Education

Increasing the effectiveness of education

AIR is committed to increasing the effectiveness of education at all levels through rigorous research and evaluation, training, and technical assistance. Our work spans the learning lifespan—from pre-K to postsecondary education, career readiness, and adult education—and focuses on a wide range of topics, including STEM, social and emotional learning, and state and federal education policies.

Our rigorous, state-of-the-art research and evaluation work provides important evidence for education policymakers and practitioners to use when answering crucial questions about program implementation, challenges, and solutions. Through our policy, practice, and systems change work, our experts help clients address educational issues and challenges at the local, state, national, and international levels by applying evidence-based practices in educational and community settings.

Latest Work

16 Apr 2019
Spotlight

Preparing and Evaluating Effective Teachers and Leaders

Teacher performance evaluation systems are one potential tool for improving student success. Emerging research points to some promising features of performance evaluation measures. Explore our most recent resources in teacher and leader development and effectiveness to discover what we are learning and how it is contributing to successful schools.
Image of woman next to a laptop displaying a map
11 Apr 2019
Video

Ensuring Educational Equity through Accountable Leadership

Ensuring equitable access for all students is a persistent challenge in the education system. This video summarizes the Southeast Comprehensive Center's recent Equity Summit in Jackson, Mississippi, in which participants examined data on equity gaps in specific geographic areas.
8 Apr 2019
Journal Article

Professional Learning Communities in Prisons

In 2016, the Office of Correctional Education in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation embarked on a process of implementing professional learning communities (PLCs) in all 35 California state prisons. AIR provided professional development and consulting on the PLC process.
5 Apr 2019
ESSA

ESSA Key Resources: Improving the Fairness of School Funding

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers a variety of opportunities for state and local leaders to ensure equitable funding across their schools. AIR experts have compiled a list of key resources to help state and district leaders assess their funding practices, identify problems related to equity, and promote equitable resource allocation.
5 Apr 2019
ESSA

ESSA Action Guide | Using ESSA to Improve the Fairness of School Funding

Studies have shown that education finance reform that addresses funding equity can improve educational—and life—outcomes, such as higher wages and a lower incidence of adult poverty.

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