States Win Innovations Awards.

• Position: Innovations in American Government Awards - Brief Article

Four states were among the 10 winners of this year's prestigious Innovations in American Government Awards. Each year, the program honors pioneering governments with $100,000 grants and national recognition for creativity in public administration.

Minnesota was ranked No. 1 of the award winners, which included the federal government, counties and cities. The state was recognized for adopting a charter school law that authorized sponsors, other than school districts, to organize the nation's first independent public charter schools.

Illinois was honored for creating a "performance-based contracting" program that changed the state's focus and resources from maintaining children in foster care to finding them permanent homes.

Pennsylvania won recognition for an initiative that "safely and significantly" reduced the use of seclusion...