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
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