24 Feb 2021
Spotlight

RISE Webinar Series

The Research on International Studies in Education (RISE) Webinar Series, organized by AIR, showcases research using data from international studies and promotes sharing and discussion about how data-based evidence can be used for improving educational outcomes.

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Upcoming Webinars │ Past Webinars


Upcoming Webinars

Stay tuned! The RISE Webinar Series will be hosting another webinar soon. To receive updates on future webinars, please write the RISE team at RISE@air.org to be added to our subscription list.

Past Webinars
24 February 2020
Event

What Do TIMSS and NAEP Tell Us About Gaps Between High- and Low-Performing 4th and 8th Graders?

On February 24, 2021, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the differences in scores (or “score gaps”) between high-performing and low-performing students using Grade 4 and Grade 8 results from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). For this webinar, high-performing students are those who scored in the 90th percentile (or top 10 percent), and low-performing students are those who scored in the 10th percentile (or bottom 10 percent). These data provide insights regarding equity within the U.S. and other education systems and can help inform important education policy discussions that aim to address performance gaps. 

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

26 August 2020
Event

PIAAC Skills Map: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice

Adult Skills in Literacy and Numeracy at the State and County Levels

On August 26, 2020, AIR hosted a demonstration of the U.S. PIAAC Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy, a new interactive data tool recently released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The discussion covered the potential uses of the data from a policy and research perspective, which relates to the workforce, adult basic education, and training. The Skills Map provides easy access to new information about the literacy and numeracy proficiency of adults ages 16-74 in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all 3,141 counties across the United States as well as the ability to view side-by-side comparisons of performance for individual states and counties.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

29 January 2020
Event

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How Do College Completion Rates and Financial Aid Differ Around the World?

On January 29, 2020, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on how college completion rates and financial aid differ around the world.

This webinar highlighted findings related to the following questions:

  • What percentage of U.S. students graduate tertiary education, on-time and 6 years after they enrolled, and how do these rates compare to other OECD countries?
  • How do completion rates vary by parents’ educational attainment and immigration status in the U.S. and OECD countries?
  • Where are U.S. students after their first year of study, and how does this compare to other countries?
  • How does the average in-state public tuition fee in the U.S. compare to other OECD countries? How does financial support for students vary?
  • What is the average amount of debt student’s have at the end of their tertiary education in OECD countries and what types of repayment systems do countries have?

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

13 November 2019
Event

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Student Misconceptions and Errors in Physics and Mathematics: Exploring Data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced

On November 13th, 2019, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion of a recent study about students’ misconceptions and errors in physics and mathematics conducted for the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Research for Education Series. The study used 20 years of data (1995-2015) from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and TIMSS Advanced assessments to examine patterns of student misconceptions and errors in one physics topic (gravity) and one mathematics topic (linear equations) in five countries (Italy, Norway, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the United States) across three grade levels (4, 8, and 12). Trend items administered in multiple assessment cycles were used to explore how the frequency of misconceptions and errors changed over time.  

For more information including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

27 March 2019
Event

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Socioeconomic Inequality and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from Twenty Years of TIMSS

On March 27th, 2019, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the examination of socioeconomic inequality and educational outcomes using evidence from twenty years of data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Although the association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and student achievement has been thoroughly investigated in previous research, the extent of change in that association in individual education systems over time is less well known. Improving achievement among their disadvantaged students and narrowing the achievement gaps between students of low- and high-SES backgrounds is a common policy goal for many education systems. However, the lack of quantifiable measures, especially those that are easy to understand, makes it difficult to track and assess the effect of such efforts. Twenty years of TIMSS data, from 1995 to 2015, was used to examine whether the inequality of educational outcomes due to SES has changed for education systems over time and to investigate the extent to which disadvantaged students improved their academic performance over time. Education systems in thirteen countries, including the United States, were studied.

For more information including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

6 February 2019
Event

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Exploring the Experiences and Skills of Young Adults in the United States

On February 6th, 2019, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) hosted two presentations on the experiences and skills of young adults in the United States:

The first presentation focused on the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), which is the fourth in a series of secondary longitudinal studies conducted by NCES since the 1970s to study young adult progression through high school and into young adulthood, with data on outcomes such as postsecondary education and early careers. 

The second presentation used data from the OECD’s Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to discuss skills of U.S. young adults (those 16-34 at the time of the data collection) and draws on two reports written for the ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education. A brief introduction to the PIAAC database and NCES data products is followed by a discussion of the performance of U.S. millennials compared to that of their international peers. In addition, the presentation looked at the size and characteristics of low-skilled U.S. millennials and the implications of this for society more broadly.

For more information including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

14 November 2018
Event 

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How Do Education Systems Differ Around the World? An Examination of OECD's Education at a Glance

On November 14, 2018 the American Institutes for Research (AIR) hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results from the OECD’s 2018 Education at a Glance.

This webinar highlighted findings related to the following questions:

  • How much time do students in the United States spend in the classroom compared to their international peers?
  • How do early childhood education systems differ around the world?
  • How do salaries for teachers and school heads vary by country?
  • How can I find and work with these data?

Additional topics relevant to international education comparisons were discussed.

For more information including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

2 May 2018
Event 

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Financial Literacy Skills for the 21st Century: Evidence from PISA

On May 2, 2018 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results in financial literacy from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). 

World-renowned researcher Dr. Annamaria Lusardi presented findings relevant to PISA and financial literacy more broadly. Topics included:

  • Why is financial literacy so important for today's students and young people? 
  • Cross-nationally, which education policy initiatives emphasize financial literacy? 
  • How are socioeconomic status and per capita GDP associated with financial literacy outcomes? 

For more information including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

15 March 2018
Event 

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International Results in Reading from PIRLS and ePIRLS 2016

On March 15, 2018 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results in reading from PIRLS and ePIRLS 2016. In 2016, IEA and its TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College conducted the fourth assessment in the PIRLS series as well as the inaugural ePIRLS assessment of online informational reading. Administered every five years, PIRLS monitors international trends in reading achievement at the fourth grade. In 2016, a total of 319,000 students from 61 international education systems participated in the PIRLS assessment.

This presentation is based on the PIRLS 2016 International Results in Reading report and utilizes infographics and exhibits to describe the following:

  • Achievement trends over time
  • Performance at the PIRLS International Benchmarks
  • Achievement in relation to students’ home, school, and classroom educational contexts

The presentation provides information about student achievement on ePIRLS.

For more information, including a full-length video recording of the webinar >>

26 October 2017
Event

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Do Teachers Teach Less in Classrooms with Students with Special Needs? Trends and Predictors from International Data

On October 26, 2017 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, a cornerstone of special education policy in the United States and many countries. While studies have examined when and how much inclusion is appropriate for students with disabilities, there is less research on how inclusion may negatively impact students without disabilities in the same classroom. Using 2013 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the presentation addressed some parents' concern that, due to the additional needs of students with disabilities, teachers may spend less time teaching in inclusive classrooms. Through analyses of 121,173 teacher responses from 38 participating education systems, factors are identified that may explain disparities in instructional time between inclusive and non-inclusive classrooms. 

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

31 May 2017
Event

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20 Years of TIMSS: International Trends in Mathematics and Science Achievement, Curriculum, and Instruction

On May 31, 2017 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on a recently released report using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) titled 20 Years of TIMSS. Since its first administration in 1995, TIMSS has become a prominent assessment of students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in Mathematics and Science. Not only does TIMSS measure student achievement in mathematics and science, it is also designed to report on curriculum and instruction, as well as student background variables. TIMSS’ most recent administration in 2015 marks 20 years of this assessment being operationalized, which allows researchers and policy makers to gain a sense of changes in student achievement, curriculum  and instruction, and student background variables over the last 20 years. This webinar focuses on the 20 Years of TIMSS report and digs deeper in to the educational shifts and changes that have occurred in education systems around the globe.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

22 February 2017
Event

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PIAAC Prison Study: An Overview of the Skills of U.S. Incarcerated Adults

On February 22, 2017 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on a recently released report using data from the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) titled Highlights from the U.S. PIAAC Survey of Incarcerated Adults: Their Skills, Work Experience, Education, and Training. This report provided information on skills and competencies of the incarcerated adults, comparing to that of adults in U.S. households. The report also reported on the extent of inmates’ participation in formal education, empowerment classes (such as parenting or personal finance management), and job training programs.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

9 November 2016 
Event

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An Average Is Just an Average: What About Countries' Low- and High-Performing Students?

On November 9, 2016 the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on the analysis of large-scale international assessment data. Analyses often focus on average student performance; in particular, how a country’s average performance compares to that of other countries and how it has changed over time. However, such a focus provides little insight into a country’s success in educating students across the achievement distribution, especially its low- and high-performing students.

Published reports from large-scale international assessments have included tables with percentiles of achievement that show how scores at the 10th and 90th percentiles compare across countries. However, prior research has not systematically examined and statistically tested these gaps in achievement between low- and high-performing students and whether these achievement gaps have narrowed or widened over time. In this webinar, the results of these analyses using mathematics data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were presented.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

13 July 2016
Event

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Is Reading Contagious? Examining Parents’ and Children’s Reading Attitudes and Behaviors

On July 13, 2016, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion that examined whether parents’ reading attitudes and behaviors are shared by their children—that is, if reading attitudes and behaviors are “contagious.” Using data from the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the webinar will address the following questions, looking across fourth-grade students and their parents in 50 diverse education systems:

  • Do children and parents enjoy reading and read frequently for fun?
  • Do children share their parents' positive reading attitudes and behaviors?
  • Do some children—i.e. girls compared to boys, or children whose parents have a university degree compared to those whose don’t—share their parents’ positive reading attitudes and behaviors more than others?

This webinar can inform policy efforts to promote positive reading attitudes and behaviors in children. 

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

5 May 2016
Event

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Different Modes of Curricular Differentiation at the School Level and Their Impact on Educational Inequality

On May 5, 2016, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on two of the most common types of formal curricular differentiation in secondary schooling: course-by-course tracking and academic and vocational streaming. Both forms of curricular differentiation have been criticized for segregating students by socioeconomic status (SES) and directing low-SES students into lower-status educational trajectories. Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), this presentation reviewed findings from this emerging literature with a focus on comparing different types of curricular differentiation by the extent of SES segregation between tracks, student achievement, academic self-concept, educational aspirations, and resulting levels of social inequality in educational attainment.

For more information and to view a full-length video of the webinar >>

24 February 2016
Event

America’s Skills Challenge: Millennials and the Future

On February 24, 2016, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on the growing inequality of opportunity in the United States and the impact this has on both skills acquisition and outcomes for current and future generations. Using data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), the presentation explored the paradox for U.S. millennials (born after 1980, ages 16-34): while they may be on track to be our most educated generation ever, they consistently score below many of their international peers in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Equally troubling is that these findings represent a decrease in literacy and numeracy skills when compared to results from previous years of U.S. adult surveys.

For more information and to view a full-length video of the webinar >>

3 December 2015
Event

The Use of Computers in School and the Skills of the “Net Generation” – Shedding Light on Myths About Digital Natives

On December 3, 2015, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation that looked at computer and information literacy across countries. In 2013, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) assessed eighth-grade students’ learning and knowledge in computer and information literacy (CIL) skills. What can the United States learn from the 21 countries that participated in this study?

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

1 October 2015
Event

Conditions and Practices Associated with Teacher Professional Development and Its Impact on Instruction in TALIS 2013

The American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation that looked at teacher professional development and its relationship to schooling outcomes. Improving the quality of teaching is a key concern for many countries and teacher professional development is often seen as a mechanism for doing so. Using OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 data, the presentation covered findings that explore the school conditions and practices of teachers that are associated with their participation in professional development and the reported impacts on their instruction. The presentation focused on the general patterns observed across OECD countries and looked at differences between countries. Implications for policy and practice were also discussed.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>

8 July 2015
Event

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Who Are Academically Successful: Examining Academic Resilience Cross-Nationally

The American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and panel discussion that looked at research on academic resilience using data from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Academically resilient students are students from disadvantaged backgrounds who succeed in school despite the odds against them. The study examines the prevalence of academic resilience cross-nationally and examines the factors associated with academic resilience within each country.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>


7 May 2015
Event

The Role of Schooling in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: An International Perspective

On May 7, 2015, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation and discussion on research by Bill Schmidt and others using data on mathematics achievement from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012. The webinar included a presentation by Dr. Schmidt with a follow-up discussion by Dr. Robert Rothman.

For more information, including a full-length video of the webinar >>
 


25 Feb 2015
Event

International Contrasts in the Teaching Profession: Results from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

On February 25, 2015, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) hosted a webinar that looked at international contrasts in the teaching profession using recent data from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). TALIS represents the voice of teachers, a critical component to a meaningful conversation about education.

For more information, including a full-length video of the Webinar >>