CERC is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its two seminars on May 16 and 17, which explored important topics in the field of education. These seminars provided valuable insights and thought-provoking discussions for educators, policymakers, and researchers.

The first seminar on May 16 critically examined the emergence and implementation of the School Autonomy with Accountability (SAWA) reform model. Professor Antoni Verger discussed the complex measures introduced by numerous governments to improve quality assurance and learning outcomes in schools. Attendees gained valuable insights into the varying policy trajectories and assemblages of SAWA policies, as well as a comparative analysis of different administrative cultures, degrees of educational marketization, and approaches to teachers’ professional regulation. This seminar was based on a 5-year, multi-scalar research initiative funded by the European Research Council, conducted in Norway, Chile, and Spain.

The second seminar on May 17 explored how educational institutions utilize data from Large Scale Assessments (LSAs) to inform decision-making and educational practices. Attendees discovered how teachers’ beliefs about the fairness and validity of LSAs influence their engagement with the data and explored the crucial roles of teacher cooperation and trust in school leadership. The seminar presented a comprehensive analysis of data gathered from a teacher survey conducted under the ERC-funded Reformed-project, focusing on urban schools in Chile, Norway, and Spain (Catalonia). Professor Melanie Ehren also joined Professor Verger to present her findings from a configuration synthesis that analyzed results from previous studies in six countries (South Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Honduras) about teachers’ accountability in school settings.

Both seminars offered insightful discussions and engaged attendees in meaningful conversations on essential aspects of educational reforms and data utilization in schools. We hope that attendees gained valuable insights and that these seminars inspired further discussion and research in the field of education. Stay tuned for CERC’s upcoming events and seminars.