Friday, January 9
Breakfast on your own
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Kickoff
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Concurrent Session 1 Choices
Chair: Eric Wearne (Kennesaw State University)
Presenters: Giovanni Antonini (Politecnico di Milano), Tomasso Agasisti (Politecnico di Milano) — Can Schools Make a Difference? Evidence from Efficiency Analysis in the Italian Context
Eric Wearne (Kennesaw State University) – Beyond Markets and States: School Choice and Institutional Diversity
Daion L. Daniels (University of Arkansas), Patrick J. Wolf (University of Arkansas) – Who Buys What with an Arkansas Education Freedom Account? Evidence from Private School and Homeschooling Families
* Single Papers
Chair: Michael Hartney (Boston College; Hoover Institution)
Presenters: Michael Hartney (Boston College; Hoover Institution), Carlos X Lastra-Anadón (IE University) – The Long-Run Effects of Teacher Unionization on Citizens’ Political Participation
Natalie N. Schoettler (Auburn University), David T. Marshall (Auburn University), Tim Pressley (Christopher Newport University) – Teacher Experiences Across School Sectors Five Years After the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Josh McGee (University of Arkansas) – Comparing the Charter and Traditional Public School Teaching Workforce: Preparation, Qualifications, Effectiveness, Wellbeing, and Working Conditions
Garion Frankel (Texas A&M University), Cooper Conway (Virginia Department of Education)– An Abundance Agenda in Educational Freedom
* Single Papers
Chair: Kevin Boden (Home School Legal Defense Association)
Presenters: Angela R. Watson (Johns Hopkins University), Matthew H. Lee (Kennesaw State University) – Who Homeschools, Really?
John M. Kristof (EdChoice), Angela R. Watson (Johns Hopkins University) – A Large-Scale Survey of American Homeschoolers
Gabriela Costa (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro), Paula Lellis (Catholic University of Salvador), Jessica Wingerter (University of São Paulo), Julia Gondim (University of São Paulo) – Cognitive and Socioemotional Development in Brazilian Homeschooling: A Longitudinal Study
Paula Lellis (Catholic University of Salvador) – Legal Discourse on Homeschooling in Brazil: A Corpus-Based Study
† Research Panel
Organizer and Moderator: Matthew H. Lee (Kennesaw State University)
Participants: Benjamin Scafidi, (Kennesaw State University), Robert Maranto (University of Arkansas), Martin F. Lueken (EdChoice)
‡ Critical Conversation: Research
Organizer and Moderator: Matt Frendewey (yes. every kid.)
Participants: Halli Faulkner (yes. every kid. foundation.), Jim Blew (Defense of Freedom Institute), Derrell Bradford (50CAN)
§ Critical Conversation: Policy
11:15 AM – 12:45 PM Concurrent Session 2 Choices
Chair: Misty Gallo (University of Arkansas)
Presenters: Kaire Põder (Estonian Business School), Faisal Mohammed (Estonian Business School), Triin Lauri (Tallinn University), Nilay Rammul (Estonian Business School) – Balancing Equity and Excellence: A Meta-Analysis of Tracking, School Choice, and Stratification in Basic Education
Ashley Hill-Rieske (University of Arkansas), Kristen Scott (University of Arkansas), Jonathan Wai (University of Arkansas) – Beyond Readiness: Investigating Where Early Algebra Works Best Examining Public, Charter, and Private School Contexts in the Era of School Choice
Kelly Carter (Johns Hopkins University) – Funding Quality: How School Choice Mechanisms Shape Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education
Alli Aldis (EdChoice), Jonathan Plucker (Johns Hopkins University), Jennifer Madsen (New Jersey Association for Gifted Children) – School Choice and Advanced Education
* Single Papers
Chair: John M. Kristof (EdChoice)
Presenters: Albert A. Cheng (University of Arkansas) – Arkansas
James V. Shuls (Florida State University) – Florida
Angela R. Watson (Johns Hopkins University) – The Intersection of Universal Educational Choice and Homeschooling
Discussant: John Kristof (EdChoice)
† Research Panel
Organizer and Moderator: David Hunt (Aristotle Foundation)
Participants: Robert Maranto (University of Arkansas), Ian Kingsbury (Educational Freedom Institute), Catharine Kavanagh (Cardus)
§ Critical Conversation: Policy
Chair: Daion L. Daniels (University of Arkansas)
Presenters: Kevin Jan Zuchanek (Wuppertal Research Institute for the Economics of Education), Kerstin Schneider (CESifo; Leibniz Institute), Anna Makles (Wuppertal Research Institute for the Economics of Education), Thomas Gößl (Wuppertal Research Institute for the Economics of Education) – The Costs of Losing Admission Lotteries – The Transition from Primary to Secondary School in Bremen
Sonia Exley (London School of Economics and Political Science), Anne West (London School of Economics and Political Science) – Choosing—and Being Chosen by—Academically Selective Schools: Inequality of Opportunity and Path Dependency in Germany and England
Dillon McGill (Texas Tech University) – Revealed Preferences and the Segmentation of Urban Education Markets
Faisal Mohammed (Estonian Business School), Kaire Põder (Estonian Business School), Niveditha Prabakaran (Estonian Business School) – Postponing School Choice? How Detracking Reforms Shape Student Achievement Across Performance Levels: Evidence from Germany
* Single Papers
12:45 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch and Keynote
Keynote Panelists: Tommaso Agasisti (Politecnico di Milano), Andrea Maccarini (University of Padova)
Moderator: Brian Kisida (University of Missouri)
Sponsored by CSUSA
2:15 PM – 3:45 PM Concurrent Session 3 Choices
Chair: Paul DiPerna (EdChoice)
Presenters: Matthew H. Lee (Kennesaw State University), Rian R. Djita (Association of Christian Schools International) – Choice and Constraints: Experimental Evidence from the Private Christian School Sector
Rian R. Djita (Association of Christian Schools International), Matthew H. Lee (Kennesaw State University) – What School Characteristics do Students Consider when Choosing a College or University? Experimental Evidence from the K—12 Private Christian School Sector
Triin Lauri (Tallinn University), Kaire Põder (Estonian Business School), Kadi Kalm (University of Tartu) – Loosely Governed Choice and the Challenge of Inclusion: The Case of Estonia’s Hybrid School Market
Daniel Pampuch (Christian Schools Australia), Darren Iselin (Christian Schools Australia) – The Virtue of Values: Parent Choice in Contemporary Australian Non-Government Faith-Based Schools
* Single Papers
Chair: Keri Hunter (Stand Together Trust)
Presenters: Patrick J. Wolf (University of Arkansas), M. Danish Shakeel (University of Buckingham), Harry A. Patrinos (University of Arkansas), Daion L. Daniels (University of Arkansas), Al Mansor Helal (University of Arkansas), Md. Juwel Sarker (University of Arkansas), Taylor Wilson (University of Arkansas) – The Impact of Private School Choice on Student Attainment around the Globe: A Meta-Analysis & Returns to Education Study
Benjamin Scafidi (Kennesaw State University), Colyn Ritter (EdChoice) – The 2026 EdChoice Friedman Index – All Students, All Options, All Dollars
Anna J. Egalite (North Carolina State University), Matthew Springer (Basis Policy Research), Matthew Pepper (Basis Policy Research) – Why Parents Choose Vouchers
David Figlio (University of Rochester), Matthew Chingos (Urban Institute), Krzysztof Karbownik (Emory University) – The Effects of Ohio’s EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation
* Single Papers
Organizer and Moderator: Lauren May (Step Up For Students)
Participants: Peter Murphy (Invest in Education), Ashling Preston (American Federation for Children), John Schilling (2020Strategies)
§ Critical Conversation: Policy
Organizer and Moderator: Kirianne Suriano (Charter Schools USA)
Participants: Kirianne Suriano (Charter Schools USA), Paula Jackson (Charter Schools USA)
# Critical Conversation: Practitioner
Organizer and Moderator: David Hunt (Aristotle Foundation)
Participants: James V. Shuls (Florida State University), Kevin Boden (Home School Legal Defense Association), Catharine Kavanagh (Cardus), John Merrifield (Institute for Objective Policy Assessment), Renee Miller (Colorado Homeschool Enrichment)
‡ Critical Conversation: Research
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Concurrent Session 4 Choices
Organizer and Moderator: Matthew Ladner (The Heritage Foundation)
Participants: Matthew Ladner (The Heritage Foundation), Ian Kingsbury (Education Freedom Institute)
§ Critical Conversation: Policy
Chair: Aaron Saiger (Fordham University School of Law)
Presenters: Aaron Saiger (Fordham University School of Law) – School Choice and the Supreme Court’s Public School Docket
Amanda U. Potterton (University of Kentucky) – Kentucky’s Ongoing Resistance to School Choice Reform Efforts: An Analysis
Alexandre Magno Fernandes Moreira (European Law Association) – Minimum Learning Standards in International Law: Safeguarding Educational Freedom in a Globalized Framework
Katherine A. Curry (Oklahoma State University), Jentre Olsen (Oklahoma State University) – Educational Pluralism on Trial: The Intersection of Faith, Law, and School Choice
* Single Papers
Chair: David T. Marshall (Auburn University)
Presenters: M. Danish Shakeel (University of Buckingham), Misty Gallo (University of Arkansas), Anthony Maranto (University of Texas at Dallas) – Private, Charter, and Microschool Model Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
David T. Marshall (Auburn University), Tim Pressley (Christopher Newport University) – The Short-Term Effectiveness of Virginia’s K—12 Cell Phone Ban
Genia Rachkovski (Tel Aviv University) – Beyond Test Scores: Does Public Information on School Satisfaction and Violence Levels Affect Parental School Choice?
Jennifer Claire Wolverton (Microcollective for AI, Robotics, and the Sciences [MARS]) – School Choice and Artificial Intelligence: Why Small Schools Will Lead the AI Age
* Single Papers
Organizer and Moderator: Joanna DeJong VanHof (Cardus)
Participants: Deani Van Pelt (Edvance Christian Schools), John Jagersma (Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta), Catharine Kavanagh (Cardus)
‡ Critical Conversation: Research
Chair: David Hunt (Aristotle Foundation)
Presenters: John Merrifield (Institute for Objective Policy Assessment), David Hunt (Aristotle Foundation) – The K—12 Poverty Trap Index: Assessing the Evidence of the Equity Effects of Funding School Choice
Nathan Gray (Young Harris College), Madison Dorris (Young Harris College) – The Connection Between Choice-by-Relocation and Socioeconomic Polarization
† Research Panel
5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Bus Travel to Cultural Experience and Dinner – Must RSVP to Attend
6:30 PM – 10:30 PM Cultural Experience and Dinner – Must RSVP to Attend
L’Antico Casale La Carovana
Viale di Vigna Pia, 33 – 00149 Roma
Return buses will operate on demand, beginning at 9:30 PM
Sponsored by Stand Together Trust