November 2025
AERA is gearing up for the 2026 Annual Meeting, April 8–12 in Los Angeles. With notifications recently sent, excitement is building across the education research community. Registration and housing open in December, and the full program will be released on January 16. Pre-meeting events, including professional development courses and the AERA-CURI Spring Policy Conference, will take place April 6–7.
“The AERA Annual Meeting is not just a conference,” said AERA Executive Director Tabbye Chavous. “It is a generative space where ideas take shape, collaborations begin, and our field considers how research can advance practice and policy. With registration opening soon and a rich program ahead, the 2026 meeting promises to be a powerful moment for the education research community.”
This year’s meeting invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to engage with the Presidential Program theme, “Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research.” Developed under the direction of AERA President Maisha Winn, the theme challenges the field to reckon with the past while envisioning transformative futures for education research, policy, and practice.
With more than 2,500 sessions, the 2026 program will showcase the breadth of the field and provide a dynamic experience with opportunities to learn from prominent scholars, discover the latest research, engage in stimulating conversations, and foster professional relationships.
In addition to major plenaries and the Awards Ceremony, the 2026 Annual Meeting will feature a compelling lineup of sessions spotlighting leading thinkers in education research.
The Opening Plenary on April 8 will bring together an esteemed panel—Daniel G. Solórzano, Jarvis R. Givens, Stacy J. Lee, Verónica Terriquez, and Amanda R. Tachine—to examine urgent questions shaping the field today. AERA President Maisha T. Winn will deliver the Presidential Address, sharing her vision for education research and this year’s theme. The program also includes two signature lectures: the AERA Distinguished Lecture by Bryan Brayboy and the Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture by Bianca J. Baldridge. These sessions offer attendees unparalleled opportunities to engage with some of the most influential scholars in the field.
Poster presenters will again have the option to participate in rapid-fire e-Lightning Ed-Talks, offering short, engaging presentations on a staged platform in the poster hall. The i-Presentation Gallery, which remains accessible to registrants throughout the meeting and becomes open access afterward, offers additional visibility for cutting-edge scholarship.
Graduate students will continue to have a strong presence at the meeting, with AERA’s Research-in-Progress Roundtable Series returning for its fourth year. These roundtables create spaces for emerging scholars to gather feedback, refine ideas, and build professional networks that can shape the trajectory of their careers.
The 2026 Annual Meeting website is now live, with information on key dates, policies, and meeting features. Visit the site for updates in the coming weeks.
Questions about the meeting may be sent to annualmtg@aera.net.