Since 1976 the U.S. Department of Education has helped fund 60 education policies by state legislatures. These competitive matching grants, or cost-sharing awards, have laid the groundwork for significant education reforms. This report seeks to advance information-sharing among state legislatures and between policy makers and researchers. The report contains a list of 27 cost-sharing awards funded between 1983-86 and presents 4 case studies highlighting important issues confronting state legislatures today and illustrating the different methods that legislatures use to define issues and employ research in making changes in state education policies. In 1983, Tennessee's General Assembly was stalemated over the controversial issue of rewarding teachers with higher salaries. Finally, a Select Committee on Education used a cost-sharing award to commission papers from education researchers and provide expert testimony. The committee then drafted a bill underlying the state's landmark career ladder law. In 1985, the Maine Legislature used a cost-sharing award to conduct its own field research project on teachers' decisions to stay in the classroom or leave teaching. As a result, the legislature can deal realistically with teacher supply and demand by relying on state data. The two other case studies involve a Washington State higher education funding formula research project and a South Carolina project to monitor the progress of recent educational reform efforts. (MLH)