LEAD: Learning for Strategic Development
Join us for the ISF International Workshop exploring equitable education funding, diversity, and strategic development at Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
Workshop Host
Prof. Iris BenDavid-Hadar, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Iris BenDavid-Hadar, Bar-Ilan University
Organizing Committee
Dr. Zehorit Dadon-Golan, Ms. Sharon Malki-Levy, Ms. Yael Hoter-Hermony, Mr. Meidan Koresh, and Ms. Ruth Meoded
Dr. Zehorit Dadon-Golan, Ms. Sharon Malki-Levy, Ms. Yael Hoter-Hermony, Mr. Meidan Koresh, and Ms. Ruth Meoded
Join us for the groundbreaking Israel Science Foundation workshop on "Strategic Development through Learning: Education Finance Policy, Global Competitiveness, and Social Cohesion" from May 5-7, 2025, at the Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University. Hosted by Prof. Iris BenDavid-Hadar, this pivotal gathering features an exceptional lineup of world-renowned experts from world-class universities, including the world-famous economist of education Prof. Martin Carnoy from Stanford University, Dr. Jesse Levin, Head of the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Prof. Ellen Goldring from Vanderbilt University, a leading expert in education policy, Prof. Bruce Baker, a world-leading expert in Education Finance Policy, Prof. Samuel Abrams from Columbia University, Prof. Isak Froumin, and Prof. Moses Oketch from University College London (UCL). These international scholars will be joined by leading Israeli researchers in education policy.
The workshop will also welcome high-ranking policymakers from Israel's Ministry of Education alongside the Head of the Education Sector at Yad Hanadiv philanthropic foundation, creating a unique intersection where academic excellence meets practical policy implementation. This rare collaborative environment offers participants a chance to engage with cutting-edge research and contribute to shaping education policies that address our most pressing societal challenges.
The LEAD workshop provides an exceptional platform for networking with international experts and showcasing your research through discussions that align with the workshop's three core themes: equity and equality in education policy for sustaining social cohesion; improvement strategies that enhance learning outcomes and global competitiveness; and education finance mechanisms that promote fair resource allocation based on robust theories of justice. This unprecedented bridge between academia and policymakers creates opportunities for research to directly influence educational systems and policies.
Participants will gain valuable insights into practical frameworks for implementing effective education policies, access to collaborative research opportunities with renowned scholars, and the chance to influence future directions in educational development.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to be part of a transformative conversation that will impact educational systems worldwide—please register today ([email protected]) and help lead the way together toward more equitable, competitive, and socially cohesive educational frameworks.
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Martin Carnoy
Stanford University, CA, US
Martin Carnoy is Lemann Foundation Professor of Education and Economics at Stanford University. He is a former president of the Comparative and International Education Society and a fellow of the National Academy of Education and of the International Academy of Education. He has been principal advisor for more than 100 PhD graduates at Stanford and has written more than 45 books and 150 articles on the economic value of education, on the political economy of educational policy, on educational production, and on higher education. Much of his work is comparative and international and investigates the way educational systems are organized. His books include Education as Cultural Imperialism (1974), Economic Democracy (1980), The State and Political Theory (1984), Sustaining the New Economy (2000), Cuba’s Academic Advantage (2007), University Expansion in a Changing Global Economy (2013), and Transforming Comparative Education (2019). His latest book is The Political Economy of Education (March 2024)
Prof. Ellen Goldring
Vanderbilt University, TN, US
Ellen Goldring is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Education Leadership and Policy and Vice Dean at Vanderbilt University. A leading expert on educational leadership and policy, she has published extensively on school improvement, teacher staffing, and professional development.
Prof. Bruce D. Baker
University of Miami, FL, US
Bruce Baker is a Professor at the University of Miami and co-director of the School Finance Indicators Database. A leading expert in education finance, he has advised U.S. states and international organizations, and authored key works on school funding and equity.
Prof. Samuel E. Abrams
Columbia University, NY, US
Samuel E. Abrams is director of the International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization and teaches at Columbia University. He is the author of Education and the Commercial Mindset and has written widely on education policy in leading international publications.
Location
Conference Venue
The conference will take place at the Faculty of Education building at Bar-Ilan University (Building 905).
On the first day, the conference will be held in Room 62, Floor -1.
On the following two days, it will be held on the 3rd floor, Room 301.
On the first day, the conference will be held in Room 62, Floor -1.
On the following two days, it will be held on the 3rd floor, Room 301.
Sponsors
ISF
Israel Science Foundation
Chief Scientist’s Office, Ministry of Education
Yad Hanadiv
VP International Affairs & Third Mission
Ambassador David Saranga
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Digital Diplomacy Bureau
Prof. Martin Carnoy
Columbia University, NY, US
Apparently, It Does Make a Difference to Low-Income Students How Much Government Spends on Their Education
For at least four decades, economists have pushed the argument that increasing spending per student has little or no effect on students’ achievement. Indeed, much correlation analysis across countries and states/provinces/school districts within countries suggest little correlation between spending per student and student academic outcomes. There have been many critiques of such correlation analysis, but it has not been until the last decade that new data in Israel, Chile, and the United States have allowed researchers to undertake more causal analysis that identifies the effect of increased spending on low-income students (Israel and Chile) and low-income districts (U.S.). The effects are positive and substantial. In my presentation, I will discuss these results and their policy implications. I will also show some case studies of very large gains in U.S. state math outcomes in which states implemented ambitious reforms accompanied bny greatly increased spending per pupi
Bio
Martin Carnoy is Lemann Foundation Professor of Education and Economics at Stanford University. He is a former president of the Comparative and International Education Society and a fellow of the National Academy of Education and of the International Academy of Education. He has been principal advisor for more than 100 PhD graduates at Stanford and has written more than 45 books and 150 articles on the economic value of education, on the political economy of educational policy, on educational production, and on higher education. Much of his work is comparative and international and investigates the way educational systems are organized. His books include Education as Cultural Imperialism (1974), Economic Democracy (1980), The State and Political Theory (1984), Sustaining the New Economy (2000), Cuba’s Academic Advantage (2007), University Expansion in a Changing Global Economy (2013), and Transforming Comparative Education (2019). His latest book is The Political Economy of Education (March 2024)
Martin Carnoy is Lemann Foundation Professor of Education and Economics at Stanford University. He is a former president of the Comparative and International Education Society and a fellow of the National Academy of Education and of the International Academy of Education. He has been principal advisor for more than 100 PhD graduates at Stanford and has written more than 45 books and 150 articles on the economic value of education, on the political economy of educational policy, on educational production, and on higher education. Much of his work is comparative and international and investigates the way educational systems are organized. His books include Education as Cultural Imperialism (1974), Economic Democracy (1980), The State and Political Theory (1984), Sustaining the New Economy (2000), Cuba’s Academic Advantage (2007), University Expansion in a Changing Global Economy (2013), and Transforming Comparative Education (2019). His latest book is The Political Economy of Education (March 2024)
Prof. Zehavit Gross
Dean, Faculty of Education, Bar Ilan University, Israel
Promoting Equity, Social Cohesion, and Resilience: An Informal Education Approach towards a Just Society
Prof. Bruce D. Baker
University of Miami, FL, US
Framework for Evaluating & Reforming Education Finance Systems
This session presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating and reforming education finance systems to ensure equity, adequacy, and equal opportunity in publicly funded education. I summarize decades of conceptual work, explaining our evolving understanding of the role and purpose of school finance systems, leading to our current framing that the purpose of these systems is to deliver the resources necessary for schools to provide all children equal opportunity to achieve common, adequate outcome goals. I address alternative methods for estimating the costs to achieve common, adequate outcome goals. Focusing on outcome oriented methods, I provide a two-part, four step sequence of empirical methods for 1) evaluating whether and to what extent current systems achieve this goal (Part 1: What is), and 2) (Part 2: What should be) calibrating or recalibrating a school funding system to better achieve this goal. I follow with a discussion of lessons learned from recent applications of our framework in U.S. states, in both elementary and secondary school systems and community college systems. I conclude with implications for the path forward for broader application of the framework.
Bio
Bruce Baker is Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami and Co-director and creator of the School Finance Indicators Database. Widely considered the leading expert on the funding of public education, he has been researching, writing and consulting on school finance for over 25 years. His most recent books from Harvard Education Press include Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America’s Students, and School Finance and Education Equity: Lessons from Kansas. A forthcoming book from Harvard Education Press will focus on housing discrimination and school funding inequality, coauthored with Matt Di Carlo of the Albert Shanker Institute. He is a recently inducted Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and serves in advisory and research fellow roles for the National Education Policy Center, Learning Policy Institute and Brown’s Promise. He has consulted on state school funding policy design with Vermont, New Hampshire, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Virginia, Missouri, Delaware, Oregon, testified in numerous state and federal courts on school funding inequalities and his work on racial inequalities in school funding has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. He is presently collaborating with the World Bank on a global indicator system for evaluating educational adequacy. He occasionally blogs at Schoolfinance101.com.
Bruce Baker is Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami and Co-director and creator of the School Finance Indicators Database. Widely considered the leading expert on the funding of public education, he has been researching, writing and consulting on school finance for over 25 years. His most recent books from Harvard Education Press include Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America’s Students, and School Finance and Education Equity: Lessons from Kansas. A forthcoming book from Harvard Education Press will focus on housing discrimination and school funding inequality, coauthored with Matt Di Carlo of the Albert Shanker Institute. He is a recently inducted Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and serves in advisory and research fellow roles for the National Education Policy Center, Learning Policy Institute and Brown’s Promise. He has consulted on state school funding policy design with Vermont, New Hampshire, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Virginia, Missouri, Delaware, Oregon, testified in numerous state and federal courts on school funding inequalities and his work on racial inequalities in school funding has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. He is presently collaborating with the World Bank on a global indicator system for evaluating educational adequacy. He occasionally blogs at Schoolfinance101.com.
Dr. Jesse Levin
AIR university, US
Application of Methods to Evaluate & Reform Education Finance Systems
Building on the presentation by Professor Bruce Baker, this talk will discuss the application of methods used to determine the cost of educational adequacy. I define an adequate education as one that provides all students an equal opportunity to achieve at an acceptable level on a set of key outcomes that represents the goal of a public school system. My presentation will first contrast input- and outcome-oriented approaches to estimating the cost of an adequate education and demonstrate how these have been used in studies to inform funding reform in both the K-12 and postsecondary sectors. Specifically, I will introduce the use of both the Professional Judgment (input-oriented) and Education Cost Function (outcome-oriented) approaches to estimating adequate education cost with an emphasis on how these two methods complement each other. My presentation will further illustrate how the two approaches have been applied in various state-level studies in the US and highlight the results. I will conclude by providing examples of how the study findings were used to inform discussion surrounding school funding policy.
Bio
Jesse Levin Ph.D., is a principal research economist at AIR, where he has directed projects investigating school finance equity and adequacy, resource allocation, and educational effectiveness, and conducted economic evaluations of educational interventions. He is the founding director of the AIR Center for Economic Evaluation and led the Cost Analysis Standards Project (CASP), which produced the Standards for Economic Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs. He currently manages economic evaluations of interventions and programs being studied at AIR and regularly leads cost analyses, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit investigations. He currently leads studies investigating how public school funding mechanisms in California, Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, and New York can be made more adequate and equitable. He previously served as principal investigator of a study of community college funding in Texas, as well as evaluations of the Los Angeles Unified School District Student Equity Needs Index and the adequacy of Delaware’s K-12 funding system. He also directed national studies of school district weighted student funding systems and Title I resource allocation, both funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional investigations he directed include a study comparing charter and traditional school funding in California and Maryland, respectively, high-profile educational adequacy studies in California, New Hampshire, New Mexico and New York, evaluations of K- 12 state school finance systems in Hawaii, Nevada and Pennsylvania, investigations of educator supply and demand in Oklahoma and Massachusetts, and studies of educational resource allocation and effectiveness both within and across school districts. His work at AIR over the past 21 years has drawn upon his expertise in applied econometrics and quantitative methods. In addition to his professional research duties, Dr. Levin is also active in California public education at both the state and local levels, serving on the California State Department of Education (CDE) Technical Design Group which considers issues concerning the state accountability system. He previously served as an appointed member of the CDE California Practitioner Advisory Group and president of his local school district board of trustees in Pacifica School District. In addition, he is a co-recipient of the Association of Education Finance and Policy Thomas Downes 2022 Paper Award for the study The Costs and Benefits of Early College High Schools and the Association of Educational Service Agencies 2007 E. Robert Stephens Award for the research study Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? A Large-Scale Survey of California Elementary Schools Serving Low-Income Students. His articles have appeared in American Education Research Association Open, Economics of Education Review, Education Finance and Policy, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Empirical Economics, Journal of Education Human Resources, Labour Economics, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, and Peabody Journal of Education. He also regularly serves as a referee for several peer reviewed journals (Economics of Education Review, Education Finance and Policy, Educational Policy, Empirical Economics, Journal of Education Human Resources, and Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness). Prior to his work at AIR, Dr. Levin served as an economics researcher for the Institute for Research of Schooling, Labor Market and Economic Development (SCHOLAR) in the Netherlands, where he conducted research in the economics of education and labor economics and performed major countrywide studies of the efficacy of class size reduction, the differences in the effectiveness of private versus public schooling, and measuring the rate of return to educational investment. Dr. Levin earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Amsterdam and the Tinbergen Institute in the Netherlands in 2002.
Jesse Levin Ph.D., is a principal research economist at AIR, where he has directed projects investigating school finance equity and adequacy, resource allocation, and educational effectiveness, and conducted economic evaluations of educational interventions. He is the founding director of the AIR Center for Economic Evaluation and led the Cost Analysis Standards Project (CASP), which produced the Standards for Economic Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs. He currently manages economic evaluations of interventions and programs being studied at AIR and regularly leads cost analyses, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit investigations. He currently leads studies investigating how public school funding mechanisms in California, Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, and New York can be made more adequate and equitable. He previously served as principal investigator of a study of community college funding in Texas, as well as evaluations of the Los Angeles Unified School District Student Equity Needs Index and the adequacy of Delaware’s K-12 funding system. He also directed national studies of school district weighted student funding systems and Title I resource allocation, both funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional investigations he directed include a study comparing charter and traditional school funding in California and Maryland, respectively, high-profile educational adequacy studies in California, New Hampshire, New Mexico and New York, evaluations of K- 12 state school finance systems in Hawaii, Nevada and Pennsylvania, investigations of educator supply and demand in Oklahoma and Massachusetts, and studies of educational resource allocation and effectiveness both within and across school districts. His work at AIR over the past 21 years has drawn upon his expertise in applied econometrics and quantitative methods. In addition to his professional research duties, Dr. Levin is also active in California public education at both the state and local levels, serving on the California State Department of Education (CDE) Technical Design Group which considers issues concerning the state accountability system. He previously served as an appointed member of the CDE California Practitioner Advisory Group and president of his local school district board of trustees in Pacifica School District. In addition, he is a co-recipient of the Association of Education Finance and Policy Thomas Downes 2022 Paper Award for the study The Costs and Benefits of Early College High Schools and the Association of Educational Service Agencies 2007 E. Robert Stephens Award for the research study Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? A Large-Scale Survey of California Elementary Schools Serving Low-Income Students. His articles have appeared in American Education Research Association Open, Economics of Education Review, Education Finance and Policy, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Empirical Economics, Journal of Education Human Resources, Labour Economics, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, and Peabody Journal of Education. He also regularly serves as a referee for several peer reviewed journals (Economics of Education Review, Education Finance and Policy, Educational Policy, Empirical Economics, Journal of Education Human Resources, and Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness). Prior to his work at AIR, Dr. Levin served as an economics researcher for the Institute for Research of Schooling, Labor Market and Economic Development (SCHOLAR) in the Netherlands, where he conducted research in the economics of education and labor economics and performed major countrywide studies of the efficacy of class size reduction, the differences in the effectiveness of private versus public schooling, and measuring the rate of return to educational investment. Dr. Levin earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Amsterdam and the Tinbergen Institute in the Netherlands in 2002.
Prof. Samuel E. Abrams
Columbia University, NY, US
Milton Friedman's Transformation of Public Education
While the economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006) is best known as a free-market champion who won the Nobel Prize in 1976 for his work in monetary theory, he may have had a more profound effect on education policy as an advocate for school vouchers. For 50 years, Friedman beat the drum for parental choice and educational deregulation, beginning with a book chapter entitled “The Role of Government in Education” in 1955 and ending with an essay in The Wall Street Journal entitled “The Promise of Vouchers” in 2005. Friedman’s argument took hold to various degrees in Chile in 1981, the United States in 1990, and Sweden in 1992. Although Friedman’s prescriptions met the most resistance in the United States, Supreme Court decisions in 2002, 2017, 2020, and 2022 steadily opened the way to their widespread implementation. Since 2021, 12 states have adopted precisely what Friedman recommended: vouchers worth a minimum amount of money to be used by parents to cover the cost of an education of their choosing that meets minimum standards. This money may be deployed by parents to pay for tuition at private schools; enrollment in pods (or mini schools) with children of likeminded parents; or in an à la carte fashion for online curricula for home instruction as well as music lessons, dance classes, museum trips, and the like. This presentation will address the evolution of Friedman’s argument, how it has taken different forms in Chile, Sweden, and the United States, and what civic, fiscal, and academic effects have been observed and may be expected.
Bio
Samuel E. Abrams is the director of the International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization, anchored at the University of Colorado in affiliation with Stockholm University, the Turku University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Turku. He is the author of Education and the Commercial Mindset (Harvard University Press, 2016) and teaches moral and political philosophy in the undergraduate Core Curriculum at Columbia University. He has written about education policy for The New Republic, The Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, Columbia Journalism Review, and Political Science Quarterly, among other publications. In 2022-23, he served as a Fulbright visiting professor at the University of Turku. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. at Columbia.
Samuel E. Abrams is the director of the International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization, anchored at the University of Colorado in affiliation with Stockholm University, the Turku University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Turku. He is the author of Education and the Commercial Mindset (Harvard University Press, 2016) and teaches moral and political philosophy in the undergraduate Core Curriculum at Columbia University. He has written about education policy for The New Republic, The Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, Columbia Journalism Review, and Political Science Quarterly, among other publications. In 2022-23, he served as a Fulbright visiting professor at the University of Turku. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. at Columbia.
Dr. Annette Bamberger
Bar Ilan University, Israel
The Role of International Organizations and International Large-Scale Assessments on Learning
This talk critically examines how the OECD has leveraged International Large- Scale Assessments (ILSAs), particularly PISA, to build a powerful “assessment empire” that reshapes education systems worldwide. Though often presented as a neutral tool for benchmarking performance, PISA has become a central mechanism of global education governance—steering national agendas, driving curricular reforms, and redefining what counts as quality education. Widespread critiques point to its impact on classroom practices, including teaching to the test, curricular narrowing, the reinforcement of cultural hierarchies, and the methodological challenges of cross-national comparability. In many contexts, PISA has also served to scapegoat educators and promote a standardized, one-size-fits-all model of schooling. As the OECD expands its testing regime into soft skills such as creativity and global competence, and moves into new sectors like early childhood and higher education (e.g., PISA-D, PISA for ECEC), these concerns are intensifying. This talk explores this expansion and how the OECD uses ILSAs to exert epistemic and normative influence over education policy, shaping global understandings of learning and success. It raises urgent questions about legitimacy, inclusiveness, and the consequences of global policy convergence.
Dr. Annette Bamberger is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Bar-Ilan University, where she leads the Higher Education Track in the MA Educational Leadership, Organizational Development and Policy program. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Education. She researches higher education policy and practice, with a focus on internationalization, global governance and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Miriam Szamet
Mandel School of Educational Leadership, Israel
Reframing Public Education Systems: A Historical Perspective on Equity and Equality
This paper offers a historical observation on questions of equity, equality, and education policy by investigating public education systems as an essential aspect of modernity. It acknowledges that the belief in progress and the capacity for improvement is a distinctively modern perspective, which holds significant importance within democratic societies. By reframing the education system in this context, its development becomes apparent as rooted in historical contexts and navigating the profound tensions of the modern era including: individualism vs. collectivism; globalization vs. cultural integration and national identity; Secularism vs. Religious Identity. In the contemporary social and educational landscape, a critical concern revolves around striking a balance between the presence of diverse populations and the imperative of ensuring equity and equality for all groups. Achieving inclusivity in such diversified and democratic societies requires nuanced educational policies focused on fostering social cohesion, raising the central question of the possibility of creating such cohesion through education.
Bio
Dr. Miriam Szamet is a historian of education and a faculty member at the Mandel School for Educational Leadership of the Mandel Foundation–Israel. She is also a postdoctoral researcher at the Department for Literature of the Jewish People. Previously, she held the Kreitman Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, and conducted a three-year DFG-funded research project at the University of Braunschweig in Germany. Her book, We Are the Novelty: Jewish Pedagogues and the Pedagogical Discourse in Palestine, 1880–1935 (Magnes Press, 2024), examines the European influences that shaped Hebrew education in pre-state Palestine. The book was awarded both the Shlomo and Bella Bartal Prize and the Alexander Dushkin Prize. Dr. Szamet’s research focuses on the history of Western pedagogy, teacher education, and the political and institutional development of the Israeli education system.
Dr. Miriam Szamet is a historian of education and a faculty member at the Mandel School for Educational Leadership of the Mandel Foundation–Israel. She is also a postdoctoral researcher at the Department for Literature of the Jewish People. Previously, she held the Kreitman Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, and conducted a three-year DFG-funded research project at the University of Braunschweig in Germany. Her book, We Are the Novelty: Jewish Pedagogues and the Pedagogical Discourse in Palestine, 1880–1935 (Magnes Press, 2024), examines the European influences that shaped Hebrew education in pre-state Palestine. The book was awarded both the Shlomo and Bella Bartal Prize and the Alexander Dushkin Prize. Dr. Szamet’s research focuses on the history of Western pedagogy, teacher education, and the political and institutional development of the Israeli education system.
Dr. Zehorit Dadon-Golan
Hemdat College, Rutgers University, NJ, US
Education and Inequality: Israel as a Case Study
Education serves as a crucial national infrastructure and plays a significant role in providing equal opportunities. An equitable and high-quality education system that aims to develop all school-age children is essential for enhancing a nation's wealth and fostering social cohesion. This is particularly important in Israel, where education is both free and compulsory for children aged 3 to 18. This talk will examine the structure, characteristics, and challenges of the educational system in Israel. It will also address various aspects of educational inequality by applying several measurements from the economic field to education, using longitudinal data from the Ministry of Education in Israel. Ultimately, this presentation aims to contribute to ongoing discussions about education and educational inequality within Israel's multicultural society.
Bio
Zehorit Dadon-Golan holds a Ph.D. from Bar Ilan University in Israel. She is currently on sabbatical from Hemdat College of Education, where she has served as the head of academic affairs. For eight years, she was the academic manager of the "Hadar" program, which is designed for returning adult learners pursuing a master’s degree at the Faculty of Education at Bar Ilan University. Zehorit is also the elected chair of the Economics and Finance of Education (EFE) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). She is now a visiting scholar at Rutgers University and was previously a visiting scholar at Columbia University in 2019. Her research focuses on education policy, inequality, economics of education, school effectiveness, and higher education.
Zehorit Dadon-Golan holds a Ph.D. from Bar Ilan University in Israel. She is currently on sabbatical from Hemdat College of Education, where she has served as the head of academic affairs. For eight years, she was the academic manager of the "Hadar" program, which is designed for returning adult learners pursuing a master’s degree at the Faculty of Education at Bar Ilan University. Zehorit is also the elected chair of the Economics and Finance of Education (EFE) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). She is now a visiting scholar at Rutgers University and was previously a visiting scholar at Columbia University in 2019. Her research focuses on education policy, inequality, economics of education, school effectiveness, and higher education.
Mr. Moti Taubin
Programme Director, Education, Yad Hanadiv Israel
Promoting Equal Opportunities in Education: Yad Hanadiv’s Strategic Approach
Equity in education is essential for building a just, cohesive, and competitive society. In Israel, persistent disparities between schools challenge the realization of this ideal. This session will present Yad Hanadiv’s strategic approach to addressing educational inequality through targeted, school-level interventions. Serving as a central case study, the foundation’s flagship initiative, Meisharim (Turnaround Schools), demonstrates how focused investment can support schools serving students in the bottom third of achievement—fostering meaningful, high-quality learning experiences for all. The lecture will explore: • Systemic challenges to educational equity in Israel • Meisharim as a case study of whole-school transformation • Key areas of intervention: – Afterschool learning frameworks – Technology integration – Language literacy and social-emotional learning (SEL) – Parental engagement • The role of policy and incentives in enabling school change Additional initiatives such as Avney Rosha and Hashkafa will also be discussed, highlighting Yad Hanadiv’s broader efforts to strengthen teaching quality and educational leadership. Presented from the foundation’s perspective, the session will offer insight into cross-sector collaboration—between philanthropy, government, and civil society—and into the design of strategic philanthropic investment in education.
Bio
Programme Director, Education, Yad Hanadiv As Programme Director for Education, Moti seeks to influence teaching and learning through the levers of school leadership, professional development and technology. Moti began his career in education with the Revivim programme at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2009 he founded a number of educational initiatives including the pre-military academy in Ein Gedi for youth from the periphery and was a teacher and educator at the Yachad Modi’in high school. In 2012 he became Deputy Head of the Jewish Statesmanship Centre, where he also headed its Honours Identity and Public Policy Programme. In parallel, he founded and took part in an initiative to teach Hebrew at Abu Gosh High School. In 2015 he served as Head of Strategy at the Ministry of Education, where he dealt with systemic, long-term challenges, including shaping of a ‘graduate profile’, a system-wide training programme, providing solutions for underperforming schools and developing strategic dialogue with government ministries and bodies. He is a member of the Education Minister’s professional advisory committee. Moti holds an MA in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University, a BA in Jewish Studies from The Hebrew University and a teaching certificate in Bible Studies. He serves as reserve officer in the IDF with the rank of Major. He joined Yad Hanadiv in 2021
Programme Director, Education, Yad Hanadiv As Programme Director for Education, Moti seeks to influence teaching and learning through the levers of school leadership, professional development and technology. Moti began his career in education with the Revivim programme at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2009 he founded a number of educational initiatives including the pre-military academy in Ein Gedi for youth from the periphery and was a teacher and educator at the Yachad Modi’in high school. In 2012 he became Deputy Head of the Jewish Statesmanship Centre, where he also headed its Honours Identity and Public Policy Programme. In parallel, he founded and took part in an initiative to teach Hebrew at Abu Gosh High School. In 2015 he served as Head of Strategy at the Ministry of Education, where he dealt with systemic, long-term challenges, including shaping of a ‘graduate profile’, a system-wide training programme, providing solutions for underperforming schools and developing strategic dialogue with government ministries and bodies. He is a member of the Education Minister’s professional advisory committee. Moti holds an MA in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University, a BA in Jewish Studies from The Hebrew University and a teaching certificate in Bible Studies. He serves as reserve officer in the IDF with the rank of Major. He joined Yad Hanadiv in 2021
Mr. David (Dudi) Mizrahi
Senior Director of Budgeting Department Ministry of Education, Israel
Public Education Budgeting as a Tool to Promote Social Mobility
Mr. Nachum Blass
Taub Center, Israel
Per Student Budgeting - The Evolvement of Policy
What is the reality of differences in school funding on one hand and educational achievement on the other hand in Israel? What are the purposes of Differential School Funding in Israel? How Differential School Funding is implemented in Israel? How Differential School Funding affects the budget per student and per class?
Bio
Nachum Blass is the principal educational researcher in the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel. He obtained his M.A Degree in American History from Rutgers University in N.J USA . Prior activities include senior positions in the Israel Ministry of Education, CEO of the Institute of Educational Facilities membership in various public task forces investigating major educational problems and over 50 years of various topics of educational policy.. Recent public activity include a membership in Shapira committee that dealt with varying aspects special education and the policy of integration of children with special needs into mainstream schools.
Nachum Blass is the principal educational researcher in the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel. He obtained his M.A Degree in American History from Rutgers University in N.J USA . Prior activities include senior positions in the Israel Ministry of Education, CEO of the Institute of Educational Facilities membership in various public task forces investigating major educational problems and over 50 years of various topics of educational policy.. Recent public activity include a membership in Shapira committee that dealt with varying aspects special education and the policy of integration of children with special needs into mainstream schools.
Prof. Adrian Ziderman
Bar Ilan University, Israel
Data sharing in Education research: the case of academic journals
Data sharing is prevalent in the journals of many academic disciplines, particularly STEM-related ones. Educational research is increasingly based on data generated by the researchers themselves. Should these data be made available to the general academic community? What is current practice? This paper explores empirically the extent of data sharing in the Education field, a neglected research area hitherto. Following a brief statement of the pros and cons of data sharing, the paper focuses on data sharing in Education journals. Two related issues are examined. First, data sharing policies are examined via a search of the websites of 47 randomly selected Education journals, listed according to the SJR prestige ranking. Just over half of the journals had indeed issued statements encouraging authors to make research data generally available, with only a handful of journals making this mandatory. Remaining journals had not declared a policy on this issue. The second issue relates to the efficacy of journals’ positive stance, in eliciting the desired response from authors. This was probed in a limited, mainly qualitative, survey of 31 authors of papers published in Education journals identified as encouraging data sharing. Surprisingly, not a single author had made data available – indeed, some authors were even unaware of the journal’s declared policy on this matter. Thus, journals’ well-intentioned procedures to encourage data sharing are seen to be markedly ineffective. Authors advanced two main sets of reasons to justify reticence to data share: either authors did not see it as being in their interest or data sharing was regarded as inappropriate or not possible. Finally, practical recommendations to enhance data sharing in Education are presented. These include: pro-active action by publishers, editors and professional/research association; explanatory doctoral workshops at international conferences; promotion credit for data sharing; and attention to the issue in university graduate courses.
Bio
Adrian Ziderman is Professor Emeritus in Economics at Bar Ilan University where he held the Sir Isaac Wolfson Chair in Economics and Business Administration; he currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Manpower (Emerald). He was born in the UK and educated at Cambridge and Stanford universities and at the LSE (Ph.D). Formerly Trustee and Council Member of COPE (Committee on Publishing Ethics), he was chair of its Research Committee. He has authored seven books and over a hundred academic papers. His main fields of specialty are in the economics and financing of education, including the evaluation and finance of vocational education and training and university student loans schemes. He has served as international consultant on these topics in some fifteen (mainly African) countries, on his return to Israel after leaving the World Bank in Washington (where he was Senior Economist for Education and Human Resources).
Adrian Ziderman is Professor Emeritus in Economics at Bar Ilan University where he held the Sir Isaac Wolfson Chair in Economics and Business Administration; he currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Manpower (Emerald). He was born in the UK and educated at Cambridge and Stanford universities and at the LSE (Ph.D). Formerly Trustee and Council Member of COPE (Committee on Publishing Ethics), he was chair of its Research Committee. He has authored seven books and over a hundred academic papers. His main fields of specialty are in the economics and financing of education, including the evaluation and finance of vocational education and training and university student loans schemes. He has served as international consultant on these topics in some fifteen (mainly African) countries, on his return to Israel after leaving the World Bank in Washington (where he was Senior Economist for Education and Human Resources).
Dr. Tatiana Khavenson
Technion, Israel
Bio
Dr. Tatiana Khavenson is a Research Associate at the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion. Tatiana holds a BA and MA in sociology and a PhD in Education. Her expertise primarily centered on investigating inequality in education, with a particular emphasis on sociological and policy perspectives on inequality issues. Tatiana examines how social structures shape students' educational pathways and life visions, the connection between socioeconomic status and educational outcomes, and issues of access to higher education. Her work employs both within-country and comparative international frameworks, and she extensively utilizes national and international large-scale datasets (e.g., TIMSS, PISA, NCES), integrating these data with qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. Currently, Dr. Khavenson's research centers on youth civic perspectives and participation, exploring how unequal opportunities for activism shape their life outlook and considering how amplifying youth voice can create more equitable horizons. She employs a comparative perspective and diverse data to reveal social patterns worldwide.
Dr. Tatiana Khavenson is a Research Associate at the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion. Tatiana holds a BA and MA in sociology and a PhD in Education. Her expertise primarily centered on investigating inequality in education, with a particular emphasis on sociological and policy perspectives on inequality issues. Tatiana examines how social structures shape students' educational pathways and life visions, the connection between socioeconomic status and educational outcomes, and issues of access to higher education. Her work employs both within-country and comparative international frameworks, and she extensively utilizes national and international large-scale datasets (e.g., TIMSS, PISA, NCES), integrating these data with qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. Currently, Dr. Khavenson's research centers on youth civic perspectives and participation, exploring how unequal opportunities for activism shape their life outlook and considering how amplifying youth voice can create more equitable horizons. She employs a comparative perspective and diverse data to reveal social patterns worldwide.
Prof. Esther Adi-Japha
Bar Ilan, University, Israel
The (no) ECEC policy
Prof. Maria Yudkevich
Haifa University, Israel
The Transformative Impact of Academic Excellence Initiatives over the World
Over the last two decades, many countries have launched and implemented academic excellence initiatives to provide targeted support for a limited number of universities to improve their international standing and global visibility. In many cases, these initiatives were driven by getting to the top of global university rankings. With rare exceptions, this was not achieved. Still, in the opinion of policymakers, higher education experts, and universities, these programs have a generally positive impact beyond participating institutions. Some evidence suggests positive spillovers to other institutions in the country, increasing competition, increasing organizational efficiency through a project-based approach, and a greater focus on performance. Such systemic impact is not necessarily positive. Indeed, while all experts mention an increased stratification in the systems because of AEI implementation, there is no definite opinion on such a stratification’s positive and negative aspects.
We base our work on the material of nine case studies of academic excellence initiatives from nine countries worldwide, namely China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Denmark, Russia, Germany, and France. We identify concerns that consequences AEIs raise and demonstrate that the results of AEIs, as well as their sustainability and overall impact, depend on many factors. In particular, they depend on the socio-political context and vary across cultures (and whether local values support the WCU model or whether academic freedom is constrained). So, various questions arise: Is there one world-class university model (which fits perfectly with a ‘Western’, Anglo-Saxon model while universities embedded in the context of other regions are always lagging)? Or is this model “one among many”, and with Global South asserting its agenda, should one expect their rise shortly? Even more fundamental is whether AEIs could move from ranking ideology toward academic excellence in a broader perspective. Indeed, if AEI would aim for excellence, it requires a deep understanding of what excellence is. Did we learn something about excellence from the implementation of AEIs? What are the components of excellence (research, teaching, and knowledge transfer?). Should universities care about impacting society, and whether such an impact is one of the aspects of excellence? Is excellence national-specific, or is there one golden standard defined by the global position of universities as producers of research?
Bio
Maria Yudkevich is a professor at the Department of Leadership and Educational Policy, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa. Her research in comparative higher education focuses on the academic profession and includes (among others) academic salaries, university rankings and governance, academic mobility, and inbreeding. She is a co-editor of the book “Academic Star Wars: Excellence Initiatives in Global Perspectives” (jointly with Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi, MIT University Press, 2023).
Maria Yudkevich is a professor at the Department of Leadership and Educational Policy, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa. Her research in comparative higher education focuses on the academic profession and includes (among others) academic salaries, university rankings and governance, academic mobility, and inbreeding. She is a co-editor of the book “Academic Star Wars: Excellence Initiatives in Global Perspectives” (jointly with Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi, MIT University Press, 2023).
Prof. Pascale Benoliel
Bar Ilan University, Israel
Navigating Higher Education: Lived Experiences of Underrepresented Minority Groups
Higher education is a critical factor in fostering social mobility and cohesion. Increasing faculty and student diversity has been shown to improve retention, enrich student experiences, and prepare graduates for an increasingly global and pluralistic society. However, access to and success in higher education remain significant challenges for students from underrepresented backgrounds, including cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious minorities. Despite national and institutional efforts to increase participation, disparities persist. This study explores the lived experiences of underrepresented students in Israeli higher education, using Bourdieu’s theory of social capital to examine how social networks and resources influence their academic trajectories. The research focuses on three key objectives: first, identifying the barriers and enablers affecting access, participation, and academic success; second, understanding how students navigate these challenges; and third proposing practical measures to enhance inclusivity and support structures for marginalized students. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study collected data through semi-structured interviews with 30 students from underrepresented groups, including Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Arabs, first-generation students, and new immigrants. Thematic analysis revealed four major barriers to success: (1) academic and linguistic challenges, (2) financial constraints, (3) social exclusion, and (4) cultural differences. Key facilitators included: (1) religious and institutional support, (2) financial aid, (3) academic assistance, and (4) social networks. Findings highlight the role of social capital in fostering inclusion and cultural adaptation while also exposing the tensions students face in balancing personal, academic, and socio-cultural
expectations. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on intersectionality and social capital in higher education while offering practical insights for policymakers and institutions. Targeted interventions, such as mentorship programs, financial aid initiatives, and culturally sensitive academic support, can improve accessibility and equity for marginalized students. Ultimately, these findings underscore the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance participation, success, and belonging in higher education.
Bio
Pascale Benoliel, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Head, Leadership, Organizational Development and Policy in Education, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Pascale is also the head of the Faculty of Education International Relations Unit. In addition, Pascale serves as the commissioner of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. She has adopted a cross-cultural and comparative perspective on policies and leadership practices, with a particular focus on underrepresented populations. Additionally, she has examined the implications of globalization and "educational governance" on educational systems and policies worldwide. Her research interests include team leadership, boundary management, leadership in minorities, participative leadership and systems thinking within the educational context. She is also focusing on global education governance, cross-cultural and comparative research combining quantitative and qualitative research. Pascale is the corresponding author of the article: [email protected]
Pascale Benoliel, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Head, Leadership, Organizational Development and Policy in Education, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Pascale is also the head of the Faculty of Education International Relations Unit. In addition, Pascale serves as the commissioner of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. She has adopted a cross-cultural and comparative perspective on policies and leadership practices, with a particular focus on underrepresented populations. Additionally, she has examined the implications of globalization and "educational governance" on educational systems and policies worldwide. Her research interests include team leadership, boundary management, leadership in minorities, participative leadership and systems thinking within the educational context. She is also focusing on global education governance, cross-cultural and comparative research combining quantitative and qualitative research. Pascale is the corresponding author of the article: [email protected]
Prof. Orly Shapira-Lishchinsky
Bar Ilan University, Israel
How to Retain High-Quality Teachers? International Ethical Perspectives on Teacher Professional Growth
Teacher retention is a critical challenge for education systems worldwide. This lecture explores the ethical dimensions of teacher retention and professional growth from an international perspective. Prof. Orly Shapira-Lishchinsky examines key factors influencing teacher retention, including workplace ethics, professional autonomy, and institutional support. Drawing on comparative research and case studies, the lecture highlights ethical dilemmas faced by educators and the role of leadership in fostering professional development. By integrating ethical considerations with evidence-based strategies, the session provides actionable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to increase the retention of high-quality teachers.
Bio
Teacher retention is a critical challenge for education systems worldwide. This lecture explores the ethical dimensions of teacher retention and professional growth from an international perspective. Prof. Orly Shapira-Lishchinsky examines key factors influencing teacher retention, including workplace ethics, professional autonomy, and institutional support. Drawing on comparative research and case studies, the lecture highlights ethical dilemmas faced by educators and the role of leadership in fostering professional development. By integrating ethical considerations with evidence-based strategies, the session provides actionable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to increase the retention of high-quality teachers.
Teacher retention is a critical challenge for education systems worldwide. This lecture explores the ethical dimensions of teacher retention and professional growth from an international perspective. Prof. Orly Shapira-Lishchinsky examines key factors influencing teacher retention, including workplace ethics, professional autonomy, and institutional support. Drawing on comparative research and case studies, the lecture highlights ethical dilemmas faced by educators and the role of leadership in fostering professional development. By integrating ethical considerations with evidence-based strategies, the session provides actionable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to increase the retention of high-quality teachers.
Prof. Izhak Berkovich
Open University, Israel
Exploring the Role of Context for Social Justice Leadership: Understandings, Practices, and Challenges across Diverse National and School Settings
Addressing the educational inequalities experienced by disadvantaged student groups is now considered a key responsibility for school leaders across the world. This study aims to explore and compare school leaders’ perception and implementation of social justice leadership across three national contexts, namely the USA, Israel, and Turkey, and understand how context shapes, facilitates, or hinders school leaders’ social justice efforts. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 39 school principals or assistant principals from the three participating jurisdictions. The study discovered three key leadership practices school leaders engaged in to create social justice within their schools: (1) addressing the social-emotional, learning, and financial needs of students, (2) including marginalized students, and (3) developing teachers and engaging parents. These practices, however, were shaped and influenced by contextual factors at the society, system, community, and organization levels.
Bio
Izhak Berkovich is a full professor in the Department of Education and Psychology at the Open University of Israel (OUI). Currently, Izhak heads the doctoral program in education and the master's degree program in administration, policy, and leadership in education at OUI. Previously, he served as the head of the Institute for Policy Analysis and was responsible for academic quality assurance processes at OUI. He is a member of the editorial boards of the International Journal of Educational Management, the Social Psychology of Education and the International Studies in Sociology of Education. Izhak is a member of the Israeli Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities. He is also a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at the Education University of Hong Kong. Izhak's research aims to enhance the understanding of agency, the temporal and spatial dimensions of leadership, and changes in education. His interests include educational leadership, ethics and social justice in schools, emotions, identity and motivation in educational settings, and educational reforms and policies. He has authored four books published by leading academic presses, one of which won the Outstanding Book Award and another received a commendation from the Society of Professors of Education. He has published nearly 100 scientific articles in prominent international journals, predominantly in the field of education, and edited several special issues. In recognition of his significant contributions to research, in 2020, he was honored with the Emerging Scholar Award by the Educational Change SIG of the American Education Research Association (AERA) for his work on educational changes.
Izhak Berkovich is a full professor in the Department of Education and Psychology at the Open University of Israel (OUI). Currently, Izhak heads the doctoral program in education and the master's degree program in administration, policy, and leadership in education at OUI. Previously, he served as the head of the Institute for Policy Analysis and was responsible for academic quality assurance processes at OUI. He is a member of the editorial boards of the International Journal of Educational Management, the Social Psychology of Education and the International Studies in Sociology of Education. Izhak is a member of the Israeli Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities. He is also a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at the Education University of Hong Kong. Izhak's research aims to enhance the understanding of agency, the temporal and spatial dimensions of leadership, and changes in education. His interests include educational leadership, ethics and social justice in schools, emotions, identity and motivation in educational settings, and educational reforms and policies. He has authored four books published by leading academic presses, one of which won the Outstanding Book Award and another received a commendation from the Society of Professors of Education. He has published nearly 100 scientific articles in prominent international journals, predominantly in the field of education, and edited several special issues. In recognition of his significant contributions to research, in 2020, he was honored with the Emerging Scholar Award by the Educational Change SIG of the American Education Research Association (AERA) for his work on educational changes.
Prof. Ellen Goldring
Closing Gaps in Fragmented Education Systems: Markets, Evidence-Based Practice, and Improvement Science
Vanderbilt University, TN, US
Policymakers and practitioners face significant challenges in improving outcomes for all students and reducing persistent gaps. The pathways to improvement are illusive and have a long history that is documented in policy research. This presentation critically examines three prevailing approaches to school improvement within fragmented and localized education systems, offering a nuanced exploration of their potential impact and integration. The first perspective explores the creation of educational markets and competition at the system level, illustrated through the case of charter schools and educational opportunity scholarships in the US. This market-based approach argues for centralized and larger-scale reform mechanisms to drive system-wide improvements. The second perspective delves into the evidence-based practice model, championed by the US Institute of Education Sciences. Rooted in rigorous quantitative research designs, this approach emphasizes the adoption and scaling of best available evidence to inform decision-making and improve educational outcomes. This model upholds clearly defined standards of evidence to inform decision making. The "science of reading" serves as a concrete example of how this model has been implemented in the US. The third and arguably most collaborative perspective is improvement science, which highlights the importance of research-practice partnerships. This model emphasizes the co-creation of knowledge between researchers and practitioners, tailored to local contexts and capacities, to foster robust adoption and scaling of improvement initiatives. This presentation discusses each perspective and suggests an integrated approach to system improvement for practitioners and policymakers, an approach that considers markets, evidence-based practices, and research partnerships to design, implement, and scale-up educational initiatives to meet the needs of all students.
Bio
Ellen Goldring (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Education Leadership and Policy, and Vice Dean, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Goldring’s research focuses on the intersection of education policy and school improvement with an emphasis on educational leadership. She examines the implementation and effects of school initiatives such as professional development, coaching, and performance feedback. Considering teacher shortages, her scholarship addresses alternative staffing approaches and new conceptualizations of the teaching profession. A fellow of the American Educational Research Association, she is the recipient of the University Council for Educational Administration’s Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award, from the University Council on Educational Administration. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the editor-in-chief of the American Educational Research Journal, the flagship journal of the American Educational Research Association. She was selected as an AERA Fellow in 2010 and served as vice president of AERA’s Division L, Politics and Policy in 2013. She has co-authored or co-edited nine books and co-authored nearly hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and research and policy reports. In 2025 she was elected to the National Academy of Education in the United States.
Ellen Goldring (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Education Leadership and Policy, and Vice Dean, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Goldring’s research focuses on the intersection of education policy and school improvement with an emphasis on educational leadership. She examines the implementation and effects of school initiatives such as professional development, coaching, and performance feedback. Considering teacher shortages, her scholarship addresses alternative staffing approaches and new conceptualizations of the teaching profession. A fellow of the American Educational Research Association, she is the recipient of the University Council for Educational Administration’s Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award, from the University Council on Educational Administration. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the editor-in-chief of the American Educational Research Journal, the flagship journal of the American Educational Research Association. She was selected as an AERA Fellow in 2010 and served as vice president of AERA’s Division L, Politics and Policy in 2013. She has co-authored or co-edited nine books and co-authored nearly hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and research and policy reports. In 2025 she was elected to the National Academy of Education in the United States.
Prof. Audrey Addi-Raccah
Tel Aviv University, Israel
Bridging the Digital Divide: How Digital Capital Shapes Parental Engagement Across SES Groups?
Family involvement in their childrens education is acknowledged as a source of inequality, that attracts the attention of educators and policymakers. However, it is also a dynamic and evolving field. Incorporating technology into daily life and learning processes requires significant parental involvement in childrens education, which has been enhanced following COVID-19. The aim of the presentation is to focus on parental engagement and relationships with schools, given the digital arena. This arena can either be a space for democratization, providing opportunities for agency and diverse voices, or a space for the reproduction of power relations, perpetuating social inequality. This issue still needs to be addressed in research on parental engagement. This study investigates the relationship between parental engagement, relationships with schools, and digital capital among parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds. According to Ragnedda (2018), digital capital is conceptualized as a form of resource that can interact with social and cultural capital to enhance offline outcomes. It is a set of dispositions for engaging with new technologies and includes both internalized digital skills and external resources, as well as the effective use of digital tools for social benefits. Based on data collected from a representative sample of Israeli Jewish parents of children in grades three to six, parental engagement was assessed through measures of active involvement, monitoring of learning, educational discussions, and relationships with schools. Additional scales measured parents’ levels of institutionalized cultural capital, social-educational capital, and digital capital, including digital access, use for learning, and perceived proficiency. It was found that low- and high-SES parents reported similar levels of overall engagement, challenging traditional narratives around socioeconomic disparities in parental involvement. Structural equation modeling revealed that digital capital had the strongest direct effect on parental engagement and relationships with schools, and mediated the effects of other forms of capital, with differential mediation patterns emerging between SES groups. These findings disrupt deficit-based thinking and underscore the potential of digital literacy to bridge educational inequalities, particularly among low-SES parents, and carry the potential for more equitable parental engagement in children’s education.
Bio
Her research is related to the sociology of education and educational management, with a focus on educational inequality, school effects, teachers' and school principals' work, and parental involvement in education. In her research, she uses mixed methodological approaches, including quantitative analysis of large-scale data and bibliometric analysis. She has published widely in education and sociology journals. She has participated in diverse national committees appointed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Welfare, and the Initiative for Applied Education Research. Currently, she is engaged in an RPP project at Tel-Aviv University, in addition to being the vice-dean for academic affairs at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities and the head of the Unit of Sociology of Education and Community. In 2024, she was invited as a global scholar at Vanderbilt University and in 2025 as a visiting scholar at Verona University.
Her research is related to the sociology of education and educational management, with a focus on educational inequality, school effects, teachers' and school principals' work, and parental involvement in education. In her research, she uses mixed methodological approaches, including quantitative analysis of large-scale data and bibliometric analysis. She has published widely in education and sociology journals. She has participated in diverse national committees appointed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Welfare, and the Initiative for Applied Education Research. Currently, she is engaged in an RPP project at Tel-Aviv University, in addition to being the vice-dean for academic affairs at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities and the head of the Unit of Sociology of Education and Community. In 2024, she was invited as a global scholar at Vanderbilt University and in 2025 as a visiting scholar at Verona University.
Dr. Sherry Ganon-Shilon, Dr. Emanuel Tamir & Prof. Chen Schechter
Bar Ilan University, Israel
School Leaders' Sense-Making of Resource Allocation Within a National Reform Implementation
The talk of Dr. Sherry Ganon Shilon, Dr. Emanuel Tamir, and Prof. Chen Schechter, will focus on a qualitative phenomenological study examining 22 Israeli high school leaders' perceptions and enactments of resource allocation within the context of a national educational reform through the theoretical framework of sense-making. Data from interviews reveals three key considerations regarding school leaders' resource allocation from diverse school contexts: promoting students’ learning achievements towards matriculation exams, deepening student- teacher relations, and developing a new pedagogy. This study contributes to the scholarship and practice of educational leadership by offering insight into school leaders' grappling with accountability-autonomy balance while aligning their resource allocation decision making with local school needs.
Bio
Dr. Sherry Ganon Shilon is an adjunct lecturer at Kaye Academic College of Education, Israel. She received her PhD in Leadership, Organizational Development, and Policy in Education from Bar-Ilan University in 2018. Her dissertation examined school leaders' sense-making of their leadership role within the national reform "Courage to Change". Her main research interests focus on school leaders' and teachers' sense-making processes, educational policy and leadership, principal professionalism, inclusive education, and technological innovation. She co-leads the "Leadership, Administration, and Policy in Education", a professional and social community of Israeli academic researchers.
Dr. Emanuel Tamir is a senior lecturer and researcher in the Organization and Management of Educational Systems M.A. program at the Faculty of Education and Teaching in Tel Hai University on the rise, Israel. His research focuses on educational change and reform in higher education, teachers' unions, schools, and preschool education.
Prof. Chen Schechter is a professor in the Leadership, Organizational Development and Policy in Education program at the Faculty of Education in Bar-Ilan University, Israel. He is the Editor-in- Chief of the Journal of Educational Administration and serves as Head of MOFET National Institute for Research and Development in Education. Chen’s research interests include leadership development/preparation, educational change/reform in accountability systems, learning from success, collaborative learning strategies, and systems thinking leadership.
Dr. Sherry Ganon Shilon is an adjunct lecturer at Kaye Academic College of Education, Israel. She received her PhD in Leadership, Organizational Development, and Policy in Education from Bar-Ilan University in 2018. Her dissertation examined school leaders' sense-making of their leadership role within the national reform "Courage to Change". Her main research interests focus on school leaders' and teachers' sense-making processes, educational policy and leadership, principal professionalism, inclusive education, and technological innovation. She co-leads the "Leadership, Administration, and Policy in Education", a professional and social community of Israeli academic researchers.
Dr. Emanuel Tamir is a senior lecturer and researcher in the Organization and Management of Educational Systems M.A. program at the Faculty of Education and Teaching in Tel Hai University on the rise, Israel. His research focuses on educational change and reform in higher education, teachers' unions, schools, and preschool education.
Prof. Chen Schechter is a professor in the Leadership, Organizational Development and Policy in Education program at the Faculty of Education in Bar-Ilan University, Israel. He is the Editor-in- Chief of the Journal of Educational Administration and serves as Head of MOFET National Institute for Research and Development in Education. Chen’s research interests include leadership development/preparation, educational change/reform in accountability systems, learning from success, collaborative learning strategies, and systems thinking leadership.
Dr. Amrit Thapa
Economics of Education in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Perspectives, Challenges and Opportunities
The field of economics and finance of education has grown tremendously since the introduction of the human capital theory. The field has come a long way, and it is still developing and changing to align with the rapid changes that characterize the contemporary era of globalization and knowledge-based economy. We have had significant learnings in the last few decades. However, in the case of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), we still need more evidence in many areas, and there are many rapidly changing developments and challenges to confront. For example, one of the major challenges that we are facing is the persistent educational inequalities across marginalized populations by gender, race/ethnicity, economic status, geographic location, disability status, etc. In addition to that, the lack of quality data and hence the lack of robust studies that provide evidence to policymakers and practitioners are serious limitations. Likewise, changes in the world pose new challenges to the field of education finance as well in LMICs. International agencies such as the World Bank and the UN have become more dominant in the pursuit of global education finance policy. The LMICs are most affected with such changes as these countries have not developed the base on which these policies would be beneficial. They struggle with major issues such as lack of quality schools and higher education institutions, student dropouts, learning outcomes and teacher absenteeism at the school level, poor infrastructure, issues of curriculum, and outdated technologies, among many other issues and concerns yet to be addressed. This talk/presentation unpacks and discusses many of these important dimensions in economics and finance of education in the context of low-and middle-income countries. The discussions will help to spark ideas and insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners alike in the field.
Bio
Amrit Thapa is a Senior Lecturer in the International Educational Development Program at Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania (Penn GSE). He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Sri Sathya Sai University, India, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. in economics and education from Columbia University. Dr. Thapa is also a research affiliate at Penn’s Population Studies Center, a Fulbright specialist, an affiliated researcher for the Center for Benefit–Cost Studies of Education at Penn GSE, and an advisory board member of the International Journal of Educational Development. In 2019, Dr. Thapa was honored with the prestigious Penn GSE Excellence in Teaching Award. Prior to Penn GSE, Dr. Thapa worked as a Research Director at the National School Climate Center, an educational non-profit organization, where he was involved in a number of school climate related projects such as development and validity/reliability studies of school climate/SEL metrics. His research focuses on economics of education in low- and middle- income countries, monitoring and evaluation in international education, school climate, and climate change and education.
Amrit Thapa is a Senior Lecturer in the International Educational Development Program at Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania (Penn GSE). He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Sri Sathya Sai University, India, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. in economics and education from Columbia University. Dr. Thapa is also a research affiliate at Penn’s Population Studies Center, a Fulbright specialist, an affiliated researcher for the Center for Benefit–Cost Studies of Education at Penn GSE, and an advisory board member of the International Journal of Educational Development. In 2019, Dr. Thapa was honored with the prestigious Penn GSE Excellence in Teaching Award. Prior to Penn GSE, Dr. Thapa worked as a Research Director at the National School Climate Center, an educational non-profit organization, where he was involved in a number of school climate related projects such as development and validity/reliability studies of school climate/SEL metrics. His research focuses on economics of education in low- and middle- income countries, monitoring and evaluation in international education, school climate, and climate change and education.
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