American Institutes for Research

American Institutes for Research

Motto	Making research relevant
Founded	1946
Founder	John C. Flanagan
Type	Nonprofit research, assessment, and technical assistance organization
Focus	Education, educational assessment, health, human development, international development, work and training
Location	Washington, D.C.
Origins	Critical Incident Technique, Project Talent
Area served	United States and international
Key people	John C. Flanagan, David Myers (current president and CEO)
Employees	More than 1,700
Mission	AIR’s mission is to conduct and apply the best behavioral and social science research and evaluation towards improving peoples’ lives, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged.

American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan behavioral and social science research organization based in Washington, D.C.^[1] with other locations in the United States and abroad.^[2] One of the largest social science research organizations in the world,^[1] AIR has 1,700 employees providing research, assessment, and technical assistance in seven program areas: AIR Assessment; Education; Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Educational Research; Health and Social Development; International Development, Evaluation and Research; and Workforce and Lifelong Learning.^[3]

AIR's founder, John C. Flanagan, a pioneer in aviation psychology,^[4] is known for developing the Critical Incident Technique, an innovative method for screening and selecting personnel. Flanagan and AIR are known for Project Talent, the largest and most comprehensive study of high school students ever conducted in the United States; core evaluations for U.S. Department of Education programs, including major assessments of the No Child Left Behind Act,^[5] Title I, Title III and others; Project A, the largest personnel survey in the history of the U.S. Army; ^[6] and partnering with states to provide student assessment testing design and administration to schools across the U.S.;^[7][8] among many other projects and services.

In 2010^[9] and 2011,^[10] The Washington Post selected AIR as one of the top ten nonprofit firms in the Washington metropolitan area.

History

AIR founder John C. Flanagan developed the groundbreaking Critical Incident Technique (CIT) while working for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The military used Flanagan's CIT as an aptitude test to identify potential combat pilots.^[11] Later the technique was adapted for other industries, and CIT is still a model for numerous organizations and researchers.^{[12][13][14][15]}

After leaving the army, Flanagan established American Institutes for Research in 1946.^[16] He focused on education research and launched Project Talent, a longitudinal study following 400,000 high school students across the U.S.,^[17] which has continued for the past 50 years and provided data for hundreds of researchers and publications.^[18][19]

Today, AIR continues to use Flanagan's research principles in areas beyond aviation and education, including health and international development. The organization works with federal and state agencies, nonprofits, international development organizations, foreign governments, school districts, foundations, and private businesses.^[20]

Mission statement

"AIR's mission is to conduct and apply the best behavioral and social science research and evaluation towards improving peoples' lives, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged."^[21]

Program areas

AIR Assessment

Educational assessment develops student tests, score reports, and online reporting tools for students, teachers, parents, and administrators in states across the U.S. Psychometricians and statisticians provide data and analysis for policy and curriculum decisions.

Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research

Analyzing state longitudinal administrative data to examine how education policies affect outcomes for students and teachers. CALDER is a joint project with researchers at seven universities: Duke, Northwestern, Stanford, Missouri–Columbia, Texas at Dallas, and Washington.^[22]

Education

This program evaluates interventions and develops technologies, programs, and aptitude tests for students at all levels, including higher education and adult education, and members of the workforce. It also runs technical assistance centers, such as the National High School Center.

Health and Social Development

The program works within and across the health care and public health systems, behavioral/mental health, as well as human services with a goal of improving lives and creating positive outcomes.

International Development, Evaluation and Research (IDER)

International Development works in education, health, and child well being in Liberia, Honduras, and Zambia among others, including multiple projects in educational opportunities for girls in developing countries.

Workforce and Lifelong Learning

Workforce supports the development of high-performance individuals, teams, and organizations through innovative research and the application of evidence-based practices.^[23]

Leadership

Education researcher David Myers is AIR's president and CEO and serves on its board of directors. Previously, Myers served as senior vice president and director of the Education, Human Development and Workforce program. He came to AIR from Mathematica Policy Research, where he was senior vice president and chief strategy officer.^[24][25]

AIR has several vice presidents leading its programs and services. The twelve-member board of directors is led by chair Patricia B. Gurin, professor of social psychology at University of Michigan and vice chair Lawrence D. Bobo, a professor of social sciences at Harvard University.^[26]

References