Just like physical health, mental health is crucial to everyone’s well-being. For Mental Health Awareness Month, five AIR experts reflected on three of the biggest trends and shifts they’ve observed from their collective years in the field.
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Stories from the Field
Stories and commentary on AIR's mission in action, from our researchers and practitioners and from those who are touched by our work.
"To conduct and apply the best research and evaluation towards improving people's lives..."
The Chinle Unified School District faced both leadership challenges and teacher retention problems prior to the 2016-2017 school year. In fall 2017, AIR began providing competency-based turnaround leadership coaching, focusing on the patterns of thinking, feeling, acting, or speaking that cause a principal to be successful.
Research tells us that cultivating a culture where students feel safe, engaged, and ready to learn is an important factor in their success both inside and outside the classroom. Learn how the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has made notable progress in building this capacity, spurred in part by a tragedy that has become all too common.
Like many other states, Tennessee is facing an opioid epidemic. As part of their Prevention for States activities, the Tennessee Department of Health chose to host three community summits and engaged AIR to serve as a facilitator for these workshops in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis in April 2018.
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The lack of easy data sharing between K–12 systems and teacher preparation may be costly, in terms of the quality of instruction by new teachers. In this report from the field, Jenny DeMonte describes the efforts of some states to actively share data.
With 100,000 English learners spread across more than 2,500 schools and more than 130 charter schools in 115 school districts, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction needed to ensure that teachers of ELs received the latest professional development available. State officials instead relied on a select group of teachers to train other educators within their regions. This support network of teacher-trainers delivered professional development locally, increasing the Department’s capacity to reach schools and students throughout the state.
Decades of research have shown the harmful effects of poverty on student performance. Title I schools in Texas face particular challenges, including high rates of students living in poverty, high student mobility, and large proportions of English learners. Working closely with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Comprehensive Center set out to answer this question and share lessons learned to benefit students throughout the state.
Statewide suspension rates in Michigan were high, and discipline policies in many schools were in direct conflict with its priority of reducing barriers to learning. With support from the Great Lakes Comprehensive Center, the Michigan Department of Education formed the Michigan School Discipline Task Force in 2013, to develop a model policy on reducing suspensions and expulsions using alternative discipline strategies; a revised model student code of conduct; and an online toolkit for schools and districts on how to implement the new policy and code.
Through AIR's work with the USAID's Quality Reading Project in Tajikistan, local fourth-grade teacher Guljahon Rahmonova received specialized in-service training. Read about her experiences in her own words.
More than nine million individuals are released from correctional facilities annually, and the transition home is not always easy. Many face numerous obstacles including poverty, drug abuse, family dysfunction, and lack of access to services and treatment. Failure to reconnect can mean that many end up back in prison: 68 percent of those released are incarcerated again within five years. AIR expert Roger Jarjoura shares his insights on how education can play a role in helping ex-offenders stay out of the justice system.
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In recent years, there has been an increased interest in dual-language programs, in which students receive instruction in both English and a partner language to help them acquire both. In this video, Diane August explains the benefits of dual language programs and some of the challenges to implementing them.
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On the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2015, AIR experts reflected on an era of research on the classroom and the workplace, their personal stories, and the future.
To stay current on the most effective strategies for school improvement, Catherine Barbour keeps a close eye on new research. At AIR, researchers and technical assistance providers collaborate to put the most authoritative and timely information to practical use.
How can we curtail extreme poverty? It’s a question weighing on governments around the world. In the Republic of Zambia, the answer is one household at a time. The Child Grant program supported the country's lowest-income households and demonstrated a number of successes after three years, including increased food consumption and reduction of family debt.
What happens when a public school district partners with a team of experts deeply experienced in local and state program evaluation and just as committed as the district to school reform? In AIR, Denver Public Schools found a team of experts who empowered their leaders to address some of the toughest issues in education reform.
Instructional coaching can promote more effective and engaging learning in the classroom. In this video, Kirk Walters, AIR principal researcher and instructional math coach, shows how to support teachers and help students learn critical math skills-and why it’s important to teach students not only how to do mathematical procedures but also to understand the concepts behind them.
For managing researcher Dahlia Shaewitz, growing up a hearing person in a deaf household was a sometimes peculiar experience. She discusses her experiences and the impact of the ADA on technology for the deaf and hard of hearing. As part of our series on the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2015, AIR experts reflect on an era of research in the classroom and the workplace, their stories, and the future.
What's 9 + 8? Simple, right? If only school improvement were so easy. It's not. Neither is helping mathematics teachers in struggling schools move beyond drilling for right answers. But Steve Leinwand, math specialist at AIR, says supporting teachers as they work to create classroom conversations around, for example, why and how 9 + 8 equals 17, is a critical part of strengthening instruction. "That's what builds understanding in classrooms," Leinwand says.
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In this video, Mandy David, a certified physician assistant and senior communications specialist at AIR, talks about issues that adult sickle cell patients face as she evaluates and treats them at the Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Center for Adults.
She Looks Back features compelling first-hand accounts of what life is like for girls in post-conflict Liberia who are struggling to better their lives. AIR is partnering with local organizations to increase educational opportunities for girls in Liberia.
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