Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes
We look forward to welcoming you to Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes: From Compliance to Capacity, September 9–10, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. Keep checking back for session information, speaker announcements, and more details. Need answers ASAP? Reach out to our event strategy team at [email protected] for more info.
Welcome from the U.S. Department of Education
Welcome to Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes.
Returning education to the states is about more than providing greater flexibility and reducing federal burden. It is about strengthening the ability of states to lead—to set priorities, make informed decisions about resources, learn what is working, and continually improve outcomes for students.
That is why this convening is intentionally centered on you. Over these two days, state education leaders will learn directly from one another, share strategies and lessons learned, and work together on challenges that cross state lines. The Capacity Showcase, Consultative Exchange, and sessions on federal flexibility are designed to put state leadership and experience at the center of the conversation.
You will also see an important part of that work taking shape through our State Learning Agenda pilot. A Learning Agenda helps a state move from having a strategic plan to becoming disciplined about learning from its implementation. It starts with the questions that matter most to achieving the state's goals, identifies the evidence needed to answer them, and creates a regular, systematic process for using what is learned to make better decisions about policy, programs, resources, and implementation.
Eight states are working with us now to test and strengthen this approach. What we’ve learned together has helped us create practical tools and resources that other states can adapt to their own priorities and context.
This convening reflects the larger vision behind Returning Education to the States: stronger state leadership, stronger state capacity, and ultimately, stronger outcomes for students.
I look forward to learning alongside you.
Kirsten Baesler
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education
U.S. Department of Education
From the National Comprehensive Center
At the National Comprehensive Center, we believe that collaboration sparks change.
We are honored to host you in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, for the Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes Convening. This week’s event brings together 350 leaders from 50 state educational agencies (SEAs), the U.S. Department of Education, and 28 federally funded technical assistance centers.
Our agenda is designed to accelerate peer-to-peer learning through SEA-led presentations, panels, and interactive activities. We’ve also planned two sessions just for SEA chiefs to foster strategic, executive-level conversations about how SEA leaders are tackling complex issues to strengthen the educator workforce, build organizational capacity, and ultimately improve student outcomes.
Thank you—especially to our presenters—for sharing your ideas, innovation, and time. Real progress and capacity-building happen when we come together, share what’s working, and talk openly about challenges. We encourage you all to ask questions, make connections, and engage with curiosity to identify innovative solutions that you can adapt, test, and scale to better support students and educators.
Dr. Jill Lammert
Director, National Comprehensive Center
