2026 Innovation Day
The application to particiapte in the 2026 Innovation Day is now closed.
With sponsorship from Arnold Ventures, the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) is pleased to present Innovation Day - an interactive half-day in-person event designed to facilitate conversation between policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Sessions will be led by moderators working in the policy space who will facilitate conversation on the topic among participants. Each session will also include a researcher with an extensive background in the topic to ground the conversation in evidence. Policymakers and practitioners will dialogue with researchers as well as with each other.
Who will the 2026 Innovation Day moderators and researchers be?
- Andrea McChristian, National Policy Director, Just Equations
- Julia Kaufman, Director of the Education and Employment Program, RAND
- Corey Gheesling, Associate Vice President, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association
- Rajeev Darolia, Wendell H. Ford Professor of Public Policy and a Professor of Public Policy and Economics, University of Kentucky
- Courtney Bell, Vice President of Research and Innovation, TN SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education)
- Dan Goldhaber, Director, Center for Education Data & Research and Professor, School of Social Work at the University of Washington
When and where is Innovation Day?
This event will take place on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 from 11:30 AM - 6:00 PM (the day before the start of the AEFP Annual Conference) at the Swissôtel Chicago.
What is the agenda for Innovation Day?
11:30 - 12:30: Lunch
12:30 - 2:30: Session A (Attendees choose one topic to join)
Topic A1 - Increasing Math Achievement
- Mandating minimum instructional time
- Requiring math intervention
- Defining post-Algebra high school patheways
Topic A2 - Implementing the Workforce Pell Grant
- Who does Workforce Pell serve?
- What metrics are most appropriate for accountability?
- What data infrastructure is necessary to evaluate program performance?
- How might states coordinate inter-agency efforts?
- Who does Workforce Pell serve?
- What metrics are most appropriate for accountability?
- What data infrastructure is necessary to evaluate program performance?
- How might states coordinate inter-agency efforts?
2:30 - 2:45: Break
2:45 - 4:45: Session B - Strengthening the Teacher Workforce
5:00 - 6:00: Social hour
How do I participate in Innovation Day?
The event is limited to 50 participants. As such, we ask that those interested please apply by January 30st at midnight ET.
Priority will be given to policymakers, practitioners, and policy-adjacent individuals who include:
2:45 - 4:45: Session B - Strengthening the Teacher Workforce
- State teacher preparation policy
- District staffing practices
- Career pathways for teachers
4:45 - 5:00: Debrief (including feedback survey)- District staffing practices
- Career pathways for teachers
5:00 - 6:00: Social hour
How do I participate in Innovation Day?
The event is limited to 50 participants. As such, we ask that those interested please apply by January 30st at midnight ET.
Priority will be given to policymakers, practitioners, and policy-adjacent individuals who include:
- Staff in local, state or federal education agencies, including researchers embedded in education agencies, school administrators, and teachers;
- Individuals working in the legislative branch of local, state or federal governments, including elected officials;
- Institutional researchers in public colleges and universities;
- Individuals working in nonprofit organizations whose primary role is developing policy or supporting policymakers.
Accepted participants will be notified by February 7th.
Questions? Email info@aefpweb.org.