The American Educational Research Association: A Historical Perspective

• In Event: Vice Presidential Invited Centennial Session. 100 Years of Educational Assessment: History and Influence of the AERA, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, and International Test Commission

Abstract

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) was founded in 1916 as the National Directors of Educational Research. The origin of AERA was connected with the rise of the progressive political movement between 1890 and 1915. The original founders of AERA believed that supporting empirical social science could provide the legitimacy to expand and rationalize local school systems and make public education an instrument of social reform. This presentation explores the social context and early history of AERA and explores how this early history has influenced the organization that we know today. The influence that AERA has had on education and educational research and the role that AERA currently plays in the educational research community will be discussed.

Author

• Linda L. Cook, Educational Testing Service