American Institutes for Research

AIR's founder, John C. Flanagan, a pioneer in aviation psychology,{{cite web | title= John C. Flannery |url=http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/32/1/72b |publisher=American Psychological Association}} is known for developing the critical incident technique, an innovative method for screening and selecting personnel. While working for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Flanagan developed CIT as an aptitude test to identify potential combat pilots.{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Karen|title=John Flanagan, 90, Psychologist Who Devised Pilot Aptitude Test|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/28/us/john-flanagan-90-psychologist-who-devised-pilot-aptitude-test.html?scp=1&sq=John%20C.%20Flanagan&st=cse|accessdate=November 14, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 28, 1996}} Later, the technique was adapted for other industries, and CIT is still a model for numerous organizations and researchers.{{cite journal |title= The Critical Incident Technique in Service Research |last=Gremler |first=Dwayne D|journal= Journal of Service Research |volume=7 |issue=1 |date=August 2004 |pages=65–89|doi=10.1177/1094670504266138 |s2cid=14683385 }}{{cite web |title=The Critical Incident Technique Bibliography |last= Fivars |first= Grace & Robert Fitzpatrick, Ph. D |publisher= American Psychological Association | url=http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/critical.aspx}}{{cite web |title=The Critical Incident Technique Bibliography - Complete List |last= Fivars |first= Grace & Robert Fitzpatrick, Ph. D |publisher= American Psychological Association | url=http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/cit-full.pdf}}{{cite book |title=Military Psychology, Second Edition: Clinical And Operational Applications |last=Kennedy |first=Carrie H. and Eric Zillmer |publisher=The Guilford Press |year=2012 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/militarypsycholo0000unse/page/114 114–125] |isbn=978-1462506491 |url=https://archive.org/details/militarypsycholo0000unse/page/114 }}

Flanagan established American Institutes for Research in 1946.{{cite book |title=Educational Psychology: A Century of Contributions |first=Barry J. and Dale H. Schunk |last=Zimmerman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8Vr-W9hxU0C&q=john+flanagan&pg=PT28 |publisher=Taylor & Francis Group | year=2003 |isbn=9781467212960}} He focused on workforce education research and launched Project Talent, a longitudinal study following 400,000 high school students across the U.S.,{{cite news|title=Education: Talent Census|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896531,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219023615/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896531,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 19, 2011|accessdate=November 14, 2012|newspaper=Time |date=August 24, 1962}} which has continued for the past 50 years and provided data for hundreds of researchers and publications.{{cite web |title=Project Talent: Bibliography |url= http://www.projecttalent.org/about/biblio |accessdate=December 28, 2012}}{{cite book |title=Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950-1980 |last=Murray |first=Charles |publisher= New York, NY: Basic Books |year=2006|title-link=Losing Ground (book) }}

Charles Murray, the controversial political scientist, worked at AIR, but left after determining his work was not making a difference.{{Cite news |last=Deparle |first=Jason |date=October 9, 1994 |title=Daring Research or 'Social Science Pornography'?: Charles Murray |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/magazine/daring-research-or-social-science-pornography-charles-murray.html |access-date=May 2, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}

At the end of 2019, AIR sold its student assessment division to Cambium Learning Group, Inc.{{Cite web|url=https://www.air.org/news/press-release/cambium-learning-group-acquire-assessment-division-american-institutes-research|title=Cambium Learning Group to Acquire Assessment Division of the American Institutes for Research|last=AIR|date=August 22, 2019|website=American Institutes for Research|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2020}}

In 2020, AIR acquired IMPAQ, LLC (including subsidiary Maher & Maher),{{Cite web|last=|date=May 5, 2020|title=American Institutes for Research to Acquire IMPAQ|url=https://www.air.org/news/press-release/american-institutes-research-acquire-impaq|access-date=May 5, 2021|website=American Institutes for Research|language=en}} and Kimetrica.{{Cite web|last=|date=November 16, 2020|title=American Institutes for Research Acquires Kimetrica|url=https://www.air.org/news/press-release/american-institutes-research-acquires-kimetrica|access-date=May 5, 2021|website=American Institutes for Research|language=en}}

"AIR's mission is to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world."{{cite web|title=AIR: Mission and Vision|url=http://www.air.org/about/|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}

AIR conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance, both domestically and internationally, in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. Specific areas include early childhood; P-K-12 education, including teacher, school, and district leadership; juvenile justice; mental health and well-being; higher education and career readiness; adult learning and workforce issues; chronic and infectious diseases; patient and family engagement; trauma informed care; healthcare knowledge translation; refugee and migrant populations; and social and emotional learning.{{Cite web|url=https://www.air.org/about-us|title=About Us|website=American Institutes for Research|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2020}}

Work Flanagan and AIR are known for includes Project Talent, the largest and most comprehensive study of high school students ever conducted in the United States. Data from Project Talent is now being used to conduct research on aging and dementia;{{Cite web|url=https://www.projecttalent.org/new-studies/project-talent-aging-study/|title=Aging Study (2016-2020) |website=Project Talent|access-date=March 6, 2020}} core evaluations for U.S. Department of Education programs; technical expertise on implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and how federal funds are used; Project A, the largest personnel survey in the history of the U.S. Army;{{cite web| title= Improving the Selection, Classification, and Utilization of Army Enlisted Personnel: Final Report on Project A |date = August 1991|publisher=U.S. Department of Defense Technical Information Center | url= http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a242921.pdf| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220939/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a242921.pdf| url-status= live| archive-date= March 3, 2016}} and fully or partially-funded federal projects, including Regional Education Labs (RELs) and Comprehensive Centers, the National Center for Family Homelessness, the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER), the College and Career Readiness and Success Center, and the Center for English Language Learners.{{cite web|title=AIR: Our Topics|url=http://www.air.org/expertise |accessdate=January 2, 2015}}

Jessica Heppen is AIR's seventh President and CEO and the first woman to serve in the role in the organization's history. She succeeded David Myers, who retired on February 1, 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-21 |title=American Institutes for Research Announces New CEO and Board Chair |url=https://www.air.org/news/press-release/american-institutes-research-announces-new-ceo-and-board-chair |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=American Institutes for Research |language=en}}

The twelve-member board of directors is led by Lawrence D. Bobo, a professor of social sciences at Harvard University. He succeeded Patricia B. Gurin, professor emerita of social psychology and women's studies at University of Michigan.

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Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Category:Research institutes in Washington, D.C.

Category:Educational testing and assessment organizations

Category:Think tanks established in 1946

Category:1946 establishments in the United States