Partnering with State Education Agencies Through the Comprehensive Center Network
The central goal of state education agencies (SEAs) is to ensure public education systems meet the complex and ever-changing needs of students. The dynamic nature of education policies often requires SEAs to adapt swiftly to new mandates, innovations, and challenges such as resource constraints, natural disasters, and complex regulatory environments.
AIR has a long history of working alongside SEAs to strengthen the systems, skills, and resources necessary for SEAs, districts, schools, and the communities they serve to thrive. We bridge policy and practice to ensure implementation reflects local needs and priorities.
AIR also ensures sustainability and lasting improvement by providing the necessary tools and resources to help education leaders achieve their goals.
Supporting States Through the Comprehensive Centers
Through the Comprehensive Center Program, the U.S. Department of Education awards discretionary grants for centers to provide capacity-building technical assistance to states, districts, and school in the design and implementation of evidence-based policies, practices, programs, and interventions that improve instruction and student achievement and outcomes.
AIR has operated Comprehensive Centers since the beginning of the program in 2005, partnering with national, state, regional, and local entities in all 50 states and the territories to provide high-quality services and resources to support the education field. Our work concentrates on high-leverage needs identified by education leaders in their respective regions.
AIR currently operates Midwest Comprehensive Center, Northeast Comprehensive Center, West Comprehensive Center, and the Strategic Funding and Finance Center.
AIR's Comprehensive Center Work
Through The Years
- 2024 – 2029
AIR leads the work of Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont), Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin), West (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah); and leads the work of the content center focused on resource allocation.
- 2019 – 2024
AIR led the work of Region 1 (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont), Region 9 (Illinois and Iowa), and supported work on Regions 3, 11, and 12.
- 2012 – 2019
AIR primed four regional centers (Great Lakes, Midwest, Southeast, Texas) and two national content centers (College and Career Readiness and Success Center, Center for Great Teachers and Leaders).
- 2005 - 2012
AIR primed two regional centers (Great Lakes East, Great Lakes West) and two national content centers (National High School Center, Teacher Quality Center).
The work of each Comprehensive Center is based on the identified needs of education policy makers, leaders, and educators. We support educators by:
- Working with our partners to identify, implement, and sustain evidence-based practices that will improve education for students and communities;
- Codesigning projects that align with state strategic plans and support existing work; and
- Highlighting opportunities for cross-state and cross-district collaboration.
Learn more about our ongoing and previous work supporting states below: