This report summarizes the activities and results of the Southeast Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), 1 of 10 RACs established under the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.). The RACs were formed to identify the region’s most critical educational needs and develop recommendations for technical assistance to meet those needs. The technical assistance provided to state education agencies (SEAs) aims to build capacity for supporting local education agencies (LEAs or districts) and schools, especially low-performing districts and schools; improving educational outcomes for all students; closing achievement gaps; and improving the quality of instruction. The report represents the work of the Southeast RAC, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Committee members convened three times and reached out to their respective constituencies between July 19, 2016, and August 18, 2016. Members of the Southeast RAC represented a variety of stakeholders, including LEA superintendents, teachers, and other school and district staff members; state chief school officers and other SEA staff members; and institutions of higher education administrators, professors, and researchers. The members shared resources, communicated, and collaborated using Communities360⁰, an interactive online platform hosted within the larger GRADS360⁰ system and housed within the secure U.S. Department of Education environment. Table A provides a list of committee members and their affiliations. An additional stakeholder from South Carolina (representing school boards, businesses, and parents) declined the invitation to participate in the Southeast RAC.