Former U.S. Department of Education Official Louis Danielson Joins the American Institutes for Research
Washington, D.C. – Dr. Louis Danielson, who has been director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Research to Practice Division in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) since 1993, has joined the American Institutes for Research (AIR) as a managing director. He will focus on special education policy and evaluation.
“We are delighted that Lou, a nationally-recognized leader in the field of special education, is joining AIR’s work to strengthen and expand the role of research in shaping special education policy and practice,” said Dr. David Myers, senior vice president and director of AIR’s Education, Human Development and the Workplace division.
Dr. Danielson has been responsible for leading national programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA), including the Technical Assistance and Dissemination Program (TA), the Personnel Preparation Program, the Technology Program, the State Improvement Grant Program, the Parent Training and Information Center Program and the Technical Assistance on State Data Program.
He also served as the U.S. Representative on the Special Needs Education workgroup of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which has been developing and implementing a set of international indicators for evaluating outcomes of schooling for students with disabilities.
Dr. Danielson has held a variety of key research and policy positions in the Department of Education during a government career that began in 1976. Prior to joining the department, he served as a secondary school science and mathematics teacher in Jamestown, N.Y., and a school psychologist in Edinboro, Pa., and Philipsburg, Pa.
He earned a doctorate of philosophy in educational psychology from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Danielson is a frequent contributor to professional journals and often gives presentations at national and international conferences and events focusing on special education.
About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is an independent, nonpartisan not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research on important social issues and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity.
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