This paper focuses on local (school district level) facilitators, or individuals with major responsibility for implementing federal or state-sponsored school improvement practices. It covers who they are, what roles they play, and how they contribute to various outcomes. The sample is from the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement, a national study of the impact of four selected dissemination/school improvement strategies on teachers and schools in 146 districts. Of these, 66 districts (45 percent) have designated one or more persons as local facilitators--a total of 78 persons, including 35 curriculum coordinators, 10 other district personnel, 4 assistant principals, 1 guidance staff person, 1 assistant superintendent, and 27 others. Characteristics of these facilitators are described, including years of experience in various positions, professional activities, and inservice education. Next, data are provided on local facilitators' perceptions of the value of the practice they are helping to implement, and on their sense of ownership of the practice. This is followed by information on the time they spent and the roles they played in the school improvement effort. A description is provided, with accompanying data, of how local facilitators interact with external facilitators, and of how local facilitators influence the school improvement process. Two causal models are present that illuminate the variables influencing school improvement outcomes: individually focused (outcomes among individual teachers) and school-focused (outcomes at the organizational level). Charts and tables are included. (TE)