Extensive research documents the importance of instructional quality for promoting student outcomes. Yet, the field of education knows very little about the instruction occurring in social studies classrooms, a central venue for civic learning in schools.

To address this need, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is working with university partners to propose a federally-funded study to collect evidence of teaching quality in social studies classrooms. This initial effort will provide a foundation for future research to build upon with the ultimate goal of improving social studies instructional policy and practice, students’ civic learning outcomes, and American democracy.

AIR is looking for state and district partners to provide a non-binding letter of support for the grant proposal. Below, we highlight the benefits and commitments, and we would be very happy to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss the work further and answer any questions you may have.

What are the benefits?

  • AIR will share district- or school-level reports with summaries of scores on observational measures and student surveys so that school and district leadership can see how their students are performing on these metrics. These reports would be confidential, not shared publicly by AIR.
  • AIR will offer compensation to participating teachers and district leadership to support data collection efforts.

What is the commitment?

If the project is funded, the study would launch in summer 2025. AIR would seek support in the following ways, if funded:

  • AIR would seek your support by engaging in periodic discussions about the study, as well as seek your guidance and limited assistance with recruiting districts within your state or schools within your district.
  • AIR will ask teachers to participate in classroom observations and a student survey. Participating schools will not be asked to implement any additional curriculum or initiatives.

The AIR team would be very happy to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss the work further and answer any questions you may have. For more information, contact Elizabeth Adams, project lead at AIR.