AIR Experts to Present at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness 2026 Annual Conference

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will present at several sessions during the 2026 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) conference. The conference will be held September 23-26, 2026, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, MD.

AIR experts will share their work across a variety of topics, including work-based learning, high-quality instructional materials; individualized math instruction; digital learning programs; and more. Built around the theme, "Education and Public Trust: Evidence and Accountability in a Changing Landscape," the conference will bring together education researchers, policy leaders, and professionals from around the country.

AIR is a Silver Conference Sponsor and will have a booth available in the Exhibitor Hall. Sessions featuring AIR experts and their work are listed below (all times are in Eastern Daylight Time). Learn more about all conference presentations and activities on the conference website. 

Wednesday, September 23

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Workshop: Matching Methods for Multilevel Data in Education Research: A Practical Guide and Illustration of Approaches in R

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel AB

AIR Authors: Jordan Rickles, Alberto Guzman-Alvarez, and Qi Zhang 

2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Paper Presentation: Impacts of Work-Based Learning Programs on Student Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel CD

AIR Presenters/Authors: Kelly Reese and Susan Therriault 

Paper Presentation: From Foundational Skills to Community College: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Illinois Bridge Programs for Adult Learners

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel CD

AIR Presenters/Authors: Neha Nanda, Amani Talwar, Roman Ruiz, Jessica Stockham, and Oshin Khachikian 

4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. 

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harborside Foyer

Poster Session: Motivation and Engagement Profiles in Middle School Social Studies and Their Instructional Implications

AIR Presenters/Authors: Alida Hudson, Lauren Artzi, Patrick Steele, Hannah Keepers, and Isabelle D'Souza

Poster Session: Ready Set Succeed: Examining the Impacts and Costs of a Kindergarten Transition Program

AIR Presenters/Authors: Leanne Elliott, Rachel Feldman, Danielle Riser, Lara Iqbal, Eboni Howard, and Hans Bos

Poster Session: Teaching Tomorrow's Skills Today: Insights from the Teach Tech Kentucky Project

AIR Presenters/Authors: Laura Buckley, Rachel Garrett, and Eben Witherspoon

Poster Session: Building Trust in Educational Evidence: A Study of Reporting Bias in Impact Evaluations

AIR Presenter/Author: Joesph Taylor 

Thursday, September 24

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Paper Presentation: The Impact of Teacher Professional Learning Designed to Support Effective Use of High-Quality Instructional Materials

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harbor D

AIR Presenters/Authors: Andrew Wayne, Sami Kitmitto, Catherine Jacques, Cheryl Graczewski, and Alice Hung

Paper Presentation: From Interviews to Evidence: Using Large Language Models Responsibly in Program Evaluation

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel AB

AIR Presenters/Authors: Ruhan Circi, Burhan Ogut, Tabitha Tezil, Eben Witherspoon, and Amelia Vasquez 

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harborside Foyer

Poster Session: Building Validity for AI-Supported Formative Assessment: Evidence From Phase 1 of the ADAPT-AI Project

AIR Presenters/Authors: Bo Zhu and Margarita Olivera-Aguilar

Poster Session: The Associations Between Preparation and Pathways and the Composition, Distribution, and Stability of Special Educators

AIR Presenter/Author: Allison Gilmour and Roddy Theobald

Poster Session: Research on Using Simulation to Practice Evidence-Based Math Instruction

AIR Presenters/Authors: Erin McCopp, Melissa Yisak, Rachel Garrett, Toni Smith, and Jasmine James

Poster Session: Of 'Dear Colleague' Letters and Federal Injunctions: How Federal DEI Actions Influence Teachers' Use of Culturally Responsive Practices

AIR Presenters/Authors: Laura Brady

Poster Session: Teaching with AI: Building Evidence for Professional Learning That Supports Responsible Classroom Integration

AIR Presenters/Authors: Rebecca Bergey, Ryan Eisner, Tiffini Pruit- Britton, Dena Slanda, Fei Tan, Kelsey Woodrick, and Isaac Kaplan

Poster Session: Synthesizing Evidence on Standalone Digital Learning Programs in Math and Science to Inform K-12 Instructional Strategies

AIR Presenters/Authors: Qi Zhang and Kamal Middlebrook

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Panel: URE Moderated Discussion -- Trusted by Whom? Rethinking Public Trust in Education Research

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harbor E

AIR Organizer & Panel Chair: Rachel Garrett
AIR Presenters/Authors: Joseph Taylor and Rachel Garrett 

Friday, September 25

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Panel: RM Moderated Discussion -- Supporting Early-Career Education Researchers

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harbor B

AIR Presenter/Author: Danielle Ferguson

Paper Presentation: Propensity Score Matching in Multilevel Educational Settings: A Review and Guide for Applied Researchers

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel AB

AIR Presenters/Authors: Jordan Rickles, Alberto Guzman-Alvarez and Qi Zhang

Paper Presentation: The Benefits and Costs of Educational Inclusion: Evidence from an Evaluation of the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Program

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Galena

AIR Presenters/Authors: Jesse Levin, Rachel Feldman, Katie Laird, and Brad Salvato 

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Keynote Panel: The Education Research Ecosystem: What Would it Take for Evidence to Matter More?

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harborside C Ballroom

AIR Convenor & Panel Chair: Dan Goldhaber 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Harborside Foyer

Poster Session: In-the-Pipeline: Individualized Math Instruction with The Modern Classrooms Project - Preliminary Analyses

AIR Presenters/Authors: Robert Nathenson, Xiaying Zheng, Erin McCopp, and Toni Smith

Poster Session: Using Retrospective Pretest Items in Educational Program 

AIR Presenters/Authors: Diana Oh and Margarita Olivera-Aguilar

Poster Session: Designing and Evaluating AI‑Assisted Qualitative Analysis Workflows for Education Impact Studies

AIR Presenters/Authors: Graham Chickering, Billie Day, and Garry Davis 

2:15 p.m.

Panel: OSS Invited Moderated Discussion -- School Accountability and Turnaround in a Time of Federal Limbo

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Galena

AIR Presenter/Author: Drew Atchison and Kerstin Le Floch 

5:15 p.m.

Paper Presentation: Nudged, But at What Cost? Assessing the State of Economic Evaluation in a Systematic Review of Postsecondary Nudge Interventions

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel CD

AIR Presenters/Authors: Chris Brooks, Melissa Rodgers, Charleen Gust, Amanda Danks, and Megan Austin

Paper Presentation: Scaling Effective Educational Interventions

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Kent AB

AIR Presenters/Authors: Yinmei Wan 

Saturday, September 26

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Paper Presentation: Student Engagement as a Pathway Linking Teacher Support to Mathematics Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Review

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel CD

AIR Presenters/Authors: Qi Zhang and Yibing Li

Paper Presentation: Student Perceptions of and Performance in Math: Effects of Middle School Access to Real-World Math Lessons

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel CD

AIR Presenters/Authors: Jordan Rickles, Fei Tan, Santiago Nicotera, and Amelia Auchstetter

10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Paper Presentation: Evaluation Findings of the Equity Leader Accelerator Program

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Laurel AB

AIR Presenters/Authors: Martyna Citkowicz, Sarah Mae Olivar, Sarah Peko-Spicer, Jasmine James, Sonica Dhillon, and Jill Bowdon 

Paper Presentation: Impacts of a Rural, Community-Based Summer Literacy Program on Early Elementary Struggling Readers' Outcomes: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study

Location: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – Kent AB

AIR Presenters/Authors: Patrick Rich, Karen Manship, Aleksandra Holod, and Alberto Guzman-Alvarez

About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health, and the workforce. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.

Contact: Dana Tofig, [email protected]

SOURCE American Institutes for Research