American Institutes for Research

COMMENTARY: Frequent school changes harm California foster youth. How better data can help. New research highlights the urgency of improving school mobility for students in foster care, particularly those with more complex needs.

School mobility among California foster youth is declining—but not for all groups. AIR’s Niu Gao shares new research in @edsource.org on how data can help leaders better support these students.

Read more: https://edsource.org/2025/school-mobility-foster-care-research/742231

Training Coaches, Transforming Lives: GOTR and the Million Coaches Challenge Learn how Girls on the Run's 80,000 trained coaches helped the Million Coaches Challenge reach one million, transforming youth sports nationwide.

🏃‍♀️ Coaches can change lives.

Girls on the Run’s Allie Riley joins AIR’s Jessy Newman to discuss how trained youth sports coaches can help youth feel empowered and supported.

📖 Read the Q&A: https://www.girlsontherun.org/blog/training-coaches-transforming-lives-gotr-million-coaches-challenge/

In the latest AIR Health News:

📈 Small business health premiums may rise 11% in 2026.
🏥 Medicaid cuts could hit rural providers hard.
🏛️ CMS expands AHEAD model for value-based care.

Read more: https://icont.ac/518hl

Graphic for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, featuring a 'Celebrating Value and Talent' banner and the logos for America 250 and the Office of Disability Employment Policy, United States Department of Labor. Includes five circular frames showing diverse professionals in various work environments, surrounded by decorative bursts of lines and stars.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM), which recognize the skills and contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace. Explore stories, resources and strategies to support and celebrate this talent:
https://bit.ly/4gR5M2W

Promotional poster for the 2025 Research in Context: Education, Systems, and Evidence-Based Future conference, happening October 8-11, featuring a skyline view of Chicago. Includes the American Institutes for Research logo and website, AIR.org.

AIR researchers are heading to #SREE2025 in Chicago! 🎓📊

From math interventions to education cost analysis, our experts are sharing evidence-based insights Oct 8–11. View the schedule: https://www.air.org/news/press-release/american-institutes-research-education-experts-present-society-research

Podcast: A Peer-Based Approach to Learning Acceleration - SRI SRI’s Adrienne Woods joins AIR's Alida Hudson to discuss the development and impact of PALS-RD

New from the SRI Homeroom podcast: How pairing students in structured reading activities is driving post-pandemic gains in fluency and comprehension.

Listen as AIR's Alida Hudson and SRI's Adrienne Woods unpack the power of PALS-RD.
🔗 https://bit.ly/4npPSyV

A teacher giving a high-five to a smiling student at a classroom desk, with other students around them engaged in learning activities.

States and districts need a partner who knows how to use data to tackle chronic absenteeism, low test scores, and other urgent education challenges. AIR works with education leaders to build systems that improve outcomes for all students.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/48zVhPs

Better Texts, Better Attendance: Family Insights on Attendance Communications AIR facilitated conversations with families to explore the role that sending text messages to families has in promoting student attendance. As part of a related project, the AIR team put together an a...

Chronic absenteeism is rising, but there's a powerful, low-cost tool that can help: better text messaging. 📲

Join AIR’s free webinar on Sept. 30 at 1:00 p.m. CT to explore how schools can craft messages that resonate with families and improve attendance. https://bit.ly/4n3ljir

Promotional image for AIR News, featuring an individual sitting and using a smartphone, with text overlay announcing the latest news and research from the American Institutes for Research, dated September 2025. Logo and website URL for AIR.org are also displayed.

New! Highlights from the Sept. AIR newsletter include:

✅ Strategies to support young people entering the workforce
✅ Lasting impacts of federally funded afterschool and summer programs
✅ How tailored text messaging campaigns can improve student attendance

Read more: https://icont.ac/517Qr

Five individuals posing with framed artworks at a Chicanx art exhibit event.

Two individuals standing in front of a trailer with a sign that reads "Lafayette Tool Library." One person is wearing a cap and a T-shirt with the library's logo, and the other is holding a bag, smiling beside them.

🎉 Congrats to AIR’s 2025 Champions for Change, Allison Nederveld and ZoeWingate! Their work with the Lafayette Tool Library is building safer, more resilient communities in Louisiana. 🛠️

🔗 Learn more: https://air.org/meet-airs-champions-change

Promotional image for AIR.org focusing on adult education, featuring three diverse individuals engaged in learning activities with laptops and books, with text highlights on the benefits of adult education: Upskill and Thrive.

This #AEFLWeek we’ve celebrated how #AdultEd builds #WorkforcePrep skills like problem solving, adaptability, and continuous learning. Adult Education strengthens the workforce by teaching skills that matter. Learn more: https://www.air.org/centers/aertac

Cover of 'AIR Health News' for September 2025 featuring two healthcare professionals examining a digital tablet in a hospital setting. Text invites readers to learn about accountable care model, Medicaid state-directed payments, and changes in the U.S. mortality rate.

📬 The latest edition of AIR Health News is out! Catch up on key updates from the CDC, CMS, and more—including news on Medicaid funding and upcoming health webinars. https://icont.ac/517Dv

Infographic titled 'Overview of Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses' by AIR MOSAIC. It features sections on tools, benefits, limitations, and literature screening techniques, with a central graphic diagramming the integration of AI into the review process. Contact information for the American Institutes for Research and MOSAIC is provided at the bottom.

🧠 AI is transforming research workflows, but how effective is it for systematic reviews and meta-analysis?

Learn about the benefits, limitations and considerations for using AI in evidence synthesis in a new MOSAIC Center infographic: https://indd.adobe.com/view/554b306f-18f3-45f3-8826-41290e82402d

(L-R) Khari Matthew Humphries, Deputy Mayor of Education and Youth for City of Chicago, and AIR's Deborah Moroney, Christina Yancey, and Terris Raiford Ross, Ph.D.

📸Khari Matthew Humphries, Deputy Mayor of Education & Youth for City of Chicago, and AIR's Deb Moroney, Christina Yancey and Terris Ross joined StriveTogether's 2025 Cradle to Career convening to discuss the power of place-based partnerships to expand opportunity for young people and communities.

Person in a green t-shirt using a smartphone while sitting on a couch in a brightly lit room.

Are you a district or school leader looking to improve attendance through text messaging strategies? Join AIR on Sept. 30 at 1pm CT for a webinar sharing key insights from family focus groups about effective attendance communication: https://bit.ly/4n3ljir

Promotional image for #AEFLWeek by AIR.org. Three individuals collaboratively working with a laptop and notebook in a modern office setting, with text highlights that include 'Resilient local economy', 'Create a skilled workforce', and 'Reduce poverty'.

This #AEFLWeek we’re celebrating how #AdultEd builds #WorkforcePrep skills like problem solving, adaptability, and continuous learning. It also strengthens the workforce through teaching skills that matter. Learn more from #AERTAC: https://www.air.org/centers/aertac

Students smiling and engaged in a classroom setting with large windows and ample natural light.

Want to boost student success? Start with engagement.

AIR's Sarah Frazelle explores behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement—and how student success systems (like those supported by the GRAD Partnership) help schools track and support all three.

https://bit.ly/47DzTZc

Three individuals standing and smiling in front of promotional banners for AIR (Advancing Evidence, Improving Lives) and Colegio de Abogados de Honduras, with the flag of Honduras also visible.

Two people standing at the front of a conference room, presenting to a group of attendees seated around tables with laptops and notebooks. The room features logos from CAH and AIR International.

Group of individuals seated around a conference table, attentively reviewing documents, with a CEUTEC logo prominently displayed in the background.

A person stands beside a podium, presenting at a workshop with a slide titled "Labor Rights and Non-Discrimination" in the background, under the logos of the AIR organization. Flags and informational banners are also visible in the room.

AIR recently led a Training of Trainers program with 20 lawyers in Honduras to advance labor rights for women in the maquila (textile manufacturing) sector. The workshop was praised for its clarity and impact and will be replicated for future participants.

📸: Colegio de Abogados de Honduras

Reading and Literacy | American Institutes for Research AIR recognizes literacy as a fundamental skill that unlocks learning and provides individuals with the means to pursue knowledge and enjoyment independently.

📚 How do we improve literacy outcomes?

Through evidence-based research, practical tools, and partnerships with educators. On #ILD2025, discover how our work is making a difference in classrooms across the country: https://www.air.org/our-work/education/reading-and-literacy

Cover of AIR Health News September 2025 edition featuring a healthcare professional discussing with a patient. Includes text about vaccine updates and brain research news.

In the latest AIR Health News:

🔍 Medicare's new prior authorization pilot
💉 Fall 2025 COVID-19 vaccine guidance
🧠 Brain health research roundup

Plus public health events and more: https://icont.ac/5171u

To prepare young people for the AI workplace, focus on the fundamentals | Brookings In an age of AI anxiety, we need collaborative, adaptive responses rather than rigid, single-program solutions.

There is no magic bullet for youth economic mobility, but there are clear strategies for future-proofing skill development in an AI-augmented workplace. @brookings.edu's Annelies Goger and AIR's Samia Amin and Christina Yancey share insights:

https://bit.ly/46iBOBj

Students sitting at desks focused on writing and using tablets in a classroom setting.

As students head #BackToSchool, are we ready for the next disruption? In a recent blog, the RESTART Network shares key lessons for building resilient education systems—starting with stronger partnerships and better data. 🏫

🔍 Read more: https://bit.ly/4nc1dCn

Sign up for a new professional development series from AIR and @cecmembership.bsky.social that is designed to support administrators and teachers in implementing evidence-based practices, MTSS frameworks, and innovative approaches for adolescent literacy.

Workforce | American Institutes for Research

On #LaborDay, we recognize the power of work not only to sustain individuals and families, but also to shape thriving communities and economies. 🌍

At AIR, we help build #CareerPathways that align with labor market needs, expand access, and support long-term mobility.

https://bit.ly/3OWTsAR

The Positive Changes Youth Experience When We Invest in Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs | American Institutes for Research A mountain of evidence demonstrates how afterschool and summer learning programs funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program contribute to youth development. States can use these funds in several different ways, including f...

Nearly 1.4M youth benefit from afterschool and summer programs via 21st CCLCs each year. These investments lead to better attendance, fewer discipline issues and stronger SEL skills.

Explore the #BackToSchool impacts via AIR’s Neil Naftzger: https://bit.ly/4oKSYi8

Three individuals are engaged in studying with books and digital devices at a table.

🎓 Competency-Based Education (CBE) is transforming #HigherEd by focusing on what students know and can do, not just time spent in class. Learn how AIR is supporting this shift: https://www.air.org/resource/spotlight/postsecondary-competency-based-education

Reimagining youth sport: Putting positive youth development first When youth sport is grounded in principles of positive youth development, it becomes a space where young people feel safe, supported and challenged to grow.

Participation in sports can link to a range of positive outcomes, including better physical and mental health. Sports can help youth build confidence, but only when systems support coaches and relationships. Jessy Newman shares more in Youth Today: https://bit.ly/4mGf97U #BacktoSchool

🚧 Infrastructure jobs are booming—but access isn’t always equal.

In Cleveland, the Built Environment Collaborative is changing that. Learn how AIR is helping expand access to good jobs and close critical labor shortages: https://bit.ly/3VmHyng

Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Educator Feedback | American Institutes for Research One AI-enabled platform, known as the Classroom Automated Feedback Environment (or CAFE) is currently being piloted in schools across the country. CAFE uses Generative AI (GenAI) to analyze classroom videos and give teachers helpful data on their instru...

📊 What if AI could help scale teacher feedback?

AIR developed the Classroom Automated Feedback Environment to research how AI can enhance instructional coaching and make it more timely, personalized, and useful.
https://www.air.org/project/using-artificial-intelligence-enhance-educator-feedback

New Tools Empower Communities to Improve School Environmental Health - Healthy Schools Network The Healthy Students Learn Better practice guides, developed by AIR with input from community leaders, help parents, educators, students, and advocates lead citizen science projects that improve environmental health in schools.

The Healthy Students Learn Better guides help educators and communities tackle school environmental health issues—from air quality to noise. AIR's Amy Fowler-Dawson explains how: https://healthyschools.org/2025/07/29/new-tools-empower-communities-to-improve-school-environmental-health/