National Association of State Boards of Education

National Association of State Boards of Education
Name	National Association of State Boards of Education
Abbreviation	NASBE
Formation	1958
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Region served	United States
Membership	State boards of education
Leader title	Executive Director

National Association of State Boards of Education is a nonprofit organization that represents state-level policy bodies responsible for public K–12 schooling across the United States. It engages with federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, collaborates with national organizations like the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association, and interfaces with legislative bodies including the United States Congress and state legislatures. The association convenes policymakers, offers technical assistance, and publishes guidance used by entities such as the Education Commission of the States and the American Association of School Administrators.

History

Formed in 1958 during a period shaped by decisions including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and legislative efforts like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the organization emerged amid debates involving figures such as Lyndon B. Johnson and institutions like the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Early work intersected with federal reform initiatives linked to No Child Left Behind Act debates and later with policy shifts tied to the Every Student Succeeds Act. Over subsequent decades the association interacted with administrations of Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama, and engaged with court decisions such as San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez while responding to policy trends driven by organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and think tanks including the Brookings Institution.

Mission and Governance

The organization's mission centers on supporting state boards through collaboration with entities such as the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, the Council for Chief State School Officers’ Learning Forward, and the Collaborative for Student Success. Its governance model has included executive directors who worked alongside governing boards similar to structures in the American Legislative Exchange Council and advisory relationships with scholars from institutions like Harvard Graduate School of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education, and the University of Michigan. The association’s bylaws establish committees analogous to those in the National Conference of State Legislatures and maintain ethical and conflict-of-interest policies informed by standards used by the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have encompassed standards review initiatives that intersect with the Common Core State Standards Initiative, assessment policy work connected to providers such as Educational Testing Service and Pearson Education, and governance training comparable to offerings from the Council of the Great City Schools. Initiatives have addressed issues like school finance reform examined by the Urban Institute and educator workforce policies linked to organizations such as the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The association has launched technical assistance projects in partnership with federal entities like the Institute of Education Sciences and philanthropic collaborators such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Annenberg Foundation.

Policy Positions and Advocacy

The association has issued positions on accountability frameworks influenced by debates around the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act, and has taken stances on assessment policy informed by research from the National Academy of Sciences and the RAND Corporation. Advocacy has included testimony before United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and coordination with state attorneys general from offices similar to those held by figures in National Governors Association meetings. Policy engagement has spanned civil rights matters related to Title IX implementation, special education policy connected to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and equity considerations echoing work by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA and the Education Law Center.

Membership and Structure

Membership comprises state and territorial boards such as those of California State Board of Education, Texas State Board of Education, New York State Board of Regents, and the Florida State Board of Education, with associate relationships to organizations including the Council of Chief State School Officers and regional groups like the Southern Regional Education Board. The structure includes an elected board, standing committees resembling those in the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and advisory councils that mirror the model used by the National PTA. Staff and consultants have backgrounds linked to institutions such as Columbia University Teachers College, Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and policy centers like the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Conferences and Publications

Annual conferences convene officials in venues frequented by bodies including the National School Boards Association and attract speakers from institutions like the U.S. Department of Education, think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and academic centers like the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. Publications include policy briefs, guidance manuals, and reports disseminated alongside partners such as the Education Week newsroom and publishers like Jossey-Bass; research is often cited by outlets including the Pew Research Center and the Hechinger Report. Training events and webinars feature collaborations with organizations such as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Association of School Psychologists.

Category:Educational organizations in the United States