The Alliance for Learning Innovation is excited to have five session proposals in the running for SXSW EDU 2025. If selected, these sessions would bring education leaders, advocates, and experts to Austin to discuss the importance of education R&D. We need your help to make them happen!
The proposed sessions exemplify what is possible with strong education R&D systems and partnerships – one of ALI’s core priorities. Three of the sessions would highlight ALI’s task force topics and feature task force members sharing their work and experiences. Overall, these sessions will advance ALI’s progress in advocating for a more robust education R&D ecosystem through highlighting a diverse set of speakers who know firsthand the role of R&D in improving student outcomes.
Sessions are selected for SXSW EDU through a three-part evaluation process that includes SXSW EDU’s advisory board, SXSW EDU staff, and community voting. Community voting accounts for 30 percent of the overall evaluation.
To vote for SXSW EDU sessions, make an account on PanelPicker – if you try to vote without an account, you will be prompted to make one. Cast your votes and encourage your colleagues to do the same!
SXSW EDU evaluators also value comments and other engagement with session proposals that demonstrate the sessions’ popularity – so please consider leaving a comment or question on each session’s PanelPicker page.
With your help, ALI will bring some of the best and brightest minds in education R&D to SXSW EDU 2025. Please take just a few minutes to vote for all five of ALI’s proposed sessions by clicking on the session’s title below:
Using Evidence to Boost Literacy: A State Leaders' Dialogue: This session will feature a conversation between two state education leaders, focusing on their experiences as evidence-driven leaders. Featuring: Dr. Penny Schwinn (University of Florida) and Dr. Carey Wright (Maryland State Department of Education).
Leading School Systems with Evidence and Innovation: This session will discuss evidence-based decision-making to promote innovation, continuously improve, and move the needle on student outcomes. Featuring: Sara Schapiro (ALI), Sophia Mendoza (Los Angeles Unified School District), Barbara Jenkins (Chiefs for Change), and Kirsten Baesler (North Dakota Department of Public Instruction).
Bridging the Lab-to-Classroom Gap with Inclusive R&D: This session will discuss policy solutions that are inclusive of education practitioners to ensure education tools consistently make their way into classrooms to benefit students. Featuring: Kim Smith (Digital Promise), Katie Boody Adorno (Leanlab Education), Phyllis Lockett (LEAP Innovations), and Auditi Chakravarty (Advanced Education Research and Development Fund).
Building and Broadening the Education R&D Enterprise: This session will discuss policy solutions for incorporating a broader range of communities’ assets, needs, and perspectives in the education R&D process. Featuring: Jinann Bitar (The Education Trust), Marybeth Gasman (Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions), and Dr. Pamela Scott-Johnson (Spelman College).
Building Tomorrow Together: Agency Collaboration & Ed R&D: This session will feature leaders in government and academia, who will discuss partnerships that serve as powerful examples of the progress that can be made when we leverage resources, expertise, and data across agencies. Featuring: Melissa Moritz (ALI), Jinjun Xiong (AI Institute for Exceptional Education), Louie Lopez (Department of Defense STEM), and Matt Soldner (Institute of Education Sciences).
Thank you for your support, and please share these sessions with your networks to help ensure ALI has a strong presence at SXSW EDU.
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