About

The work of the Achievement & Assessment Institute and its centers is guided by one simple principle: improving the lives of children and adults. This is accomplished through academics, research, direct-impact programming, developing healthy environments, community engagement, and more. We provide innovative tools to enhance the capacity of organizations that help children, adults, and communities and we offer support to KU faculty whose research relates to key areas of our mission.

A word from AAI director, Dr. Neal Kingston

Our Mission

AAI’s mission is accomplished by:

  • Partnering with local, state, national, and global communities to apply scholarship to implement programs with direct public impact.
     
  • Developing and publishing generalizable knowledge that allows leveraging of the solutions developed so the success of the first part of our mission is magnified.
     
  • Providing faculty with the support and encouragement they need to generate resources for research and development in support of enhanced achievement of individuals and organizations.
     
  • Providing students with work experience vital to their professional development.

Our History

AAI was established in 2012 through the merger of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation and the Institute for Educational Research and Public Services. Both organizations set the Institute’s foundation to successfully build partnerships and programs that support the achievement of children adults, and publicly funded agencies. In 2013, AAI was recognized by KU’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies as a designated university institute.

Woman instructing two adult peers at the computer
Woman speaking at a staff event
A teacher laughing with her young students at a school table

AAI Administrative Staff

Commitment to Equity

The Achievement & Assessment Institute is dedicated to improving the lives of people in the many communities we serve. Our mission requires that we seek out and address the structural and systemic injustices preventing marginalized communities from thriving. We endeavor to not only be free of bias but to also adapt our approaches to the specific needs and lived experiences of each population with whom we work.

Therefore, we commit to creating a supportive work environment where our staff, partners, and clients feel safe to share their ideas, critically examine their biases, and push positive, lasting change. We commit to uplifting the voices of all marginalized and oppressed communities as we strive toward a just and equitable future.

 

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