Students & Faculty travel attend annual conferences of NCME and AERA

Students and faculty from the Assessment and Measurement PhD Program and the Psychological Sciences MA program recently traveled to the 2026 annual conferences of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) and American Educational Research Association (AERA). Below the students reflect on their experiences.

Autumn Wild (third-year, Assessment & Measurement Ph.D. program) attended her third NCME conference this year, where she presented in both an individual paper session and a graduate student poster session. She also participated in the featured “Battle of the Presidents” event, competing alongside fellow graduate students against past NCME presidents in a series of measurement trivia questions. Beyond presenting, Autumn contributed through her service role on the NCME Graduate Student Issues Committee (GSIC), supporting initiatives to enhance the graduate student experience. This year’s conference was especially meaningful, as she presented work from her previous internship with the American Board of Surgery and engaged in a variety of networking opportunities, including the Women in Measurement reception. She left the conference with new research ideas, many new professional connections, and renewed motivation as she prepares to enter the final year of her doctoral program. Autumn looks forward to hopefully attending next year’s NCME conference in Toronto.

Caitlyn Hewitt (second-year, Applied Research Concentration, Psychological Sciences master’s program) attended her first AERA conference in Los Angeles, where she presented research conducted through her graduate assistantship with Dr. Jim Bywater in the College of Education. Their research explored how simulation-based activities can better prepare pre-service teachers, incorporating AI-generated feedback and categorical sequence analysis to examine conversational patterns. They presented in a roundtable session, which fostered small-group discussion with researchers conducting similar work and provided valuable feedback and new professional connections. Caitlyn also attended other conference and poster sessions, as well as networking events, including a Women in Measurement reception and a JMU reception. Through these receptions, she connected with professionals, faculty, and current students in the Assessment and Measurement Ph.D. program, which she will begin this fall. Caitlyn is looking forward to attending AERA and/or NCME in the following years!

Jada Willse (second-year, Quantitative Psychology Concentration, Psychological Sciences Master’s program) had a wonderful experience at NCME this year. Given her interests in generative AI, culturally responsive assessment, and evidence-centered design, she intentionally attended sessions focused on generative AI and principled assessment design to help prepare her for future research. These sessions were especially meaningful because they gave her new ideas for how to continue building her established line of research as she transitions from the master’s program into the Ph.D. She also made a point to attend sessions presented by her friends and peers in support of the program. Watching them present was both enjoyable and inspiring, as they modeled the kind of strong, engaging presentation style she hopes to bring to NCME and other conferences in the future.

In addition to the research-focused sessions, Jada also enjoyed some of the more lighthearted and memorable parts of the conference, including sessions like Moving Measurement Forward and Battle of the Presidents (Past and Future), which added a fun energy to the experience. She especially loved seeing Autumn and Josiah help lead the future presidents to victory. Overall, NCME was an exciting and motivating experience for Jada, and she is already looking forward to attending again in the future, hopefully to share some of her own in-progress research.

Jon Henriques (first-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD program) had a very rewarding experience attending this year’s NCME conference. Jon delivered his first NCME presentation as part of a coordinated symposium on disengagement in low-stakes testing. In addition, several sessions provided practical skills and methodological insights that will be valuable for his future professional work, while others highlighted innovative research and emerging directions in the field of educational measurement. Networking was another highlight of the conference, as Jon had the opportunity to connect with numerous JMU alumni as well as other professionals in the field. Jon also participated in the NCME mentorship program, where he received valuable guidance about professional development in the field and looks forward to staying in touch with his mentor. He also reunited with his JMU alumni mentor, who attended his session, which was especially meaningful. Overall, attending NCME was an extremely positive experience, and Jon looks forward to continuing to participate in future conferences.

Josiah Hunsberger (third-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD program), had an exciting and productive experience at this year’s NCME conference. He presented research from his summer internship with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), shared additional work with JMU Assessment and Measurement alum Paulius Satkus, and participated in the Graduate Student eBoard session with Joshua Shulkin from the University of Maryland. NCME also provided a valuable opportunity to build new connections, reconnect, and learn from fellow graduate students and professionals in the field.

Juste Mehou's (first-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD Program) second time at NCME was an amazing experience in the lively city of LA. He learned a lot about where the field is heading with AI, and he had several conversations with leaders in the space, with one in particular standing out: his conversation with Christopher Omerod, the executive director of the College Board.

They talked about item difficulty prediction, and Christopher walked him through his thinking behind some of the work he had done in that area, which sparked a couple of ways he could improve the results of the project he's currently working on. Another highlight was lunch with members of the Standards and Test Use Committee, where the conversation ranged from the state of the field, to graduate studies, to AI, to more personal topics.

He also presented one of his ongoing projects, co-authored with Dr. Brian Leventhal, during an E-board session, which was an occasion to connect with brilliant thinkers and researchers. On top of all that, he went on a 7-hour LA tour, visiting beaches, Beverly Hills, the Griffith Observatory, and much more.

Kaijie Liu (second-year, Assessment & Measurement Ph.D. program) attended AERA and NCME for the first time this year. She was honored to present her first-year research at the AERA–Consortium of SRERA distinguished paper session and a PISA project at the graduate student e-board session. Beyond presenting, she attended numerous sessions across AERA and NCME that showcased diverse research on validity theory, measurement methods, educational developments, and experimental research designs. She also had the opportunity to connect with experts and colleagues engaged in impactful work in the field and felt supported by faculty, colleagues, and alumni from her study program throughout the conference. Overall, the experience was meaningful and inspiring, strengthening her interest in pursuing rigorous and innovative research.

Kate Schaefer (fourth-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD program) had a great experience attending NCME this year. She presented two projects as part of coordinated paper sessions, both of which felt especially meaningful as she prepares to graduate. One presentation focused on a project that she and Debbi Bandalos have been working on for the past few years, and she appreciated the helpful feedback they received as they prepare that work for publication. She also presented her dissertation research, which was especially exciting at this stage of her program, and she valued the feedback she received as she continues developing those publications. In addition to presenting, Kate attended sessions on topics such as AI, evidence-centered design, and instructional usefulness, and she enjoyed hearing from experts about current issues in the field. She also appreciated the opportunity to connect with alumni, experts, and future coworkers as she prepares for the transition out of graduate school.

Kobena K. Eshun (first-year, Quantitative Psychology Concentration, Psychological Sciences Master’s program) had a wonderful experience attending his first NCME conference. He presented his current research on Assessing College Students' Generative AI Literacy during a Diagnostic Measurement SIGIMIE Session, where he engaged in meaningful discussions with attendees across various levels of expertise. Beyond his presentation, he had an engaging interaction during the eBoard session. One of his highlights was interacting with alumni during the reception organized by the Center for Assessment Research Studies. Finally, having an interactive conversation with my conference mentor, a professional with over 20 years, was incredibly impactful as it helped him clearly envision the industry and his future in the field.

Laila B. Issayeva (second-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD program) attended her first NCME conference, held April 8-11 in Los Angeles, CA. As a first-time attendee, Laila was deeply impressed by the scale and quality of the conference. When she was a senior project manager coordinating the national student progress monitoring system in Kazakhstan, she discovered this conference in 2016 and had been dreaming of attending it ever since. This experience would not have been possible without the support of the Assessment and Measurement PhD program, the Graduate School at James Madison University, and the NCME conference committee. Laila was honored to present research she conducted with her advisor, Dr. Christine E. DeMars, on validity issues in remote low-stakes assessment. Their longitudinal study examined how student effort changes across three academic stages and whether adjusting for student disengagement changes conclusions about proficiency by using effort-moderated item response theory (IRT) modeling. It was rewarding to see that this research sparked interesting conversations with colleagues, including a state assessment coordinator and a psychometrician from the College Board. Laila was particularly inspired by sessions on measurement, IRT, and diagnostic classification models (DCM), and was pleased to meet scholars she admires, such as Dr. Steven L. Wise and Dr. Matthew J. Madison. Overall, the NCME conference was a valuable opportunity for professional development and networking, and she looks forward to attending NCME/AERA in the future.

This was Laura Lambert’s second time attending NCME and AERA. At NCME, she presented her work creating a python package with Yu Bao at an Innovation Session. She appreciated the conversations the presentation spurred and the interactions with others in the field and left with ideas for future development. In addition to her presentation, Laura attended the Women in Measurement networking reception where she was able to connect with professionals in the field. Laura also enjoyed the opportunity to attend workshops and sessions at both conferences, building new skills and learning about emerging research in the field of educational measurement.

Mara McFadden (third-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD Program) attended the annual NCME conference in Los Angeles, CA, where she presented on her dissertation research. Her presentation was titled “Test-Taking Effort Over Time: Implications for Value-Added Assessment in Higher Education”. Her presentation led to stimulating conversations with colleagues across the world and great ideas for how to apply this work in other contexts. In addition to her presentations, Mara attended several networking events, where she was able to connect with colleagues in the field. Mara enjoyed attending sessions ranging from updates on the revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing to comedy sessions on current events in the field of measurement. She is appreciative of the support she received at her last NCME as a graduate student and looks forward to attending in the future as a professional in the field.

Riley Herr (second-year, Assessment and Measurement PhD program) had a great experience at NCME. Riley presented her research as part of a coordinated paper session and valued the engaging discussion and constructive feedback offered by both the discussant and audience members. She attended a range of sessions focused on test-taking engagement and response processes, which deepened her understanding and sparked new ideas for her own work. In addition, Riley appreciated the opportunity to connect with colleagues and mentors through events such as the Women in Measurement gathering, the JMU reception, and informal networking throughout the conference. She strongly recommends that graduate students take advantage of the NCME mentorship program as a meaningful way to build professional relationships. Attending NCME reinforced Riley’s enthusiasm for the field and her commitment to continued scholarly engagement.