy analyst, go here.
AIR Works to Improve Quality of Life Among Elderly by Focusing on Nursing Home Care
With the dramatic increase in the number of elderly citizens projected to occur in the next twenty years, the issues of aging and long-term care are assuming increasing prominence in the national dialogue. AIR was selected by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to participate in two important initiatives directed at improving the quality of nursing home care by strengthening the inspections process and refining guidelines used to determine the severity of nursing home deficiencies so that appropriate remedies can be applied.
Improving Health; Shaping Healthy Behavior
2000
AIR Announces Acquisition of Prospect Associates, an Award-Winning Health Research and Communications Firm
AIR’s acquisition of Prospect Associates significantly strengthened AIR’s ability to address public health challenges through communication, research, information technology, knowledge management, social marketing, training and technical assistance, and consensus development.
AIR Evaluates Nation’s Largest Program Designed to Strengthen High-Poverty Schools
AIR launched an in-depth look at practices in Title I designed to improve high-poverty schools in order to ascertain their impact on teaching practice and student achievement. This groundbreaking study collected data in scores of schools, forming the core of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Title I.
1999
AIR Helps California Evaluate Class Size Reduction
Amid growing discussion of class size reduction as a tool for education reform, AIR — and the RAND Corporation as co-leader — in June 1999 reported small achievement gains for California’s third-grade students, relative to students in larger classes. The gains were made regardless of student ethnicity, income status, or English language ability. At the same time, the study showed state funds did not cover many school districts’ costs for creating smaller classes.
1998
AIR Develops Voluntary National Tests in Reading and Mathematics
AIR, with six partners, won a contract to develop voluntary national tests of reading at the fourth-grade level and math at the eighth-grade level. Scores on these standardized tests will link student performance to achievement levels used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. AIR is developing test items, scoring rubrics, and evaluating some of the test items with students in cognitive labs.
1997
AIR Celebrates a Half-Century of Research
AIR celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with a two-day conference reviewing its accomplishments and preparing for the challenges and opportunities of the next millennium. The conference's events were divided into four sessions: Work, Education, Quality of Life, and Improving AIR's Performance. Participants included distinguished academics, corporate executives, leaders of other research organizations, and government officials.
Strengthening Education and Healthy Development at Home and Around the World
1996
AIR Joins with the Institute for International Research to Strengthen its Global Focus
AIR merged with the Institute for International Research (IIR), based in Arlington, VA. The IIR was well known for its international work in the fields of education, communication, the environment, and human resource development.
1995
AIR Establishes ESSI
Leading a consortium of 12 organizations, AIR established the Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI) to support the programs of the National Center for Education Statistics. The Institute operates as an independent site within AIR, with its own full-time staff and facilities.
1994
AIR's Acquisition of Pelavin Associates Adds to the Organization's Expertise and Resources
AIR's acquisition of Pelavin Associates, one of the nation's foremost consulting and research firms, resulted in a significant expansion of AIR's work in the fields of education and human development. AIR now has an unmatched capacity to address issues in the fields of program evaluation, international education, adult education, child development, education finance, and research on the specially challenged.
1990
A Study for the FDA Leads to Nationwide Changes in Blood Donor Screening
In a project sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration, AIR developed print and video materials to communicate information about AIDS more effectively to prospective blood donors. The results of the study, which also included updated procedures and interview protocols to encourage self-exclusion for those at risk of AIDS, led to nationwide changes in donor screening practices.
AIR Completes the Largest Personnel Evaluation in the History of the U.S. Army
AIR played a central role in Project A, the largest personnel evaluation in the history of the U.S. Army. Over a period of nine years, AIR researchers tracked the careers of more than 3 million Army personnel. Analysis of the collected data greatly improved the selection, classification, and utilization of Army personnel.
1988
AIR’s Founder, John C. Flanagan, Retires
AIR's founder, Dr. John C. Flanagan, retired as Chairman of the Board after a distinguished 60-year career in psychology and education. Dr. Flanagan, who was 82 years old at the time of his retirement, had served as AIR's President until 1966. He is best known for his work with the Aviation Psychology Program in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, and for his many contributions to the field of applied psychology, including the critical incident technique.
1987
David A. Goslin Becomes President and CEO of AIR
David A. Goslin succeeded Paul A. Schwarz as AIR’s president and chief executive officer. During Goslin’s tenure he guided the expanding scope of AIR’s research expertise – particularly in the areas of education, international research, and health – through acquisitions of such organizations as Pelavin Associates, the Institute for International Research, and Prospect Associates.
Creating New Paradigms, Debunking Outdated Modes of Thought
1986
AIR's Specialized Wheelchair Design Improves Aircraft Accessibility
AIR emerged as one of the leading organizations working to improve the accessibility of air travel for people with disabilities. In a project sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration, AIR developed the federal advisory standard on aircraft boarding chair design, and patented a specialized wheelchair for use in the narrow spaces of commuter aircraft.
1985
Project SISCOM Increases Girls' Comfort with Computer Technology
AIR's Center for Educational Equity launched a pioneering effort in computer instruction called SISters Using COMputers, or SISCOM. The program paired youngsters with older partners and encouraged them to learn together and from each other. The goal of the program was to reduce inadvertent discrimination by offering girls the opportunity to become familiar with computer technology in a relaxed environment.
AIR Builds One of the First Usability-Testing Laboratories In the Country
AIR established the first of its usability testing laboratories in Washington, DC. Today, AIR has state-of-the-art testing facilities in Palo Alto, CA, and Concord, MA, where specialists study the behavior of typical users as they interact with instruction manuals, software programs, Web sites, and consumer products. AIR's usability testing has saved companies millions of dollars in design, marketing, and customer service costs by identifying problems before products are released.
Designing Systems for Fair and Equal Access to Opportunities and Advancement
1981
AIR Establishes the Employment Equity Program
AIR's work on a gender discrimination case for the U.S. military led to the formation of its Employment Equity Program. Since the Program's formation, AIR researchers have worked with attorneys and human resource managers to identify inequities in personnel decisions based on gender, race, age, or handicapped status. AIR has applied its considerable expertise in the area of employment discrimination to support both plaintiffs and defendants in a series of complex class action suits.
1979
The Gerontological Research Institute Promotes Effective Use of Research on Aging
AIR established the Gerontological Research Institute under a cooperative agreement with the Administration on Aging. The Institute set research agendas, gathered and synthesized research on aging, and developed recommendations for public policy based on its analysis of current data. Each year, the Institute focused on a certain aspect of aging; in its first year, it examined long-term care of the elderly.
1977
AIR Begins Studies to Improve Asthma Treatment
Under a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, AIR began work on the first of a series of programs to teach children and adults with asthma the skills necessary for effective participation in their own care. Over the years these programs included Wee Wheezers, an educational program for young children with asthma; the Fresno Asthma Project, designed to reduce the high mortality rate from asthma in Fresno County, CA; and Breathe Easier, an asthma education program for adults.
1976
AIR's Research Contributes to the Effectiveness of Anti-Delinquency Programs
In its fourth decade, AIR emerged as a leader in the research and evaluation of domestic social programs. Beginning in 1976, AIR conducted a series of studies on juvenile delinquency for the new Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. AIR's research sometimes contradicted popular assumptions about the causes of juvenile delinquency and recidivism, and contributed to the formation of public policy.
1974
An Experimental Program Improves Student Test Scores in Southeast Asia
Despite substantial education budgets, the countries of Southeast Asia were seeing fewer than half of school-age children complete primary school in the mid-1970s. With the help of AIR resident advisors, the Regional Center for Education Innovation and Technology began an experiment in low-cost primary education in Indonesia and the Philippines. The resulting cooperative system reduced costs by involving parents, older students, and community members in the educational process.
1973
Paul A. Schwarz Becomes President and CEO of AIR
Paul A. Schwarz was installed as president and CEO, positions he would hold for 14 years. He had been director of AIR’s measurement and evaluation program, as well as the international division, and the Asia-Pacific office in Bangkok. Under his leadership, AIR developed major new initiatives in health care research, usability engineering, and information design.
Supporting Civil Societies and Improving Access to Economic Opportunity
1968
AIR Participates in a Massive Rural Development Effort in Thailand
In a five-year project, AIR studied Thai rural development programs - building roads, drilling wells, diversifying crops, and developing agricultural cooperatives - and measured their impact on the stability of traditional villages in an insurgent environment. The project constructed a reliable index of local investment behavior as an indication of successful development and broke new ground by focusing on long-term outcomes.
1967
Project PLAN Illustrates the Benefits of Individualized Education for Schoolchildren
Continuing to pioneer new approaches to education, AIR collaborated with teachers and the Westinghouse Learning Corporation to develop project PLAN (Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs), an ambitious attempt to reform educational curricula on a national scale. Project PLAN focused on individualizing education and demonstrated how computers could contribute to learning and instruction.
1966
AIR Shortens and Improves First Aid Course
In its third decade, AIR began to play a leading role in the development of new approaches to education and training. A first aid course developed for AT&T was one of AIR's early successes. Using sophisticated educational technology and programming that minimized content, a standard one-week course was reduced to one working day, while the average score of the participants rose markedly. AT&T and the American Red Cross adopted the course as their standard.
Accelerating Human Performance, Supporting Individual Potential
1963
AIR Develops Aptitude Tests for Developing Nations
To help meet Africa's growing need for skilled workers, AIR developed a set of 21 scholastic and vocational tests to classify Nigerian students for entry into secondary, technical or alternative schools. Students selected showed dramatic improvements in performance in training and professional programs. With similar tests, AIR then assisted other developing nations, including Liberia, Ghana, Mali, Brazil, and Korea.
1961
AIR Prepares Training Manuals and Develops Criteria for Selecting Peace Corps Volunteers
Beginning in 1961, AIR conducted studies for the Peace Corps to define the critical requirements for effective performance and to improve the process of matching volunteers to specific assignments. AIR subsequently evaluated the impact of the volunteer program and prepared training manuals, including “Working Effectively Overseas” based on an extensive study of American behavior abroad.
Providing the Information Needed to Build Better Lives
1957
AIR Begins Ambitious Project TALENT Program
AIR began the first of several phases of Project TALENT, which identified ways to encourage high school students to develop and use their potential talents. AIR measured the aptitudes and interests of a national sample of 440,000 students and conducted follow-up surveys one, five, and 11 years after they graduated. The database became a national resource for improving education through vocational guidance and curriculum development.
SCORES Test Improves Selection and Placement
AIR began to develop a method of classification to improve the selection and placement of higher level personnel, such as engineers, scientists, salespeople, and administrators. The classification system measured abilities of Supervision, Creativity, Organization, Research, Engineering, and Sales ability (SCORES). The SCORES test drew on AIR's pioneering evaluation techniques to make the most effective use of individual aptitudes and skills.
1956
AIR Studies Improve Highway Safety
AIR began an extensive program of research on highway safety. The initial studies, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, analyzed driver behaviors and other factors responsible for highway accidents. The results of AIR's research were used to improve vehicle and highway design and to develop new guidelines for driver training.
A Legacy of Blazing Trails in The Behavioral Sciences
1954
AIR Founder Develops The Critical Incident Technique
John Flanagan developed the critical incident technique (CIT), a method of identifying behaviors (critical incidents) that contribute to the success or failure of a human activity. The critical incident technique is still one of the most widely used methods in the behavioral sciences; the 1979 Annual Review of Psychology called CIT one of the "most important personnel selection milestones of the past 60 years."
1946
The American Institutes for Research (AIR) Incorporates
AIR incorporates as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study of human resources and their effective use.
AIR's First Project Preceded the Organization's Formal Incorporation
At the request of a commercial airline, John Flanagan adapted tests he developed during World War II to screen airline pilots based on predicted performance. The resulting selection process raised the quality of pilots and has been applied by many airlines in the U.S. and abroad.