AIR Education Experts to Present at California Education Research Association 2011 Conference
Washington, D.C. – American Institutes for Research (AIR) researchers Rebecca Herman, Kerstin Carlson LeFloch, and Joel Knudson will present recent research on turning around chronically low-performing schools and exploring the turnaround experiences and strategies of eight California districts at the California Educational Research Association’s (CERA) 90th Annual Conference December 1-2, 2011 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.
AIR staff drew on the extant research literature regarding school turnaround efforts, emerging evidence about California’s response to School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding opportunities, and lessons from eight California school districts to explore the challenge of school turnaround. The various perspectives presented at the conference will highlight activities currently underway in the state and raise implications for policy and research moving forward.
Presentations during the December 1 session include:
School Turnaround: What Does the Research Say and What Can California Learn?
2:15-3:45pm, Columbia Room
AIR Presenter: Rebecca Herman
Description: This presentation synthesizes the most current research literature regarding turnaround efforts, identifying several practices that consistently appear in successful turnaround schools.
Baseline Analyses of SIG Applications in California and Nationwide
2:15-3:45pm, Columbia Room
AIR Presenter: Kerstin Carlson LeFloch
Description: LeFloch will share new baseline analyses from the Study of School Turnaround that examine the ways in which states are implementing SIG, including California’s allocation of $415 million.
Drawing on the Experiences of California Districts to Explore a Systemic Approach to School Turnaround
2:15-3:45pm, Columbia Room
AIR Presenter: Joel Knudson
Description: This presentation builds on Herman and LeFloch’s presentations by exploring the ways in which California school districts are approaching the challenge of reversing chronic underperformance.
The conference, entitled “Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice: Opportunities and Obstacles,” will offer over 100 conference sessions to help participants bridge the gaps among research findings, policy issues, and effective educational practices. Program strands will cover a variety of topics, including teacher effectiveness; school organization and leadership; considerations for special populations; measuring college and career readiness; use of research findings; and school improvement. More information about the conference may be found on CERA’s website, http://cera-web.org/.
About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.
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