Provides research, evaluation, consulting, and technical assistance services that contribute to the lifelong process of learning and improving personal performance.

Produces and disseminates information to provide motivation and tools to enable individuals to make informed decisions about health issues.

Develops and implements education testing programs that benefit students, parents and public officals.

Works with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the government's primary source for collecting and analyzing data about public education.

Helps to provide all children with access to a quality education, and empowers people, organizations, and communities to bring about social change.

Is committed to helping clients improve the effectiveness of their workforce through a wide range of management, organizational, and business improvement efforts.

Produces, maintains and disseminates systematic reviews of the effects of social and behavioral interventions.

Bea Birman, Ph.D.

Managing Research Scientist

Dr. Bea Birman is currently a Managing Research Scientist in the Education Program at AIR. In this role, her responsibilities include guiding the design, management, and conduct of research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects covering a wide range of education issues. Her areas of expertise include federal education policy, programs for students placed at risk, education reform, professional development of teachers, and science, mathematics and technology education.

Dr. Birman is currently serving as Principal Investigator for the Evaluation of the San Diego Blueprint , a project that is g uiding data collection, analysis, and preparation of reports on a school reform effort that is the focus of national attention from policy makers and the research community. She also currently serves as Senior Advisor to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), where she assists in the development of methods for reviewing evidence for the effectiveness of education programs, policies, and practices, including the development of standards, selection of topics for WWC review, and communication with key stakeholders. In addition, in her role as Co-Principal Investigator of theLongitudinal Study of the Effects of Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) Professional Development on Improving Mathematics and Science Instruction, she helped to guide the design, development of instruments, and data collection procedures to study the effects of features of professional development on teaching practice and student achievement.

Dr. Birman received her Ph.D. in the Sociology of Education, and two M.A.s in Sociology and Counseling Psychology, all from Stanford University.