American Educational Research Association (AERA) and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) 2026

Presentations, papers, panel discussions, roundtables, and mentoring sessions featuring Simmons professors and doctoral students participating in the 2026 AERA Conference can be found below. Complete information, as well as general conference information, is available at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting website and the 2026 NCME Annual Conference website.

Wednesday, April 8

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Poster Session:
  Using Education, Place, Space, and Time in the Pursuit of Educational Justice and Renewal

  “An Upstanding Citizen of Our City”: Analysis of Websites of Public Schools Named After Confederates

  Cheyenne Phillips (Southern Methodist University); Meredith Paige Richards (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

• 7:45 a.m.–3 p.m. PDT

  AERA Virtual Poster Session:
  Division J - Section 2a: College Student Access, Trajectories, and Transitions Virtual Poster Session

  Postsecondary Access and Completion: A Meta-Analysis of Dual Enrollment and Early College High School Participation

  Justin C. Ortagus (University of Florida); Xiaodan Hu (Southern Methodist University); Hope Allchin (University of Florida); Rachel Dean Divaker (University of Florida); Terri D. Pigott (Georgia State University)

  Virtual Posters Exhibit Hall, Virtual Poster Hall

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Toward Innovative and Supportive Teaching Practices

  A Latent Class Analysis of Guest Speakers in Undergraduate STEM Courses

  Sara Dozier (California State University - Long Beach); Quentin Sedlacek (Southern Methodist University); Michelle Friend (University of Nebraska - Omaha); Anthony Muro Villa (University of California - Riverside); Maricela Leon (The University of Texas System); Karla Lomeli (Santa Clara University); Greses Perez (Tufts University); Joel Alejandro Mejia (University of Cincinnati)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 1

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Supporting Positive Mathematical Affect Through Instruction and Informal Learning

  The Effects of Creating Versus Experiencing Math Walks Stops in Informal Learning Settings

  Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University); Anthony J. Petrosino (Southern Methodist University); Jennifer D. Sayed (Southern Methodist University); Saki L. Milton (Southern Methodist University); Safia Khan (Southern Methodist University); Eric Desjardins (Southern Methodist University); Theodora Beauchamp (Southern Methodist University); Mary Cabanas (Southern Methodist University); Elizabeth Stringer (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 3

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Working Group Roundtable:
  Community-Informed STEM Learning

  STEM Learning. Tracing Purpose(s) in Practice: A Case Study of Community-centered Grassroots Engineering in Northern Tanzania

  Maximilian Sherard (University of North Texas); Jessie Zarazaga (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 501A

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Virtual Communication in Higher Education

  What are we selling? A Content Analysis of Virtual Communication to Prospective Students

  Emily A. Short (Southern Methodist University); Michael S. Harris (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 1

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Women and the Superintendency

  Holding the Line and Each Other: Disrupting Isolation in the Superintendency for Women

  Katrina Struloeff (University of Pennsylvania); Shanae Neal (Southern Methodist University); Megan MacDonald (University of Pennsylvania)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 2

Thursday, April 9

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Leadership Strategies During Crisis and Emergency Situations

  One Crisis After Another: Leading Through Natural Disasters and Health Pandemics

  Kessa Roberts (Clemson University); Cheyenne Phillips (Southern Methodist University); Shanea Neal (Southern Methodist University); Shanae Neal (Southern Methodist University); Alexandra E. Pavlakis (Southern Methodist University); Meredith Paige Richards (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level One, Petree D

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  STEM Education Across K-12 Contexts

  Spatial Ability and Epistemic Actions in Digital Tangram Puzzles

  Kelsey E. Schenck (Southern Methodist University); Prajakt Pande (Southern Methodist University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Floor: Lobby Level, Los Cerritos

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  NCME Individual Paper Session:
  Item Parameter Prediction and Difficulty Modeling

  Passage Difficulty Modeling in Oral Reading Fluency Assessments

  Yusuf Kara (University of Miami); Kuo Wang S9outhern Methodist University); Joanne Joo (Southern Methodist University); Zoltan Szentkiralyi (Southern Methodist University); William Ebo Annan (Texas Christian University)

  Silver Lake A

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Structured Poster Session:
  Data Science as a Tool for Engaging in Civic Education

  Data Literacy as an Essential Component of Constructive Civic Engagement

  Jennifer D. Sayed (Southern Methodist University); Nick Okafor (trubel&co)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 515A

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Bridging Campuses, Communities, and Classrooms: Collaborative Pathways to Lasting Change

  Strengthening Communities through Place-Based University Partnerships

  Prajakt Pande (Aarhus University); Marc Sager (Southern Methodist University); Karen Pierce (Southern Methodist University); Jessica Murillo (Southern Methodist University); Rolanda Washington (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 4

• 11:30–12:30 p.m. PDT

  NCME Electronic Board Session:
  Methodological Investigations in DCM, G Theory, and IRT

  Prior Sensitivity in Bayesian Estimation of Model-Based Oral Reading Fluency Scores

  Yusuf Kara (University of Miami); Xin Qiao (University of South Florida); Cornelis Potgieter (Texas Christian University); Joanne Joo (Southern Methodist University)

  Hancock Park

• 2:15–3:45 p.m. PDT

  AERA Symposium:
  Measuring and Addressing Gaps in Out-of-School Time Access: Barriers, Data Infrastructure, and Program Impacts

  Implementation and Impact of a No-Cost District Summer School Program

  Jennifer McMurrer (Southern Methodist University); Marshall Garland (Gibson Consulting Group); Amie Rapaport (University of Southern California); David J. Osman (Gibson Consulting); Amanda Brown Cross (University of Pittsburgh); Courtney Grondziowski (University of Pittsburgh); Tori Nickerson (Gibson Consulting Group)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 409AB

• 2:15–3:45 p.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  AI-Enabled Curriculum and Pathways in Computing and Beyond

  Prior Gaming Experience on Students’ Computational Thinking in Digital Game-Based Learning

  Yanjun Pan (Southern Methodist University); Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller (Southern Methodist University); Ching-Yu Tseng (Southern Methodist University); Lawrence J. Klinkert (Southern Methodist University); Eric C. Larson (Southern Methodist University); Corey Clark (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 4

Friday, April 10

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Non-academic Outcomes and Student Well-being: The Importance of Schools and Communities

  “Building the Plane as We Fly It”: Lessons from a Slashed Wraparound Program

  Cheyenne Phillips (Southern Methodist University); Shanae Neal (Southern Methodist University); Shanea Neal (Southern Methodist University); Alexandra E. Pavlakis (Southern Methodist University); Kessa Roberts (Clemson University); Meredith Paige Richards (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 1

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Workshop:
  12th Annual Language and Social Processes Mentoring Session

  Participant: Quentin Sedlacek (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 403A

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Structured Poster Session:
  How Data Science Education Can Enable Exploration of Real World Phenomena

  Developing Critical Data Literate Girls in Informal STEM Settings

  Marc Sager (Southern Methodist University); Saki L. Milton (Southern Methodist University)

  Chair and Organizer: Marc Sager (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 515A

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  NCME Individual Paper Session
  Estimation with Complex Distributions and Data Structures

  Likelihood-based Estimation of Model-derived Oral Reading Fluency under Dispersed Count-time Data

  Xin Qiao (University of South Florida); Emma Evudottir (University of South Florida); Cornelis Potgieter (Texas Christian University); Akihito Kamata (Southern Methodist University)

  Roosevelt A

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Science Teaching and Learning

  STEM Instructor Perceptions of Obstacles for Implementing Racially/Ethnically Diverse Guest Speakers

  Anthony Muro Villa (University of California - Riverside); Quentin Sedlacek (Southern Methodist University); Michelle Friend (University of Nebraska - Omaha); Sara Dozier (California State University - Long Beach); Karla Lomeli (Santa Clara University); Greses Perez (Tufts University); Joel Alejandro Mejia (University of Cincinnati)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 3

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA: Roundtable Session:
  AI-Enhanced Problem Solving and Instructional Design Frameworks

  The Efficacy of Using Generative AI to Render Illustrative Diagrams to Accompany Mathematics Word Problems

  Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University); Theodora Beauchamp (Southern Methodist University); Jiabao Wen (Southern Methodist University); Jonathan Isaac (Southern Methodist University); Robert DiBiano (Ailectric)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 4

• 3:30–5:00 p.m. PDT

  NCME Individual Paper Session:
  Practical Issues in Psychometrics

  Modeling Accuracy in Oral Reading Fluency Assessment: Exploring Count Data Modeling Options

  Paul David Foster (Southern Methodist University); Yusuf Kara (University of Miami); Joseph F. T. Nese (University of Oregon); Akihito Kamata (Southern Methodist University)

  Silver Lake B

• 3:45–5:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Symposium:
  Debating the Future: Appropriate Use of Generative AI in Educational Research

  Participant: Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Floor: Level 2, Beverly

Saturday, April 11

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Symposium:
  Insights from Examining and Comparing Elementary Teachers' Visions Across Content Areas

  Elementary Teachers' Visions for Student Learning in Mathematics and ELA

  Rebecca Memmolo (University of Delaware); Olga Hawranick (Washington State University); Blake Nelson (Washington State University); Anne Garrison Wilhelm (Southern Methodist University)

  Chair: Anne Garrison Wilhelm (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 4th Floor, Diamond 6

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Poster Session:
  AI and Technology Integration in K-12 Education

  Bridging Reading Science and EdTech: A Framework for Evaluating Early Literacy Tools

  Angelica DaSilva (Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop); Diane Baty Gifford (Southern Methodist University); Medha Tare (Sesame Workshop)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Ed Talk:
  e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 16 - Stage 2

  Bridging Reading Science and EdTech: A Framework for Evaluating Early Literacy Tools (Stage 2)

  Angelica DaSilva (Sesame Workshop); Diane Baty Gifford (Southern Methodist University); Medha Tare (Sesame Workshop)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level One, Exhibit Hall A - Stage 2

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Invited Speaker Session:
  Making Technology Work for You: A Show-and-Tell of Practical Tools for Educational Researchers

  Participant: Michele Wiedemer (Southern Methodist University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Level 3, Avalon

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Developing Intentionality Among Pre-service STEM Teachers

  Sources of Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Integrated STEM Teaching Self‑efficacy: A Multi-institutional Study

  Deepika Menon (University of Nebraska - Lincoln); Jeanna R. Wieselmann (Southern Methodist University); Grace Morison (Southern Methodist University); Sarah A. Haines (Towson University); Sumreen Asim (Indiana University - Southeast); Allison Johnson (University of Nebraska - Lincoln)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 1

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  Critical Narratives From Carceral, Educational, and Community Contexts

  Data and Farming: Uncovering Tensions in Food Justice

  Marc Sager (Southern Methodist University); Maximilian Sherard (University of North Texas); Anthony J. Petrosino (Southern Methodist University)
  Westin Bonaventure, Lobby Level, La Brea

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  Transformational Leadership Growth and Critical Consciousness: Learning Across Sectors, Systems, and States

  School Site Leaders who work with Principals' Professional Learning: Needs, Opportunities & Insights

  Rebecca Cheung (University of California - Berkeley); Melissa Itzel Virrueta-Peters (University of California - Berkeley); Jessica G. Rigby (University of Washington); Annie Wilhelm (Southern Methodist University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Lobby Level, Los Cerritos

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  Considering the Interplay between Generative AI and the Mathematics Classroom

  Mathematics Teacher Interaction Styles with Generative Artificial Intelligence: Personalization Approaches and Problem Quality

  Theodora Beauchamp (Southern Methodist University); Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University); Tiffini Pruitt-Britton (American Institutes for Research)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 2nd Floor, Platinum A

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session:
  Research-in-Progress RT026

  Teachers Developing Strategies for AI Integration in Mathematics Education within the I‑TPACK Framework

  Merve Kocyigit Gurbuz (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level One, Petree Hall C

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Institutional Responsibilities for Teaching, Learning, and Community Engagement

  Colleges and universities as place-makers: Understanding the “community” in higher education-community engagement

  Sondra Nicole Barringer (Southern Methodist University); Brianna R. Freshwater (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 1

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  NCME Individual Paper Session:
  Fairness Concerns with AI

  Utility of Off-the-Shelf Generative AIs for DIF Detections

  Chalie Patarapichayatham (HMH); Gozde Sirganci (Southern Methodist University); Akihito Kamata (Southern Methodist University)

  Roosevelt B

• 3:45pm–5:15pm PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  Examining Mathematics Teaching Practices

  Instructional Adaptations of Evidence-Based Mathematics Intervention for Tier 3: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Practices

  Charissa Richards (University of Missouri); Syeda Sharjina Akther (University of Texas at Austin); Megyn Elizabeth Martin (University of Missouri); Emily A. Short (Southern Methodist University); Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller (Southern Methodist University); Sarah R. Powell (University of Texas at Austin); Erica S. Lembke (University of Missouri)

  Westin Bonaventure, Lobby Level, Beaudry B

• 3:45–5:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  Immersive Technologies in Education: Enhancing Learning Through VR, AR, and Robotics

  Dimensionality and Dynamicity Matter in Geometry Learning: Comparing Augmented Reality, Tablets, Manipulatives, and Diagrams

  Julianna Washington-Henderson (Southern Methodist University); Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Lobby Level, Santa Barbara A

Sunday, April 12

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Symposium:
  Designing for Affect and Embodiment: Ethical Attunements in the Futuring of Education

  Representational Improvisation: Collective Ideation at the Intersection of Embodiment and Affect

  Corey Brady (Southern Methodist University); Lauren Vogelstein (Teachers College, Columbia); Tessaly Jen (Vanderbilt University)

  Westin Bonaventure, Floor: TBD, La Cienega

• 7:45–9:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Innovative Approaches to Mathematics Instruction for Students with Disabilities

  Chair: Lois Ndungu (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 2

• 9:45–11:15 a.m. PDT

  AERA Roundtable Session:
  Of Care and Resistance: Teachers' Voices in Complex Times

  Out of Bounds: Secondary Teachers’ Use of Labor Boundaries as a Strategic Form of Resistance

  Shanea Neal (Southern Methodist University); Janel Anderson (Gonzaga University); Jeff Walls (University of Iowa)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Ground Floor, Gold 2

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Paper Session:
  The Power Of (Un)Forgetting, Historical Consciousness And Decolonial Future Of Education

  Unforgetting Censorship, Reimagining Academic Freedom: The Suppression of Discourse Around Palestine in U.S. Education

  Mai Zaru (Southern Methodist University); Danfeng Soto‑Vigil Koon (University of San Francisco); Huriya Jabbar (University of Souther California)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Room 303B

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Poster Session:
  SIG-RME Poster Session: Explorations of the Mathematics Teaching and Learning Experience

  An Investigation of the Importance and Usefulness of School Mathematics in the Workplace

  Jonathan Isaac (Southern Methodist University); Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two, Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA Ed Talk
  e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 22 - Stage 2

  An Investigation of the Importance and Usefulness of School Mathematics in the Workplace (Stage 2)

  Jonathan Isaac (Southern Methodist University); Candace A. Walkington (Southern Methodist University)

  Los Angeles Convention Center, Level One, Exhibit Hall A - Stage 2

• 1:45–3:15 p.m. PDT

  AERA: Roundtable Session
  Meta-analytic and Systematic Reviews of Learning Environments

  Reimagining Informal STEM Learning Ecosystems: A Systematic Review of Outcomes for Underrepresented and Underserved Learners

  Saki L. Milton (Southern Methodist University)

  JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level, Gold 3