About the Conference
About the Making Schools Work Conference.
The Making Schools Work Conference began in 1987, and over the years, it has grown to be one of the most prestigious education conferences around. We are proud to be celebrating our 40th conference in 2027.
The 2026 Making Schools Work Conference featured approximately 400 research-informed professional learning sessions designed to strengthen educator knowledge, instructional practice, leadership capacity and school improvement efforts. The conference offered a comprehensive range of learning experiences for teachers, instructional coaches, school and district leaders, career and technical education professionals, counselors and postsecondary educators.
Sessions addressed a broad spectrum of content areas, including CTE and career pathways, mathematics, literacy, science, social studies, special education, student supports and other topics that promote college, career and life readiness. Programming included sessions applicable across K–12 settings, along with targeted learning opportunities for elementary, middle, high school, technology center and postsecondary educators.
The conference emphasized evidence-based practices that improve teaching, leadership and student outcomes through continuous improvement. The largest concentration of sessions focused on Leadership for Continuous Improvement and Engaging Instruction, reflecting the conference’s commitment to advancing instructional excellence and organizational effectiveness.
Approximately half of the participants were teachers and instructional coaches, while the remaining participants were school and district administrators, creating opportunities for cross-role collaboration and shared learning. Collectively, the conference provided professional learning aligned with educators’ responsibilities and supported the implementation of effective practices that strengthen educator effectiveness, student achievement and overall school performance.
