Wallace-funded Sessions at AERA 2026
Each year, the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for groundbreaking studies in an array of areas. With more than 2,500 sessions to choose from, the 2026 Annual Meeting will provide opportunities to learn from scholars, discover the latest research, engage in stimulating conversations, and foster professional relationships.
Below is a list of Wallace-affiliated research and partner sessions that are happening this year. For a complete list of every session, visit the AERA website.
Advancing The Teaching and Learning of Collaborative Continuous Improvement in Education
4/8 9:45–11:15am PDT
Learn how district leaders are using collaborative, cross-district learning and continuous improvement tools to strengthen systems for principal support and evaluation.
Presenting Authors:
Alison Fox Resnick, University of Colorado - Boulder
Caitlin Farrell, University of Colorado - Boulder
Kim Boddie Wright, Rice University
Marc L. Stein, Improving Education
Paula Arce-Trigatti, National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships
Terrenda Corisa White, University of Colorado - Boulder
Equity Work in the Current Moment
4/8 11:45am–1:15pm
Researchers will explore how school leaders are working toward an equity-centered future—from navigating today’s political context to sustaining racial equity efforts and building principal pipelines.
Chair:
- Daniella Molle, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Presenting Authors:
- John Diamond, Brown University
- Caleb Probst, University of Wisconsin - Madison (session organizer)
- Aziz Awaludin, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Non-presenting Authors:
- Emily Handsman, Rutgers University
- Jordan Mosby, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Emily Nott, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Data, AI, and Power: Critical Perspectives on Equity and Influence in Education
4/8 3:45–5:15pm
Join researchers from Teachers College, Columbia University in exploring the implications for data access and research.
Presenting Author:
- Alex J. Bowers, Teachers College, Columbia University
Non-presenting Authors:
- Ghipsel Cibrian, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Meaghan Sill, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Yeonsoo Choi, Teachers College, Columbia University
Changing District Systems to Expand Principal Supervisors’ Capacity to Support Equity-Centered Leadership
4/9 4:15–5:45pm
How can districts better support principals to lead for equity? This session explores strategies to strengthen principal supervisors’ capacity through shared frameworks, collaboration, and time in schools.
Presenting Authors:
- Daniella Molle, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Richard R. Halverson, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Kelly Lawler, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Arati Bapat, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Shweta Chandrashekhar, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Emily Nott, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Opportunities for Principal Professional Learning: the Relationship Between Form and Content
4/9 4:15–5:45pm
How do principals actually learn on the job? This session explores the role of informal learning and reimagines how professional learning for principals is designed and implemented.
Presenting Authors:
- Jason Grissom, Vanderbilt University
- Morgaen Donaldson, University of Connecticut
- Jessica Rigby, University of Washington
Mapping the Imprint Foundation-Funded Research in Federal and State Education Policies
4/9 4:15–5:45pm
What influence does research funding have on education policy? Explore how research is cited and used in policy decisions.
Presenting Authors:
- Samantha Jo Shewchuk, University of Delaware
- Caitlin Farrell, University of Colorado - Boulder
- Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, University of Delaware
- Lok-Sze Wong, University of North Texas
- Joel Malin, Miami University (OH)
- Jennifer Neal, Michigan State University
Equity by Design: Redesigning Principal Pathways for Systemic Change
4/10 9:45–11:45am
How are districts redesigning principal pathways to advance equity? This symposium shares new research, tools, and insights from the Equity-Centered Principal Pipeline Initiative.
Chair:
- Will Jordan, The Wallace Foundation
Presenting Authors:
- Yi-Jwa Liou, National Taipei University of Education
- John Diamond, Brown University
- Louis M. Gomez, University of California - Los Angeles
- Mary Louise Leger, University of California - Los Angeles
- Richard R. Halverson, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Alex J. Bowers, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Non-presenting Author:
- Daniella Molle, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Implementing Justice: Race-Conscious Policy Futures and the Practice of Educational Equity
4/10 11:45am–1:15pm
Presenting Author:
Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin
Measuring Impact, Imagining Futures: What Works (and Doesn’t) in Education Reform
4/10 1:45pm–3:15pm
What works, and what doesn’t, in education reform? This session will explore new perspectives on measuring impact and imagining future directions.
Discussant:
Alex J. Bowers, Teachers College, Columbia University
Systems Change for Equity: Insights from Design, Network, and Continuous Improvement Approaches
4/10 3:45–5:15pm
Learn how design, networks, and continuous improvement are being used to drive equity-focused systems change.
Presenting Authors:
- Brooke Fousek, University of Texas at Austin
- Yu-Yuan Huang, National Taipei University of Education
- Daniella Molle, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Aziz Awaludin, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Non-presenting Authors:
- Yi-Hwa Liou, National Taipei University of Education
- Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin
- Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Constructing New Visions in K-12 School Finance: The Past, Present, and Future of State Interventions into District Finances
4/10 3:45–5:15pm
This symposium explores how school finance can contribute to a “hard reset” in education—examining state interventions, resource allocation, and the legacy of the “education debt.”
Presenting Authors:
- Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Laura Davalos, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
The Politics of Equity: Central Office Responses to State and Federal Pressures on Equity Policy Implementation
4/10 3:45–5:15pm
Learn how central office administrators in eight urban public school districts respond to growing political pressures surrounding equity-focused initiatives.
Presenting Authors:
- Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin
- Maria Del Carmen Unda, University of Texas at Austin
- Kait Ogden, University of Texas at Austin
- Ain A. Grooms, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- April L. Peters-Hawkins, University of Houston
CAPTURE-ing Power Dynamics: A Critical Methodological Tool for Understanding Equity in Research Use
4/10 3:45–5:15pm
This session introduces CAPTURE, a new methodological tool for examining how research products address the systems of power shaping research use.
Presenting Authors:
- Lok-Sze Wong, University of North Texas
- Jennifer Neal, Michigan State University
- Joel R. Malin, Miami University (OH)
- Samantha Jo Shewchuk, University of Delaware
- Caitlin Farrell, University of Colorado - Boulder
- Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, University of Delaware
- Dominique Brooks, University of North Texas
- Abayomi Samuel Abodunrin, Miami University
- Brian Brutzman, Michigan State University
Data, Accountability, and Political Contexts in Education Finance
4/11 7:45–9:15am
This roundtable session will investigate the role of data systems, public attitudes, and political pressures in shaping education finance.
Presenting Authors:
Sarah Volk, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Laura Davalos, Wisconsin Center for education Research
- Xinyu Guan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Non-presenting Authors:
- Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Ariadna Guerrero, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Brooke Fousek, University of Texas at Austin
- Ghipsel Cibrian, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Aaron Mathew, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Unpacking the Latent Clusters of Equity Indicators via Correspondence Analysis Using Open School Equity Data
4/11 11:45am–1:15pm
Explore how researchers are using data to uncover patterns across equity indicators—and what that means for analysis, benchmarking, and policy use.
Presenting-Author:
- Alex J. Bowers, Teachers College, Columbia University
Non-presenting Author:
- Guoliang Xu, Teachers College, Columbia University
2026 Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture: (Re)memory, Community-based Education, and ‘Youth Work’ as the Process of Futuring
4/11 11:45am–1:15pm
During the Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture, Bianca J. Baldridge will examine youth work, community-based education, and how history, resistance, and community knowledge can inform more just educational futures.
Presenter:
- Bianca Baldridge, Harvard University
Systems and Stories: Cultural-Historical Perspectives on Development and Equity
4/12 9:45–11:15am
This roundtable session will explore cultural-historical perspectives on development and equity.
Presenting Authors:
- Shweta Chandrashekhar, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Daniella Molle, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Arati Bapat, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Emily Nott, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Place-Based Leadership Pipelines: Centering Rural Contexts in the Development of School Principals
4/12: 1:45–3:15pm
How can principal pipelines better reflect rural contexts? This session explores place-based approaches to developing, supporting, and sustaining school leaders in rural communities.
Presenting Authors:
- Amy Price Azano, Virginia Tech
- David Kniola, Virginia Tech
- Charles Lowery, Virginia Tech
