AIR Experts to Present at the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management Fall Research Conference
Arlington, Va. – Experts from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will present at several sessions during the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Fall Research Conference. The conference will be held November 5-7, 2026, at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston.
Built around the theme, "Fifty States, Fifty Systems: State Policy Variations and Impacts," the conference will bring together education researchers, policy leaders, and practitioners from across the nation to explore emerging state policy challenges and the evidence needed to drive effective solutions. AIR experts will present research on career and technical education, adapting apprenticeship programs across service settings, improving outcomes for English learners, and evaluating gun violence interventions.
AIR is a Gold Conference Sponsor and will have a booth available in the Exhibitor Hall. On Friday, November 6 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET, AIR will also have a table available at the APPAM Career & PhD Program Fair, which will be held in the Gloucester Meeting Room. Sessions featuring AIR experts and their work are listed below (all times are Eastern Time). Learn more about all conference presentations and activities on the conference website.
Thursday, November 5
1:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Career and Technical Education and Work-based Learning: A Meta-analysis and Current Research in Three States
Location: 3rd Floor, Room: Arlington
AIR Chair: Kelly Reese
AIR Presenter: Kristin Kelley
Friday, November 6
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Roundtable Discussion: Opportunities and Challenges for Implementing and Evaluating Gun Violence Interventions Across State and Community Contexts
Location: First Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Tremont
AIR Presenters: Candace Hester and Bryant Crubaugh
Roundtable Discussion: Has the Scholar-Ship Already Sailed: Preparing leaders and researchers for the Education Freedom Tax Credit
Location: Wellesley Room
AIR Presenters: Christopher Brooks, Stephanie Levin, and Susan Therriault
Panel Session: Methods, AI Tools, and Measurement
Location: Fourth Floor, Room: Yarmouth
Paper: Assigning Proposals to Experts: Comparing Semantic Ranking and Local LLMs
AIR Presenter: Ruhan Circi
Paper: A Human-in-the-Loop LLM-Assisted Framework for Interview Analysis
AIR Presenter: Burhan Ogut
Panel Session: Contexts, Policies, and Outcomes for English Learners
Location: Third Floor, Room: Arlington
AIR Co-Author: Preeya Mbekeani
Panel Discussion: Supporting Access to Quality Child Care: Subsidy Policy, Providers, and Underserved Families
Location: Fourth Floor, Salon B
Paper: Child Care Subsidy Rates and the Sustainability of the Child Care Market
AIR Presenter/Author: Amanda Danks
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Panel Discussion: Does AI Deliver? Evidence from Training Programs, the Workforce, and Career Pathways
Location: First Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Boylston
AIR Presenters: Samia Amin and Jaiden Samatha Butler
1:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice Decision-Making: Sentencing, Courts, and Policy Design
Location: First Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Columbus
AIR Presenter: Candace Hester
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Friday Poster Reception
Location: Salon EFG
Evaluation of the Texas Dual Language Project
AIR Presenter/Author: Ryan Eisner
The Benefit-Cost of Inclusion: Evidence from a Cross-State Evaluation of a Special Olympics Schoolwide Program
AIR Presenter/Author: Rachel Feldman
Saturday, November 7
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Panel Discussion: AI, Equity, Ethics, and Inclusion
Location: Third Floor, Room: Suffolk
Paper: Operationalizing Transparency in AI Systems: A System Level and Multidimensional Policy Framework
AIR Presenter/Author: Ruhan Circi
12:45 – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday Poster Luncheon
Location: Salon EFG
School Mobility and Educational Outcomes for Students in Foster Care: A Longitudinal Analysis;
AIR Presenter/Author: Katherine Canniff
What Does Alternative Response Really Cost—and Who Needs the Numbers?
AIR Presenter/Author: Amanda Danks
1:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Context Matters: Opportunities and Lessons from Adapting and Scaling Apprenticeships Across Service Environments
Location: First Floor, Lobby Level, Room: Boylston
AIR Presenters: Christina Yancey and Siobhan Mills De La Rosa
About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and the workforce. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.