Call for Annual Conference Session Proposals
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is seeking conference session proposals to share and highlight the exemplary work by state boards on critical education issues at its Annual Conference, October 27-29, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
What Is the NASBE Annual Conference?
NASBE’s Annual Conference empowers state board members to leverage their role in education. Attended by state board members from across the nation, along with leading education experts, the NASBE Annual Conference is the only conference designed specifically for state board members. It typically draws about 150–200 attendees.
Annual Conference attendees will have the opportunity to
- learn from renowned subject-matter experts and reflect on how the information shared can help state boards lead during this pivotal time in public education,
- analyze research, evidence, and policy solutions that the state board can bring to bear on pressing challenges facing public education,
- gain insight into how state boards can leverage their role in the education ecosystem to improve student outcomes, and
- build relationships with peers in other states with whom they can share approaches for renewal and recovery of state education systems.
This year, the Annual Conference will be held in-person only in Austin, Texas. Conference sessions will mostly be held during the day on Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29, NASBE’s Annual Business meeting occurs on the late afternoon of October 29, 2025. Details about the conference (as they come) can be found here.
Who Attends the NASBE Annual Conference?
The audience will mostly consist of state board members. Other stakeholders who attend NASBE conferences include state education agency staff, advocates, researchers, policy experts, press, nonprofit representatives, and NASBE funders. The NASBE conference is a tremendous opportunity to connect with state education leaders, leading education experts, and practitioners sharing perspectives from the field.
What Should Be Included in Session Proposal?
Please read through our full proposal guide, examples of successful proposals, and utilize our online submission form to guide you. Session proposals should include contact information for for the session lead/presenter, as well as speaker biographies, proposed title and session description, format, learning objectives, connection to state boards, and alignment with “conference tracks.”
NASBE conference evaluations consistently rate interactive, engaging sessions on a relevant topic or problem of practice the highest. Sessions that include policymakers, in particular state board members alongside researchers and practitioners, also receive consistently high ratings. Audience members appreciate learning from diverse perspectives on a topic, with lively debate among panelists that highlight both areas of common ground and areas of divergence. State board members favor sessions that focus not only on the “what” of a policy issue but also the “how” of implementing change. Sessions that are led by state board members and/or include state board members on a panel are consistently referenced during state board meetings and presentations that follow the NASBE Annual Conference.
When are Proposals Due?
NASBE welcomes session proposals from those interested in equipping state boards of education with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to lead in public education. Proposals must be submitted through this online platform by June 30, 2025. The session lead will be notified by August 15, 2025, if their presentation proposal is selected.
How are Proposals Selected?
The proposal selection process is highly competitive. Less than 30 percent of submitted proposals are selected for presentation. NASBE selects only a limited number of proposals reflecting a mix of topics and formats. For 2025, there are approximately 12 to 15 available slots on the conference agenda. NASBE’s Conference Planning Committee and staff evaluate proposals based on following criteria:
- relevance to priority strands that also feature the actual work of state boards of education;
- qualifications of presenters and panelists;
- collaboration among organizations to provide diverse perspectives across the practice, research, and policy, continuum; and
- extent to which a session is designed to engage state board members and other audience participants in discussion.
NASBE values the Annual Conference’s role in facilitating productive exchange of diverse perspectives that can create lasting channels for sharing evidence-based strategies and solutions. Submitters are encouraged to collaborate with their partners and state leaders to develop proposals that include diverse presenters and leverage a range of policy, practice, and research expertise. Given the limited number of agenda slots, accepted sessions featuring a presenter or group of presenters from a single organization will be limited to one per organization. Find last year’s agenda and sessions here.
Want to Learn More?
NASBE recently hosted an informal Q&A with prospective submitters. If you missed it, don’t worry, we have the recording here!
Download the 2025 Session Proposal Guide
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NASBE’s Annual Conference empowers state board members to leverage their role in the education. Attended by state board members from across the nation, along with leading experts, the NASBE Annual Conference is the only conference designed specifically for state board members. NASBE’s 2025 Annual Conference will be held in-person October 27-29, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Now […]
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