Principals impact student achievement through their influence on classroom instruction, organizational conditions, community support, and setting the teaching and learning conditions in schools. Read about what our researchers are learning about leading schools and how they are applying that learning to improve state policy, district programs, and school practices aimed ...
Too many new principals say they are underprepared for critical leadership tasks which—combined with high job demands, poor support, and increased accountability—raises principal stress to a boiling point. In this blog post, Matthew Clifford describes 18 “high leverage” state-level policies that hold promise for increasing innovation and improving principal preparation. ...
The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program will expire as ESSA is implemented, but the challenges of low-performing schools have not. SIG provided some promising examples, as well as caveats that can challenge and inform those of us who believe our nation’s most disadvantaged students deserve better. In our latest blog ...
With Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s announcement of the Excellent Educators for All initiative earlier this month, putting excellent principals at the helm of high-need schools remains critical. To better prepare the new principals, Aaron Butler contends in this blog post, state- and district-level leaders should make leadership development and coaching ...
Program reviews can help district leaders learn which areas of a program are working well and what needs improvement. AIR’s team of experts partners with districts across the country to conduct customized reviews of special education programs that yield actionable recommendations for continuous improvement. ...
Career and Technical Education (CTE) advocates are still eagerly awaiting reauthorization of the Perkins Act. While we wait, two important events could change the face of CTE across the country: 1) the passage of ESSA and 2) a new vision for CTE released by Advance CTE. In this blog post, ...
Federal, state, local, and philanthropic dollars are pouring into personalized learning: ESSA supports personalized learning by allowing states to use federal funding for tests in new ways, such as digital adaptive testing. But will it have a positive impact for kids? In this blog post, Eleanor Fulbeck says we need ...
This spotlight takes a look at the history of Title I, how the program has changed over time, and how it affects children, schools, families and education policy. Experts weigh in on the program's past and future in interviews, briefs, and blogs.
In this blog post, Principal Researcher Lyzz Davis talks about the work of AIR's Evidence Support Center and its companion Evidence Library, to help educators navigate the path from evidence to practice by amplifying the work of the What Works Clearinghouse.
Equitable access to education is a global challenge for many, but especially for girls. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that educating girls contributes to the social and economic development of communities, increases household earning potential, and provides a foundation for making informed health and safety decisions. Helping girls access learning opportunities ...