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AERA Highlights

April 2026

April 2026
AERA News
Watch: AERA President Jerome E. Morris Shares His Vision for the 2027 Annual Meeting Theme In a new video, AERA President Jerome E. Morris speaks about his vision for the 2027 Annual Meeting Theme, “Transcending Borders and Boundaries in Education Research: Toward a Beloved Global Community.”
*AERA Selects Daniel Solorzano to Deliver 2026 Brown* Lecture in Education Research** Daniel Solorzano, Professor of Social Science and Comparative Education and Chicana/o and Central American Studies and the Director of the Center for Critical Race Studies in Education at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been selected by AERA to present the 2026 Brown Lecture in Education Research. Read more
AERA Names New Editorial Team for Educational Researcher AERA has announced the appointment of Marybeth Gasman and Andrés Castro Samayoa as the new co-editors of Educational Researcher for 2027–2029. Read more
AERA Members Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Five AERA members have been elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences as part of its 2026 cohort. Read more
AERA Past President Frank Farley Dies at 89 AERA 1980–81 Past President Frank Farley passed away on March 20 at the age of 89. Read more
AERA Advocacy
AERA Speaks Out on National Science Board Dismissal I am deeply dismayed by the Trump administration’s decision to dismiss all members of the National Science Board. This unprecedented action undermines the governance structure of the National Science Foundation and weakens a critical institution responsible for safeguarding the integrity and direction of American science policy. Read more
AERA Seeks Court Order to Reverse Cuts to Institute of Education Sciences in Ongoing Lawsuit On March 27, AERA and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness filed a motion for summary judgment in their legal challenge to cuts at the Institute of Education Sciences, asking a federal court to reverse the actions and require the agency to carry out its congressionally mandated role in leading and funding education research and statistics. Read more
2026 Annual Meeting
2026 Annual Meeting Draws More Than 15,000 Attendees to Los Angeles The 2026 Annual Meeting brought together more than 15,000 education researchers and other scholars, policy leaders, practitioners, and students in Los Angeles, California, April 8–12, for five days of scholarly exchange, networking, and professional development. Read more
AERA 2025–2026 President Maisha T. Winn Calls for Historical Thinking to Guide Educational Innovation 2025–2026 President Maisha T. Winn delivered her Presidential Address, “The Future Is Here: Historical Signals in Education Research,” to an engaged audience on Friday, April 10, at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Read more
Brayboy and Baldridge Deliver Major Lectures Raising Important Questions on Educational Equity The 2026 AERA Distinguished Lecture and Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture, held during the Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, were delivered by prominent scholars Bryan Brayboy and Bianca J. Baldridge. Read more
AERA-CURI Spring Convening Highlights Communication Strategies, Sector Challenges, and Spencer Foundation Priorities The AERA Consortium of University and Research Institutions held its spring convening on April 7 as a pre-conference meeting during the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting. Read more
AERA Holds Undergraduate Student Workshop at Annual Meeting Sixteen highly promising undergraduate students participated in the Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop during the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Read more
READY Program Brings High School Researchers to Annual Meeting The AERA Research Engagement and Development with Youth Program brought six teams of high school students from California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Korea to participate in a workshop and present their work at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Read more
Annual Meeting Videos
2026 AERA Recap – 5 Days in Los Angeles!
Veronica Terriquez on the Opening Plenary: Holding Fast to Histories, Holding Fast to Dreams Public Enemy’s Chuck D on In the Hour of Chaos and the intersection of culture and scholarship Nolan Cabrera (2026 Outstanding Public Communication Award) on engaging the public with research Bryan Brayboy (2026 Distinguished Lecturer) on the future of schooling Jill Barshay (The Hechinger Report) on helping journalists translate research Bianca Baldridge (2026 Wallace Foundation Lecturer) on community-based youth programs Recordings of major sessions will be available on the AERA website and YouTube channel in May.
AERA has recently released Transforming the Special Education Workforce: Research and Complex Systems Perspectives, a first-of-its-kind volume that offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of the national crisis in special education staffing. Visit our Online Store to purchase your copy now! Want to advertise in AERA Highlights? Learn more
Research Policy and Funding News
President Trump Dismisses Members of the National Science Board The Trump administration dismissed all members of the National Science Board on April 24. Read more
President's FY 2027 Budget Request Proposes Deep Cuts to Education Research and Statistics The Trump administration released its FY 2027 budget request on April 3, proposing significant reductions to federal research agencies that support education research and statistics. Read more
President Trump Announces Appointments to Science and Technology Advisory Council On March 25, President Donald Trump announced the appointment of 13 members to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Read more
AERA Calls
AERA-NSF Research and Dissertation Grants Program—Deadline: May 20 2027 AERA Annual Meeting Call for Volunteer Reviewers—Deadline: May 30 Call for Papers: AERA Open Special Topic on Educational Data Science: Volume II–Papers due November 1

Shaping Federal Research Policy Recent comments and letters from AERA influencing federal research policy.
Multi-signatory letter on Proposed GSA Condition for Federal Funding (March 30) AERA joined 28 scholarly and professional societies—representing more than 165,000 members and over 170 colleges and universities—in urging the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to withdraw proposed changes to System for Award Management certification requirements for applicants and recipients of federal financial assistance. AERA Public Witness Testimony to House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee on FY 2027 (April 16) AERA called for $900 million for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES); at least $51.303 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $1.891 billion for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); and no less than the FY 2026 level for the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR). Census Project FY 2027 Appropriations Letter (April 21) AERA joined a coalition request for $2.111 billion for the Census Bureau to support 2030 Decennial Census preparations, sustain the American Community Survey, and modernize other key federal surveys.
In Memoriam AERA members who have recently passed away
^♦Frank Farley (1937 – 2026) Frank Farley, 89, died on March 20. He served as AERA President in 1980-1981 and was an AERA Fellow. Before retiring, he served as the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Educational Psychology at Temple University. Read more Kenneth Travers (1934 – 2026) Kenneth Travers, 91, died on March 23. He was a professor emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Read more ^♦AERA Fellow
Beyond AERA Visit the Beyond AERA webpage for professional advancement opportunities from other organizations, including calls for papers and submissions, meetings and conferences, and other activities.
AERA in the News Recent media coverage of AERA and AERA-published research
What drove Hampshire College to shutter, despite raising $55 million The Christian Science Monitor, April 18 American Educational Research Association Honors Six Black Americans Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, April 6 Improving women’s experiences in internships Community College Daily, April 1
More AERA in the News AERA Highlights is published by the American Educational Research Association monthly to inform members and others interested in education research about the latest news and developments in AERA and in the field.
Executive Director: Tabbye Chavous Editor: Tony Pals Editorial and Production Team: Marla Koenigsknecht, John Neikirk, Audrey Poe Contributors: Marla Koenigsknecht, Tony Pals, Audrey Poe, Rebecca Rock, Madelyn Smith, Christy Talbot, George Wimberly