Reflections from #CIES2026 conference: We don’t have a #FoundationalLearning policy problem; we have a translation problem.
The message was clear: we know what works. The challenge is implementation, turning policy + design into consistent classroom delivery at scale. That’s where progress stalls.
Yesterday was a great day at #CIES2026, with several engaging IEA-linked sessions 🌍 Thanks to all colleagues who contributed and joined the discussions!
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Brenda Wawire. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Adrienne Barnes-Story. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Celia Reddick. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓦𝓮𝓭𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓭𝓪𝔂
Refugee resettlement amid anti-refugee rhetoric
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ April 1
⏰ 1:15 p.m.
🚪 4th Floor, Union Square 5&6
#InnovatingLearning | @celiareddick.bsky.social
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Melba Marin-Velasquez. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓦𝓮𝓭𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓭𝓪𝔂
🎤&✍️ Dr. Marin-Velasquez
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ April 1
⏰ 11:15 a.m. & 1:15
🚪4th Floor, Union Sq. 6&7/2&3
#InnovatingLearning
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Stephanie Zuilkowski. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓦𝓮𝓭𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓭𝓪𝔂
🪑&🎤 Dr. Zuilkowski
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ April 1
⏰ 11:15 a.m.
🚪6th Floor, Nob Hill 1
#InnovatingLearning
One more year, IEA is represented at #CIES2026!🌎
On Monday, our colleagues Clara Beyer and Ana María Mejía contributed to the session “Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in Education: Evidence from International Large-Scale Assessments,” chaired by ICCS Study Director Maria Magdalena Isac.
Evidence on evidence uptake across the education ecosystem: Parents, teachers, nongovernmental organisations and policymakers April 1 9:45-11:00am Chair: Michelle Kaffenberger What Works Hub for Global Education Jennifer Opare-Kumi What Works Hub for Global Education Sharnic Djaker What Works Hub for Global Education Tahir Andrabi Pomona College Akash Shankar Government of Karnataka Inês Charro Jacobs Foundation Lea Simpson Brink Innovation
🗝️To achieve evidence-based education reform at scale, it's crucial to understand enabling factors that result in evidence uptake & how key stakeholders respond to different types of evidence.
Join us today at #CIES2026 for a panel exploring evidence uptake by education stakeholders across contexts.
Alexander Fedorov, PhD - CV
Polishing my CV. Marriott evening after a long and very social conference day.
Met Prof. Mark Bray and Ruth Hayhoe. Discussed #RaveAsMethod. Rainy evening in SF. Now I’m walking, writing diaries, #TravelAsNonMethod. Thinking about how to drive to LA—and whether the weather will be good.
#CIES2026
What is interesting about #CIES2026 is how much I keep talking about #DigitalDetox in the corridors—which, at least for now, feels like my most interesting project. More than #FreedomOfConscience, maybe more than #RaveAsMethod.
(The travel-based work is too personal for any official ranking.)
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Celia Reddick. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓣𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓭𝓪𝔂
🪑 co-chair Dr. Reddick
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ March 31
⏰ 2:45 p.m.
🚪4th Floor, Union Square 16
#InnovatingLearning | @celiareddick.bsky.social
WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL THE WHAT WORKS HUB FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION AT CIES 2026 Evidence on evidence uptake across the education ecosystem: Parents, teachers, nongovernmental organisations and policymakers Hub-organised panel 9:45 to 11:00am | Ballroom Level - Tower 2, Franciscan D The transition test: Designing sustainable programs that outlast political change 11:15am to 12:30pm | Fourth Floor - Tower 3, Union Square 25 Beyond the Pilot: Mainstreaming Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) to Drive Systemic Education Reform 11:15am to 12:30pm | Sixth Floor - Tower 3, Nob Hill 8 & 9 Role of School Leaders in Improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): Learnings from Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and India 2:45 to 4:00pm | Fourth Floor - Tower 3, Union Square 24
📣 We're finishing #CIES2026 strong tomorrow with one Hub-organised panel on evidence uptake and presence in three more great panels on sustainability in education programmes, outcomes-based financing, and school leadership. Join us throughout the day!
TUESDAY, 31 MARCH THE WHAT WORKS HUB FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION AT CIES 2026 Panel Demystifying system strengthening: Measuring, embedding, and sustaining education reform at scale Tues, 31 March, 4:30 to 5:45pm • Ballroom Level - Tower 2, Franciscan B Benjamin Piper (Gates Foundation), Dhir Jhingran (Language and Learning Foundation), Michelle Kaffenberger (What Works Hub for Global Education), Dayoung Lee (Dalberg), Parmod Kumar (Department of School Education, Government of Haryana)
⏰ Today at #CIES2026: don't miss this exciting panel hosted by the Language and Learning Foundation!
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Celia Reddick. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓪𝔂
🎤 Dr. Reddick
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ March 30
⏰ 2:45 p.m.
🚪Lobby Level, Golden Gate 6
#InnovatingLearning | @celiareddick.bsky.social
👉 Insights from refugee contexts in Garissa and Turkana
👉 The right to learn in Uganda's urban informal settlements
Follow along and engage with evidence shaping more inclusive education systems.
#Education #EYE #CIES2026
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Brenda Wawire. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Celia Reddick. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Adrienne Barnes-Story. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Kate Schell. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓪𝔂
🎤 Language-in-Education Policies
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ March 30
⏰ 9:45 a.m.
🚪4th Floor, Union Square 5&6
#InnovatingLearning | @celiareddick.bsky.social
APHRC is at the ongoing CIES 2026, spotlighting critical conversations on education.
Join the conversation and engage with evidence that is shaping more inclusive and responsive education systems.
#CIES2026 #Education #EYE
And people say the most meaningful conference conversations happen in corridors, which is often true. In my experience, though, the most interesting ones happen in restrooms. Years of fieldwork confirm this.
#CIES2026
Join our panel "The Challenges of Comparative Education" — a conversation on the knowledge and methodological challenges of comparative education. Genuinely delighted and honoured to share this moment in such good company. cies.us
📍 Hilton San Francisco, Union Square ·Franciscan D 2:45 PM #CIES2026
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Brenda Wawire. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Adrienne Barnes-Story. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓪𝔂
🎤 Drs. Barnes-Story & Wawire
📍 #CIES2026
🗓️ March 29
⏰ 2:45 p.m.
🚪6th Floor, Nob Hill 1
#InnovatingLearning
SUNDAY, 29 MARCH THE WHAT WORKS HUB FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION AT CIES 2026 Join us for an A/B testing workshop and a networking event! Workshop Using A/B testing to optimize your education programming: A"jump-start" workshop to help you get started Sun, 29 March, 9:45 to 11:00am | Lobby Level, Golden Gate 1&2 Noam Angrist (What Works Hub for Global Education), Amanda Beatty (Pratham International), David Hylden (Prevail Fund), Karthik Menon (Pratham Education Foundation), Michelle Kaffenberger (What Works Hub for Global Education), Lea Simpson (Brink), Samuel Kembou (Jacobs Foundation), Whitney Warren (Building Tomorrow) Networking event Register to join our Community of Practice networking event Sun, 29 March, 6:00 to 8:00pm | 4 minutes' walk from the conference hotel Remarks from Armando Ali (PAL Network), Janice Dolan (FCDO), Jonathan Stern (Gates Foundation), Noam Angrist (What Works Hub for Global Education) Register: bit.ly/4biDwnA
📣 How can #ABtesting help your education programme to work most effectively, cheaply, and scalably? Learn how at a #CIES2026 workshop at 9:45am today.
➡️ You can also register to join us at a Community of Practice networking event this evening: bit.ly/4biDwnA
📍 Hilton San Francisco Union Square
📅 March 29 | 🕒 4:30–5:45 PM
Learn more: bit.ly/4bEDSpV
#CIES2026 #EconomicEmpowerment
Socio-emotional skills, such as initiative, aspirations, & resilience, can influence education pathways & economic opportunities.
Today at #CIES2026, IPA will share insights from research across countries on how these skills can support economic empowerment & how they can be measured effectively.
Today #CIES2026 is at the Hilton San Francisco, My brilliant colleagues from @aphrc.bsky.social are presenting evidence that speaks to some of the most pressing education challenges on our continent —
Don't miss today's A/B testing workshop ‼️
#CIES2026
#CIES2026 is, for the second year in a row, very much about #AI. But the people are real (and I missed many of them).
Also, it is great to have your own presentation/panel on the first day. The rest of the conference becomes free time, learning time, and a slightly less anxious form of attention.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Stephanie Zuilkowski. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Celia Reddick. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
The image is a promotional graphic for presentations at the Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) conference. It features a photo of the Golden Gate bridge and a photo of the presenter by Dr. Melba Marin-Velasquez. There are logos for CIES and LSI at Florida State University.
Our team's presentations continue at #CIES2026 on Wednesday. Stop by for their presentations and say 👋. #InnovatingLearning | @celiareddick.bsky.social | @celia-reddick.bsky.social
In complex systems, evidence use isn’t just about data - it’s about relationships. Join us at #CIES2026
🗓️ Sat, 28 March
🕒 11:15am to 12:30pm
📍 Hilton SF Union Square, Golden Gate 3
Jointly organized by IDRC, @jacobsfellows.bsky.social , KIX EMAP, @norrag.bsky.social, UNESCO and GEEAP
Join the discussion! At #CIES2026, GEEAP will discuss how evidence-aligned reading policies support better outcomes and inclusion.
🗓️ Sunday, 29 March
🕒 2:45–4:00pm
📍 Hilton SF Union Square, Continental 9
📄 geeap.org/resources/
Happening today at #CIES2026: Responsible AI Pipelines for Education Evidence.
Join BE² to explore how AI can support stronger and more equitable education evidence systems.
🕒 Sat 28 Mar | 2:45-4:00 PM PDT 📍Hilton SF Union Square, Fourth Floor, Union Square. Read more in comments ⬇️
