AIR Tackles AI, Teacher Shortages, and Equity at Premier Education Summit

ARLINGTON, Va. – April 06, 2026 – As thousands of the world's foremost education scholars, policymakers, and practitioners converge in Los Angeles this week, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is set to command a significant presence, presenting a vast portfolio of research that addresses the most urgent challenges facing the sector. At the 2026 Annual Meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) from April 8-12, AIR experts will lead dozens of sessions, signaling a comprehensive effort to shape the future of education through evidence-based solutions.

A Blueprint for a Sector in Flux

Underscoring its leadership role, AIR, a nonpartisan research organization founded in 1946, is participating as a platinum conference sponsor. Its extensive agenda spans the entire educational landscape, with presentations on teacher workforce stability, the integration of artificial intelligence, school-based mental health, equitable funding, and dual language learning. This broad engagement positions the organization not merely as a participant, but as a central architect of the conversations that will define educational policy and practice for years to come.

The sheer breadth of AIR's contributions—from paper sessions and symposia to structured discussions and poster presentations—offers a detailed blueprint for tackling systemic issues. By hosting a networking reception at the iconic Grammy Museum, AIR is also fostering the collaborative environment essential for translating research into action, connecting diverse stakeholders in the shared mission of improving educational outcomes.

Confronting Systemic Crises with Data

The backdrop for the 2026 conferences is a national education system grappling with profound challenges. A severe and persistent teacher shortage has left an estimated 55,000 teaching positions unfilled nationwide, with the crisis being particularly acute in special education. Against this backdrop, AIR researchers are presenting critical data. One symposium features a paper by Allison Gilmour and Roddy Theobald examining the composition, distribution, and stability of the special education teacher workforce across seven states, offering granular insights into a problem that affects the nation's most vulnerable students. Another study by Dan Goldhaber, Roddy Theobald, and Emma Dewil investigates the very beginning of the teacher pipeline, analyzing which college students are applying to teacher education programs, a crucial step in understanding and reversing the decline.

Simultaneously, schools are now seen as front lines for addressing the youth mental health crisis, a responsibility that strains already tight budgets. Research from AIR experts Elizabeth Adams, Maria Dracopoli, and Matthew Farmer provides evidence from a quasi-experimental study on improving student outcomes through school-based mental health services. This work is particularly timely as federal pandemic-era funding sources dwindle, forcing districts to make difficult financial choices. AIR is addressing the financial puzzle directly with multiple presentations on education finance. Researchers Jesse Levin and Christopher Brooks will present studies on determining equitable funding levels for California's community colleges and the cost of providing adequate education in Oregon, while Stephanie Levin and others will detail the costs of implementing social-emotional learning initiatives in Illinois. This research provides a data-driven foundation for policymakers navigating a landscape of strained state coffers and competing priorities.

Charting the Future with AI and Equity

Beyond addressing current crises, AIR's agenda is decidedly forward-looking, with a significant focus on the transformative potential—and pitfalls—of artificial intelligence in the classroom. As states move to mandate AI and computer science education, and with a new White House National AI Policy Framework shaping the national conversation, AIR's research probes the critical issues of equity, access, and ethical implementation. A structured poster session will feature multiple AIR papers, including a longitudinal study on equity in Pennsylvania's secondary computer science system and a project called "AI by 8," which embeds AI literacy into early language arts in rural North Carolina. Other presentations explore Indigenous students' access to AI education and teacher perspectives on data privacy, reflecting a nuanced approach to technological integration.

This focus on equity is a consistent thread woven throughout AIR's conference portfolio. As the educational community increasingly embraces an "English-plus" framework that values multilingualism as an asset, AIR is presenting research on language supports for dual language learners in transitional kindergarten and a study on preparing dual language teacher leaders in Illinois. This work provides practical evidence for a pedagogical shift that promises to better serve a growing segment of the student population. The theme of equitable opportunity continues with research on Washington's Academic Acceleration Policy, which aims to increase student enrollment in advanced courses, and a symposium on strengthening STEM pathways for students from low-income backgrounds at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), demonstrating a commitment to closing opportunity gaps at every stage of the educational journey.

From Research to Reality

The AERA and NCME annual meetings serve as a vital nexus where rigorous research begins its journey toward influencing real-world policy and classroom practice. The extensive participation of organizations like AIR is a testament to the power of collaborative, evidence-based inquiry in solving complex social problems. In a period of unprecedented disruption and transformation, the findings and discussions initiated in Los Angeles this week will reverberate through school districts, statehouses, and federal agencies.

For an organization that has spent nearly eight decades dedicated to conducting behavioral and social science research in the public interest, this conference is more than just an academic exercise. It is a reaffirmation of the principle that sound data and insightful analysis are the most powerful tools for building a more effective and equitable education system for all learners. The insights shared by AIR's experts will undoubtedly contribute to shaping a new, more resilient vision for the future of education.