National Conference of State Legislatures

The National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as a source of information, expertise, and professional development for the nation's legislators and their staff. This grant will support NCSL to lead a national dialogue among state legislators about the policy options that can help enable Connected Learning and Cities of Learning to thrive, such as competency-based learning, online safety, and issues related to student data privacy. NCSL is hosting briefings and workshops, preparing policy briefs, and working with state legislators to develop work plans to advance relevant policies.

Since 1975, the National Conference of State Legislatures has been the single bipartisan, national, professional organization that has all 7,500 state legislators and their staff as its exclusive membership. With this grant, NCSL will provide information and technical assistance highlighting the successful work of Models for Change to state legislators and staff to promote better and more-informed decision-making on juvenile justice issues. It will use content from Models for Change as the basis for programs to provide policymakers with knowledge and information on adolescent development and juvenile delinquency, evidence-based practices, and effective reforms that improve juvenile justice systems, programs and services.

This renewal grant to the National Conference of State Legislatures will support the Executive Committee Task Force on Immigration and the States, a resource for state legislators who seek current and reliable information about the effects of immigration on their states and cities. The grant will enable the Task Force to meet regularly, to fill knowledge gaps related to the economic impacts of immigration policy, and to inform sound policymaking at the state level.

This grant will help state legislators and local elections officials better understand technology’s role in administering elections. Most voting machines across the country must be replaced before the 2016 presidential election. To accomplish this, state legislators and local elections officials will need to work together effectively. By building a stronger partnership between these two key groups, the National Council of State Legislatures will help states make good technology decisions about purchasing voting machines, develop fair and effective anti-fraud measures that also protect the voting rights of qualified electors, modernize voter registration, and adopt best practices for testing equipment and auditing polling place results.

The National Conference of State Legislatures provides legislative analysis and technical assistance to promote interstate communication, share best practices, and enhance the effectiveness of state legislatures. With this grant, NCSL will continue to convene an advisory board, hold meetings, host site visits, produce publications, and provide more state policymakers with information, examples, and perspectives about how Connected Learning meets the needs and interests of the 21st Century learner; and identify new and existing policies that support Connected Learning principles in state policy and local practice.

This grant to the National Conference of State Legislatures will support the Executive Committee Task Force on Immigration and the States, a resource for state legislators who seek current and reliable information about the effects of immigration on their states and cities. The grant will enable the Task Force to meet regularly, to identify knowledge gaps related to the economic impacts of immigration policy, and to determine how those gaps can be addressed with data and evidence to help inform sound policy making at the state level.

The National Conference of State Legislatures, whose exclusive membership includes all 7,500 state legislators and their staff , provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange information on critical state issues. It will use this grant to provide state legislators and their staffs with information and technical assistance that highlights the successful work of Models for Change--knowledge and information on adolescent development and juvenile delinquency, evidence-based practices, and effective reforms that improve juvenile justice systems and services--to promote better and more-informed decision-making on juvenile justice issues.

The National Conference of State Legislatures provides legislative analysis and technical assistance to enhance the effectiveness of state legislatures by promoting interstate communication and sharing best practices. As the Foundation’s digital media and learning initiative lays the groundwork for broader practical change, federal and state policymakers will need information to develop policies that support new evidence-based approaches to learning that use digital media and integrate learning opportunities across schools, libraries and museums. This grant will fund meetings, policy briefs, site visits, and publications that show policymakers how technology--particularly, digital media--can support student learning and improve educational outcomes.

To provide information and assistance to the membership on juvenile justice policies with a focus on Models for Change resources and innovations (over two years).

To support studies that assess state and federal policies related to educational technology and the use of digital media to promote learning.

To provide information and assistance to members on juvenile justice policies with a focus on Models for Change resources and innovations (over two years).

In support of activities to educate legislators about collaborative mental health services delivery and to improve mental health policymaking across service sectors (over three years).

In support of activities to develop interest and leadership capacity in juvenile justice issues in state legislatures (over two years).

In support of an initiative to disseminate information about children’s mental health to state legislators and staff and improve their policy decision making (over two years).

To inform state child care policymakers of the latest research findings related to early childhood policies and practices (over two years).

To support the Better Education through Informed Legislation project, which helps legislators develop and implement education reforms (over two years).

To support the project Better Education through Informed Legislation, undertaken with the Educational Excellence Network.

To publish a legislators' guide and an associated conference on defense waste and nuclear weapons production sites.

To focus the attention of state policymakers on the ways counselling and counselors in elementary schools can help address the effects of community and family problems on student performance.

To support a project on small business entrepreneurial development for low-income persons.