To identify and document the high-priority research and technical needs of states and districts in the region, a range of qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques were used to systematically assess the status and condition of education in each state and in selected urban and rural school districts. Routine reports from REL researchers in the field and from partnering organizations in each of the four states provide ongoing information about the challenges and opportunities associated with efforts of state and local officials to incorporate scientific research into practice at the school and district levels. Highest priorities involved Improving Understanding and Assessment of Teacher Effectiveness, Ensuring College and Career Readiness, and Turning Around Low-Performing Schools. Additional needs across the region involved the challenges to improve and expand the quality of pre-k education programs, addressing the unique needs of rural schools, and making better use of school and student performance data to inform practice, policy, programs, instruction, and other types of decisions.