Download our Center Overview

Image

Supporting Whole-Child Development: Survey Findings From a National Sample of U.S. Teachers

To understand how teachers are promoting whole-child development, AIR analyzed survey data from a nationally representative sample of K-12 public school teachers using RAND’s American Teacher Panel. The three brief reports in this series present results for three topics, and an appendix provides the full set of survey questions.

NAEP Data in Focus: Examining the Research

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), led by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. AIR informs the NAEP program and the research community through our work, NAEP Data in Focus. The NAEP Data in Focus working papers combine AIR’s expertise and experience not only with NAEP, but with other large-scale assessments and survey-based longitudinal studies. The papers are made available to researchers and the public.

Pressing Needs in Research on K-12 Civic Learning: A Call to the Field

Although young people learn about democracy and ways to engage in civic life through family, peer groups and communities, K-12 schools play a role in formally educating large numbers of students and preparing them to participate in our democracy. In this brief, the authors discuss the need for action in two inter-related areas to help address the current state of democracy through the promotion of K-12 civic learning: measurement and causal research. 

Synthesizing NAEP and International Large-Scale Assessment Score Trends: A Pattern of Diverging Performance

Bringing together results from NAEP and three international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), this report examines long-term intermediate, and recent score trends in reading, mathematics, and science for U.S. students in 4th grade, in 8th grade, and at 15 years old. The publication includes a Stats-at-a-Glance, a research brief, and a research note. 

Why It's Necessary to Accurately Measure Employee Skills and How to Do It

This brief offers five questions that highlight different facets relevant in the validation of skills that may be helpful in identifying areas of organizational policy and practice that can be rethought or refined.

Measuring Skills at Work: Lessons from the Field

Funded through a grant from Walmart, this report presents the results of research that looked at the landscape of employer skill validation practices and the systems and tools that support them through case study interviews with 10 employers and 5 tool providers.

Changes Between 2011 and 2019 in Achievement Gaps Between High- and Low-Performing Students in Mathematics and Science: International Results from TIMSS

This Statistics in Brief uses data from the 2011 and 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and explores how achievement gaps between high- and low-performing 4th- and 8th-grade students in the U.S. and other education systems have changed over time. The SiB focuses on two questions for each grade and subject: (1) In which education systems did score gaps between high- and low-performing students change (widen or narrow) between 2011 and 2019? (2) Is the widening or narrowing of score gaps between 2011 and 2019 driven primarily by changes in the scores of high-performing students, low-performing students, or both?

Maryland College and Career Readiness Empirical Study: Final Report

This report for the Maryland State Department of Education presents the findings from an empirical study of Maryland's college and career readiness (CCR) standard. The study includes a predictive validity analysis and a content and standards alignment analysis. 

Accelerating Progress in U.S. Education: Key Lessons from Other Federal R&D Investments in Technology and Innovation

To help inform the vision for the National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) within IES, this brief describes lessons learned from features of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and similar R&D focused agencies such as the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in the Department of Energy.

National Center for Education Statistics: Equity in Education Dashboard

NCES has developed the Equity in Education Dashboard, which compiles key findings and trends on the current state of educational equity in the United States. Drawing from the framework in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, the website is divided into a series of domains, each of which includes a set of indicators. The indicators—which are based on statistics from various data sources like national surveys of students, parents, teachers, and principals—highlight disparities in education among population groups, including differences by race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, English learner status, and disability status. More findings will be added to the Equity in Education Dashboard over time.

National Center on Intensive Intervention: Tools Index

The National Center on Intensive Intervention has developed six tools charts to assist educators and families in becoming informed consumers who can select academic and behavioral assessment tools and interventions that meet standards for technical rigor and address their specific needs. Explore this overview of available tools charts and considerations for using them to identify assessments and interventions.

Stop, Think, Act: Ready to Assess, A Social and Emotional Learning Toolkit and Tools Index

Assessing conditions for learning and development and social and emotional competencies (i.e., knowledge, attitudes, and skills) is a complex task. Once you have determined that you are ready to assess, you can move forward with choosing an assessment tool that will help achieve your desired purpose. This Tools Index is designed to help you make an informed decision on the best tool to assess conditions for learning and development and social and emotional competencies.

Standards and Assessments (S&A) Ecosystem

The AIR S&A Ecosystem provides a cohesive and comprehensive structure to guide states and districts in the development of standards-based systems. This interactive tool walks users through a six-step process for creating a standards-based education system that ensures all students are prepared for college, careers, and military service. 

Social Studies Standards Map

Explore this interactive U.S. map that AIR developed to show the disciplines that social studies standards cover in each state.

AIR's Ready to Implement Toolkit

Education leaders, staff, and teams can use this research-based resource from AIR to learn about what readiness is and why it is important to consider when making data-driven decisions. The toolkit features a high-quality readiness assessment alongside the Ready Resource Library, which provides relevant tools to help build readiness.