AHEAD @ AERA's Centennial Year

The American Education Research Association’s (AERA) centennial conference celebrated the foundation that AERA has built upon over the past 100 years—the idea that research can strengthen educational opportunity and outcomes. The 2016 Annual Meeting included a variety of events showcasing the role of public scholars, education researchers and practitioners who work within increasingly diverse democracies in the United States and throughout the world. Penn AHEAD was honored to take part in this conference.

Penn AHEAD Executive Director Laura Perna, along with Professor Agnes van Zanten from Sciences Po in Paris, co-taught a mini-course for AERA and the World Education Research Association entitled, “Studying Higher Education Access and Attainment Worldwide.” Sixteen scholars from various nations and with diverse research interests participated in the half-day course. Designed to promote comparative and international research on higher education access and attainment, participants considered ways to design and conduct research that will inform efforts by university leaders and government officials to increase access and attainment within particular national contexts.

Dr. Perna also presented an Ed Talk on addressing the structural inequalities that limit college opportunity for many students. Modeled after the popular Ted Talks, these six-minute educational talks focused on major education research themes and were presented in five sessions throughout the conference. Dr. Vivian Gadsden and Dr. Richard Ingersoll from Penn GSE also presented Ed Talks during the conference.