American Institutes for Research Experts Prioritize Role of Evidence-Informed Policymaking at the 2024 APPAM Fall Research Conference

Arlington, Va. – American Institutes for Research (AIR) experts will participate in the 2024 Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Fall Research Conference, being held November 21–23 at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. Each year, AIR experts join thousands of other APPAM conference attendees to share knowledge, disseminate research findings, and discuss emerging themes across a variety of policy topics.

Aligned with this year’s conference theme, Policymaking at the Federal, State, and Local Levels, AIR sessions will emphasize the important role that research, evidence, and technical assistance play in decision making at all levels of government. Presentations include a wide range of topics such as addressing school and residential segregation; leveraging administrative data for special education policy analysis; advancing equity and innovation in job training programs; strengthening reemployment services; fostering youth thriving; offering intelligent tutoring; examining the expansion of school choice policy; and more.

AIR is a Gold Sponsor and conference attendees can visit AIR’s Exhibit Booth (322) for more information about its evidence and opportunities. Recent graduates and active job seekers are encouraged to meet AIR staff at the APPAM Career and Ph.D. Program Fair, on Friday, November 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the First Floor Ballroom, Potomac CD.

Sessions featuring AIR experts and their work are listed below (all times are EST). Sessions can also be found on the APPAM conference website using the online searchable program.
 

Thursday, November 21, 2024

8:30–10:00 a.m.

Roundtable: Emerging Solutions to School and Residential Segregation: A Cross-Sector Conversation

Location: National Harbor 11, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Organizer: Varsha Menon 
AIR Moderator: Terris Ross
AIR Speaker: Megan Sambolt


Paper: Evaluating Health Impacts of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program - Exploring the Community COVID Housing Program in Harris County: A Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-Informed Implementation Evaluation

Location: National Harbor 5, 2nd Floor (NH Conference Rooms), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Maura Shramko, Jake Sokolsky, and Kelly King


Paper: Leveraging Large Administrative Data for Special Education Policy Analysis: Recent Contributions and Future Directions - Studying Special Educator Attrition and Student Outcomes with Administrative Data

Location: National Harbor 10, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Allison Gilmour and Roddy Theobald

 

10:15–11:45 a.m.

Roundtable: Advancing Evidence, Equity, and Innovation in Job Training Programs

Location: Potomac 6, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level) Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenter: Christina Yancey


Paper: Effects of the Supply Side in Higher Education - Determining Equitable Funding Levels for California Community Colleges

Location: Camellia 2, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Jesse Levin, Tammy Kolbe, and Adam Hearn


Session: Food Policy in the United States

Potomac 5, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Chair: Melissa Scardaville

 

12:30-1:30 p.m.

Special Events, Membership & Awards Lunch: Policy Analysis and Management Under a Trump Administration 

Location: Potomac CD (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor 

AIR Speaker: Christina Yancey

 

1:45 – 3:15 p.m.

Paper: Interventions to Improve Math and Reading Skills - Cost Analysis of Kentucky Corequisite Developmental Math, a Statewide Reform

Location: Camellia 2, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Dong Hoon Lee, Jesse Levin, Zeyu Xu, and Rachel Dao

 

3:30–5:00 p.m.

Paper: Exploring the Four-Day School Week: A Comprehensive Analysis of Student Learning, Staff Dynamics, and Teacher Well-Being - Impacts of Four-Day School Weeks on Teacher Recruitment and Retention and Student Attendance: Evidence from Colorado

Location: Chesapeake 3, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Emily Morton and Emma Dewil


Panel: Labor Markets, Safety Net Programs and Self Sufficiency

Location: Chesapeake 7, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Chair: Whitney Rostad
 

Friday, November 22, 2024

10:15 – 11:45 am

Panel: Strengthening Reemployment Services through Evidence – Impact Findings from the REA Impact Evaluation and State RESEA Impact Evaluations

Location: National Harbor 8, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Organizer: Siobhan Mills de la Rosa 
AIR Chair: Christina Yancey


Panel: Fostering Opportunities for Robust Thriving and Equity: Examining City Policy and Practices to Foster Youth Thriving

Location: Camellia 3, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Organizer: Maura Shramko
AIR Chair: Amy Syvertsen 
AIR Discussant: Deborah Moroney

 

3:30–5:00 p.m.

Panel: Measurement of Poverty and Material Hardship

Location: Chesapeake 7, 1st floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Chair: Sudhanshu (Ashu) Handa


5:00–6:30 p.m.

Poster Papers: Friday Poster Reception

Location: Potomac AB, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

Saturday, November 23, 2024

8:30–10:00 am

Panel: Advances in the Understanding of Educator Labor Markets - Impacts of Paraeducator and Teacher Turnover on Student Outcomes

Location: National Harbor 14 (NH Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenter/Author: Roddy Theobald


Paper: Networks for School Improvement Evaluation - Evaluation of the Networks for School Improvement Initiative—Implementing Continuous Improvement in Schools: Interim Report

Location: Magnolia 1 (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Michael Garet, Laura Stein, Ryan Eisner, Kathleen Jones, Matthew Farmer, and Sara Mitrano


Paper: Education Accountability in the U.S.: It’s Not Just About Test Scores Anymore - The Effect of Federal and State Accountability Designations on Student Outcomes in California

Location: Chesapeake 5, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Justin Luu, Drew Atchison, and Kerstin Carlson Le Floch

 

8:30–11:45 a.m.

Workshop: Natural Language Processing for Text Analysis

Location: National Harbor 2, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Organizer: Ruhan Circi 
AIR Moderator: Burhan Ogut 
AIR Presenters/Authors: Adam Hearn, Karen Yi, and Bhashithe Abeysinghe

 

10:15–11:45 a.m.

Paper: Private School Choice Policy Expansion and Impacts on Participation, Sorting, Peers, and Tuition - The Expansion of Eligibility in Indiana’s Voucher Program and Impacts on Participation, Sorting, and Segregation

Location: Chesapeake 3, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenter/ Author: Megan Austin


Session: Policies Affecting Adolescents and Young Adults

Location: Potomac 5, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Discussant: Caitlin Dawkins


Student Research Paper: Issues in Public School Finance and Policy - The Feasibility of Collecting School Pension Data: Evaluation of Data from the Pilot School Pension Survey

Location: Potomac 4, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Lei Zhou and Emily Isenberg

 

1:45–3:15 p.m.

Paper: Declining Student Attendance in the Post-COVID Era: Consequences and Policy Responses - A Broader View of Recovery: Exploring Non-Test Student Outcomes in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Location: Potomac D, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Ian Callen, Elise Dizon-Ross, Dan Goldhaber, and Emily Morton


Paper: Adapting Teacher Licensure: Insights from Pandemic Policy Shifts - The Relationship between Pandemic-Era Teacher Licensure Modifications and Teacher Effectiveness in Multiple States

Location: National Harbor 6, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Ben Backes, James Cowan, Dan Goldhaber, Roddy Theobald


Paper: Paying for College: Are Students Leaving Money on the Table? - Filling the Gap: CalFresh Eligibility Among University of California and California Community College Students

Location: National Harbor 14, 2nd Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenter/Author: Elise Dizon-Ross

 

3:30–5:00 p.m.

Paper: Academic Recovery Interventions in the Wake of COVID-19: Implementation Strategies and Impacts on Student Achievement Growth - Impacts of Academic Recovery Interventions on Student Achievement in Esser Year 3 (2022-23): Evidence from the Road to Recovery Project

Location: Potomac C, 1st Floor (Ballroom Level), Gaylord National Harbor

AIR Presenters/Authors: Dan Goldhaber, Elise Dizon-Ross, Anna McDonald, Emily Morton, and Alejandra Salazar 
 

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., 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. AIR's work is driven by its mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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