To improve low-performing schools, principals must be strategic leaders who can share a vision for change. Learn what research shows and what AIR has observed through hands-on technical assistance.

Instructional coherence, needs assessment and using data for continuous improvement are three critical components of school improvement. Experts discuss the evidence and examples from AIR’s work in schools.

AIR’s Eboni Howard remembers listening to conversations about equity issues in the backseat of her parents’ car while growing up in Wisconsin. These conversations led Howard to a long career researching early care and child development, working to ensure that all children receive high-quality early experiences—regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or zip code. In this podcast, Howard and AIR’s Peter Cookson discuss what research has shown and the implications for policymakers.

AIR’s Peter Cookson talks with Education Policy Center and Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) Director Angela Minnici about the importance of providing all students with access to effective teachers and school leaders. The GTL Center is currently working closely with states to design and implement State Plans to Ensure Equitable Access, including identifying the root causes of inequitable access to effective educators in each state’s context.

www.edupolicycenter.org Our first podcast series focuses on social-emotional learning, a critical set of skills for succeeding academically and in civic life. Episode Two: A Key Ingredient to School Transformation and Success AIR’s Kim Kendziora talks with Melissa Schlinger of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), lead partner in an eight-district demonstration program that aims to establish whether and how large urban school districts can make social and emotional learning a systemic support of their work. AIR has been evaluating this initiative since its inception. The results provide insight on how SEL can be a key ingredient to school transformation and success.

www.edupolicycenter.org Our first series focuses on social-emotional learning, a critical set of skills for succeeding academically and in civic life. Episode One: A Head and Heart Issue What is social-emotional learning and what does it look like in practice? AIR’s David Osher and Cleveland Public Schools' CEO Eric Gordon discuss.