Samantha Sniegowski works on afterschool and expanded learning initiatives at AIR. She is responsible for coordinating and monitoring data collection activities, conducting data analyses, writing reports, and project coordination. Sniegowski’s current projects include Chicago Public Schools Community Schools Initiative evaluation; Texas, Washington, and Ohio 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) ...
Magnet schools are best known for offering unique programs or curricula to attract students from outside a school’s neighborhood; many started off as neighborhood public schools but converted with the goals of increasing student diversity and achievement. A nine-year AIR study of 21 magnet schools found that while there was ...
An examination of nine years’ worth of data on elementary schools that converted to magnet schools to boost student achievement and increase demographic diversity offered mixed results. While there was limited evidence that the schools were successful in increasing diversity, a study by AIR found inconclusive evidence of increased student ...
If place heavily impacts social mobility, could strengthening schools be the key to overcoming the effects of growing up in a poor neighborhood? Peter Cookson, AIR principal researcher, explores this question in a blog post for the Education Policy Center.
In the first in a series of blog posts on teacher leadership, Gretchen Weber, managing researcher at AIR, argues that we honor teachers by letting them lead. Teacher appreciation, she argues, means schools and districts must commit to creating teacher leadership structures that are strong, authentic, and valued. ...
Research shows that coaches have the ability to affect youths' decision-making. AIR researchers evaluated the impact of Coach Across America, a sports-based youth development program, on underserved youth nationwide over the course of the 2013-2014 program year.
Principal observation tools are used to accurately evaluate principal performance by helping principal supervisors and coaches improve instructional leadership. This piece describes how using the right tools is helping principals in the U.S. Virgin Islands develop such evidence-based coaching and performance evaluations. ...
Student learning measures have rapidly become common in teacher evaluation systems across the United States. This report provides an overview of key findings from the nearly 20 studies of SLO measures that have been conducted to date, along with considerations for future research and for practice.
Research by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has shown that the majority of English language learners (ELLs) who entered Massachusetts public schools in kindergarten were reclassified within three years; however, most still struggled with reading and math in later grades. AIR conducted research and analysis on Massachusetts ...
Rachel Garrett provides strategic leadership across a body of research and evaluation projects focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning as AIR's STEM portfolio lead. She supports execution across studies and partnerships, sets priorities, and advances applied research and dissemination efforts that inform education policy and ...
