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.
Note: The Annual Conference Call For Proposals has ended. We are reviewing all session proposals now. The session lead will be notified by August 15, 2025, if their presentation proposal is selected. If you have any questions about the process, or are submitting a late proposal, please contact Renee Lang or Abby Potts.
Registration is Now Open for Annual Conference 2025!
Register for Annual Conference
We look forward to seeing you at NASBE's 2025 Annual Conference! The conference will be held in-person only. Note: Registration will open in early July.
Registration Fees (Early Bird Registration available ended September 12, 2025)
NASBE extends complimentary registration to student board members. Students, please contact the NASBE Conference Team at nasbeconference@thebalcomgroup.com for a special discount code before completing registration.
NASBE Member Rates
- Full Conference: $800 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $950)
- Daily (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday): $550
- Speaker: $650
- State Night Guest: $75
NASBE Affiliate Registration (NCOSEA and NCSBEE Members)
- NCOSEA: $500 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $600)
- NCSBEE: $800 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $950)
All Other Registration Rates
- Full Conference: $1,250 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $1,500)
- Daily (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday): $650
- Speaker: $650
- State Night Guest: $100
The 2025 conference will be held at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at The University of Texas.
AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center (hotel website)
1900 University Avenue
Austin, TX 78705
Attendees are responsible for making hotel reservations. Please call the hotel directly at 512-404-3600 or connect via its online reservation website to make your room reservation. To guarantee this special group rate of $249.00 per night plus applicable taxes. You must make your reservation no later than Friday, September 26, 2025. After that time, higher rates will apply and rooms may not be available.
Booking your reservation outside of the hotel room block via internet travel sites or “shopping” for lower rates at nearby hotels has a long-term negative impact on NASBE's Annual Conference. Hotels place financial penalties on organizations for each room not used within their negotiated block of rooms thus making it harder for us to negotiate lower rates for our attendees in the future, which we are committed to doing.
By filling the block of reduced rate rooms that we have negotiated, we are able to meet our contractual hotel obligations to avoid any financial penalties to the organization and we are able to use this history as a strong negotiation tool to keep our rates for attendees low year after year. We appreciate your support of NASBE by booking hotel rooms within our official block.
Professional Development Account funds: If you are planning to use PDA funds, you must make your reservation using the link above or by phone. NASBE will work with the hotel to pay the charges as directed in your PDA request and the one night's room and tax deposit will be credited.. Contact Paolo DeMaria, with questions.
Attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is roughly 12 miles from downtown Austin, and is a 15-20 minute car ride, depending on traffic. Taxis, shuttles, and ride-sharing services are located under the airport's rental car facilities. Downtown Austin is also accessible via Metro Bus or the CapMetro Airport bus. Plan your trip here.
Members using PDA funds may use NASBE’s travel agent, ProTravel. They can be contacted directly at 1-800-645-7466 or by email at reservations@protravelinc.com. Ask for a representative from Team One. Please note an administration fee of $31 is added to the cost of your ticket.
Below is the preliminary agenda for this year’s Annual Conference. Session times and details will be updated as they are confirmed. Please note that the conference start and end times are firm.
Monday, October 27
Registration All Day
8:30 am to 5:30 pm Pre-conference Activities - (Closed Press)
8:30 am to noon High School Visit (limited participation; in conjunction with High School pre-conference session)
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm Pre-conference Sessions: (1) High School Transformation and (2) Education Technology/AI in Education (Details forthcoming; limited participation.)
4:15 pm – 5:45 pm Board of Directors Meeting (Closed Press)
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Annual Conference Roundtable
Join members of the Conference Planning Committee for tips and insights to help you make the most of your Annual Conference experience. Perfect for first-time and returning attendees alike!
6:30pm – 8:00pm Optional Member Meet Ups (off-site)
Connect with fellow attendees at informal, NASBE-organized gatherings at local bars and restaurants. These role-alike meet-ups—such as for new members, regional groups, or those interested in certain policy issues—offer a relaxed setting to network with colleagues. Space is limited; indicate your interest when you register. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation and expenses.
Tuesday, October 28
Registration All Day
7:30 am – 8:15 am Networking Breakfast
8:15 am – 10:00 am Welcome and Opening General Session
Keynote with Ashlie Crosson, the 2025 National Teacher of the Year
Ashlie Crosson is as an English teacher at Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County High School, where she aims to prepare her students to navigate the complexities of our global society. She believes in building a strong curriculum that develops communication skills, empowers students to solve problems and expands their worldview.
10:00 am – 10:15 am Break
10:15 am – 11:30 am Concurrent Sessions
11:30 am – 11:40 am Break
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Networking Lunch
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm Break
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Concurrent Sessions
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Break
2:45 pm – 4:00 pm General Session
4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Break
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm Area Meetings (Northeast, Southern, Central, Western) (Closed Press)
7:00 pm State Night: Dinner and Reception (Closed Press)
This year, State Night will be held off-site at the Texas Science and Natural History Museum.
Wednesday, October 29
Registration All Day
7:30 am – 8:30 am Networking Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am Day Two Welcome and Opening Session
10:00 am – 10:15 am Break
10:15 am – 11:15 am Concurrent Sessions
11:15 am – 11:30 am Break
11:30 pm – 12:15 pm Concurrent Sessions
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm Break
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Closing Lunch Session
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Networking Break
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Annual Business Meeting and Delegate Assembly (Closed Press)
Once our Conference Proposal Process is complete, and we begin confirming sessions and speakers, this section will be updated accordingly.
In the meantime, we are pleased to announce that Ashlie Crosson, the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, as a keynote speaker for this year's Annual Conference!
Ashlie Crosson serves as an English teacher at Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County High School, where she aims to prepare her students to navigate the complexities of our global society. She believes in building a strong curriculum that develops communication skills, empowers students to solve problems and expands their worldview. Crosson teaches Advanced Placement language and composition, English 10 and Survival Stories, an elective that approaches global humanitarian crises from a youth perspective. She also advises the journalism program, which publishes the school newspaper and district magazine.
Crosson strives to create learning experiences that resonate with her students, foster empathy and build critical thinking skills. By advising the journalism program, Crosson has positively influenced her students’ academic and career opportunities. Many in the program have found success beyond high school and are now editors for college media, interns at television stations and writers for regional newspapers. Watch this video to learn a bit more about Ashlie!
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.
Note: The Annual Conference Call For Proposals ended June 30. We are reviewing all session proposals now. The session lead will be notified by August 15, 2025, if their presentation proposal is selected. If you have any questions about the process, or are submitting a late proposal, please contact Renee Lang or Abby Potts.
What is the NASBE Annual Conference?
NASBE’s Annual Conference empowers state board members to leverage their role as leaders 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.
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 Makes a Successful Conference Session?
Please read through our full proposal guide, examples of successful proposals, and utilize our online submission portal 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.
Find last year’s agenda and sessions selected by state board members as relevant to their ongoing work here.
What Types of Sessions Are Offered at the Conference?
The NASBE Annual Conference aims to provide a variety of session formats to allow members to craft a conference experience that best aligns to their unique learning needs. NASBE will match your session proposal to the best format.
- General sessions offer an opportunity to address the full conference audience and typically follow the format of either a panel discussion or single keynote speaker. General session formats can include traditional length sessions (60–75 minutes), which are highly competitive for acceptance, or shorter “lightning round” sessions designed to rapidly build awareness and foundational knowledge of board members on specific topics (30 minutes). Lightning round general sessions may kick off lunch conversations; or occur immediately before networking breaks to promote subsequent peer-to-peer discussions.
- Concurrent sessions are an opportunity to interact directly with state board members in a small group setting. These sessions may be led by a single presenter, feature a panel discussion, and often highlight current research or explore problems of practice in states. Audience engagement is a critical component of these smaller sessions (50–75 minutes). Concurrent sessions also include roundtable discussions designed to support members in sharing successful strategies, board initiatives, and lessons learned around key issues. Longer concurrent sessions (90 minutes) focus on interactive skill building or take a deeper dive into a topic. These sessions may coincide with, cross over, or extend beyond concurrent session blocks.
What Topics Are State Boards Eager to Learn About?
Each year, NASBE surveys state board members to identify the most pressing issues on state board agendas. These survey results help frame the Annual Conference agenda. Proposals should align with at least one of the following nine conference strands, which reflect broad state board priorities. NASBE encourages the submission of proposals that address cross-cutting issues from multiple strands and topics. Proposals that do not address any of the nine conference strands will not be considered.
- Metrics and Measures for Continuous School Improvement
- Recruiting and Retaining High Quality Educators
- Education Governance and Board Operations
- Mathematics Education
- High School Design for College and Career Success
- Early Childhood and Elementary Education
- Education Technology and Artificial Intelligence
- Student Wellness
- Curriculum and Instructional Materials
Examples of cross-cutting session proposals might include expanding career and technical education programs to engage students and reduce absenteeism, leveraging AI resources in mathematics education, or assessments that support competency-based approaches.
What are Presenter Responsibilities?
Proposers of an accepted session are required to register all individuals who are delivering the proposal for the NASBE Annual Conference. The cost associated with attending the conference, including registration, travel, lodging, and meals is the responsibility of the proposer for any and all session presenters. For the 2025 Annual Conference, NASBE offers a reduced registration for presenters ($650). Additionally, students who either present or attend the NASBE Annual Conference will receive complimentary registration to encourage student voices in education policy discussions. Presenters are not provided with honoraria. For special circumstances, NASBE may, at its sole discretion, waive or reduce registration fees for a presenter if the cost of attending creates a hardship for the proposer.
Presenters are expected to provide presentation materials in digital form, handouts, and/or follow-up materials for participants before, during, or after the event. If a session proposal is accepted, NASBE staff may edit session titles and descriptions for clarity. Proposers and presenters will also work with an assigned NASBE staff member before the conference to refine the session and ensure its success.
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!
Ready to Submit Your Proposal?
After you've read our full session proposal guide, submit your conference proposal using our online submission portal. To access the submission form from the portal, click the submit button and log in or create an account when prompted. Proposals must received by June 30, 2025.
NASBE offers multiple ways to partner at our premier membership meeting, the NASBE Annual Conference. Please contact NASBE President and CEO Paolo DeMaria to learn more about becoming a NASBE sponsor.
Programmatic Funders:
- The Bainum Family Foundation
- Foundation for Child Development
- Schusterman Family Foundation
- The Wallace Foundation
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Principal Sponsors:
- College Board
- Curriculum Associates
Major Sponsors:
- NWEA
- Renaissance
Supporting Partners:
- ETS
- Great Minds
Look here to find answers to the most common questions about NASBE’s Annual Conference!
How much is conference registration?
Registration fees for Annual Conference 2025 are as follows:
NASBE Member Rates
- Full Conference: $800 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $950)
- Daily (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday): $550
- Speaker: $650
- State Night Guest: $75
NASBE Affiliate Registration (NCOSEA and NCSBEE Members)
- NCOSEA: $500 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $600)
- NCSBEE: $800 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $950)
All Other Registration Rates
- Full Conference: $1,250 (After September 12, Regular Registration: $1,500)
- Daily (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday): $650
- Speaker: $650
- State Night Guest: $100
NASBE also extends complimentary registration to student board members. Students, please contact the NASBE Conference Team at nasbeconference@thebalcomgroup.com for a special discount code before completing registration.
I don’t want to attend the whole conference. Can I register for only the pre-conference sessions or a single day?
Yes. If you want to attend only one day of the Annual Conference, please select “single day registration” when you register for the day you plan to attend. For NASBE members, the fee is $550, for non-member, the fee is $650.
Do I have to register separately for the evening events?
No, it is included in your full conference registration. If you opt to bring a guest, there is an extra fee of $75 for members, and $100 for non-members.
Does NASBE make my hotel reservation?
No, attendees are responsible for making hotel reservations. Please call the hotel directly at 512-404-3600 or connect via its online reservation website to make your room reservation. To guarantee this special group rate of $249.00 per night plus applicable taxes. You must make your reservation no later than Friday, September 26, 2025. After that time, higher rates will apply and rooms may not be available.
Making a reservation in NASBE’s room block is important. Meeting our financial obligations to the AT&T Conference Center for our room block has a long-term benefit: It helps NASBE negotiate lower rates for our conferences in the future, and it lowers your out-of-pocket travel costs. When we fill our contracted room block, we avoid unnecessary financial penalties, which strengthen our negotiation efforts in the future to keep annual conference costs manageable.
How far away is the hotel from the airport?
The hotel is about 12 miles (15-20 minutes) from the airport. Taxis, shuttles and ride-sharing services are all available. Austin has public transportation options from the airport as well.
How do I access “PDA” funds for NASBE’s annual conference?
NASBE Professional Development Accounts (PDA) provide support to state board members who wish to participate in NASBE activities such as attending conferences, regional meetings, travel and other related activities. It is a perfect way to fund your trip to NASBE’s Annual Conference 2025! If your state has set up a PDA with NASBE, individual members may use available funds. Please contact Paolo DeMaria for more information.
How are you keeping attendees safe during the conference? (COVID-19 Policy)
Your well-being is our top priority, and we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment at the 2025 NASBE Annual Conference.
We ask all participants to monitor their own health before attending. If you are feeling unwell, please take the necessary steps to recover - whether that means staying home to rest or wearing a mask to protect yourself and others at the conference.
What is your cancellation policy?
Registrations may be cancelled for a refund (less $100 processing fee) if cancellation request is received in writing by Friday, October 3, 2025. All cancellations must be submitted in writing and emails to nasbeconference@thebalcomgroup.com.
Registration substitutions are accepted. The substitution deadline is Friday, October 3, 2025. All substitutions after this date will be processed on-site. Please email substitution requests to nasbeconference@thebalcomgroup.com.
All refunds are issued via original form of payment after the conference.
Are there sponsorship or advertising opportunities during the conference?
Yes! If you are interested in becoming a NASBE annual conference sponsor, please contact Paolo DeMaria.
I submitted a conference proposal. When will I hear and what's next?
The Conference Planning Committee and NASBE staff is currently reviewing all proposals on the 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.
Those who submitted a proposal will be notified by August 15, 2025, if their proposal has been selected to be a session at the conference. Once the session is confirmed, you will be assigned a NASBE staffer to help guide your further planning and logistics.
Coming Soon!