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7 May 2018
Blog Post

Tracking Teacher Effectiveness Gaps Between Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools

Are teachers working in charter schools more effective in improving student outcomes compared to teachers working in traditional public schools? In this blog post, Umut Özek, a principal researcher at AIR, describes a new study in which he and his fellow authors examined the disparities in teacher effectiveness between charter schools and traditional public schools in Florida.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Charter Schools and School Choice, Teacher Preparation and Performance
19 Dec 2017
Blog Post

What Happens When Educators Get More Feedback? In This Study, Student Math Scores Improved.

A study released today by AIR and the Institute of Education Sciences shows that even small amounts of the right kind of feedback to teachers and principals can have an effect on student achievement in math. As Andrew Wayne explains in this blog post, the findings are important for states and districts looking for ways to boost educator effectiveness.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Principal Preparation and Performance, Teacher Preparation and Performance
25 Sep 2017
Blog Post

Helping Courts Guide Young Lives Back on Track

As communities across the country mark National Recovery Month, Roger Jarjoura explains why recovery can be particularly challenging for youth, and how the juvenile justice system must address their specific needs.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Juvenile Justice, Substance Use Disorders
5 Jun 2017
Blog Post

Five Things We Can Learn from Pre-K in Other Countries

Which programs and policies can we adopt from other countries to increase access to preschool programs in the U.S.?
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, District and School Improvement, Early Childhood, Early Childhood and Child Development
22 May 2017
Blog Post

Teacher Shortages: Top 10 Ideas from the First State ESSA Plans

How are states going to tackle teacher shortages – and keep their great teachers? Ellen Sherratt analyzed 10 strategies from states’ new ESSA plans.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Professional Development in Education
11 May 2017
Blog Post

Did School Improvement Grants Work Anywhere?

A rigorous 2017 study found no significant effect of the $7 billion federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program on student outcomes. But the story of SIG is far more complex. In this blog post, Kerstin Carlson Le Floch unpacks the story of SIG, highlighting instances in which program elements worked, and posing important questions about school improvement.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, District and School Improvement, High School Improvement
4 May 2017
Blog Post

Alternative Teacher Certification: Does It Work?

There is a growing evidence base on the effectiveness of selective alternative certification programs like Teach for America and TNTP. In this blog post, Hans Bos and Dean Gerdeman draw on a recent AIR report to examine how teachers who receive credentials through TNTP’s alternative certification program compare to their counterparts with more traditional credentials.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Teacher Preparation and Performance
2 May 2017
Blog Post

What Will It Take to Meet New Mandate for Students with Disabilities?

In the more than 40 years since the IDEA was passed, educational outcomes for students with disabilities have improved, but large achievement gaps remain between students with and without disabilities. In this blog post, Allison Gandhi and Louis Danielson explore how states can ensure that students with disabilities receive meaningful educational benefits, as guaranteed by IDEA—and now required by a Supreme Court decision.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Special Education, Teacher Preparation and Performance
6 Apr 2017
Blog Post

How Can We Slow Down Prison’s Revolving Door?

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) reports that 94 percent of prisoners have at most a high school education—and 30 percent of those who previously attended high school did not earn a diploma. Yet, access to in-prison education and work experience are associated with a reduction in the likelihood of recidivism and provide inmates with a critical element on the path to reshape their personal identities. Could offering prisoners more education and work experience inside prison be a key solution to mass incarceration in the U.S.?
Topic: 
Higher Education and Career Readiness, College and Career Readiness, Higher Education
24 Feb 2017
Blog Post

What's the Research Behind Head Start's New Rules?

It’s been 40 years since performance standards were substantially revised for Head Start. The newly Revised Head Start Rules were approved and released last September. They include four major changes: increased duration, expanded access, special supports for vulnerable populations, and improved supports for teachers. In this blog post, Eboni Howard offers a run-down on the evidence-base for these new rules.
Topic: 
Early Childhood, Early Childhood and Child Development