Throughout 1998, the National Education Goals Panel conducted interviews with policymakers in the states that have made top improvement and performance on indicators of progress toward the national education goals. State officials told the story behind the data and what they consider to be the reasons for their success. Their stories are intended to help other states contending with similar issues. The report is divided into nine sections, the first eight of which each represent a national education goal: (1) Ready To Learn; (2) School Completion; (3) Student Achievement; (4) Teacher Education; (5) Mathematics and Science; (6) Adult Literacy; (7) Safe Schools; (8) Parental Participation; and (9) Progress Across the Goals. For each goal, the information includes objectives, an indicator, data on states' performance, lists of highest performing and most-improved states, profiles of two or three top-performing states, and lessons learned. The final section describes similarities in the success of North Carolina and Texas, two states that made the most progress across the goals. Similarities include leadership from the business community, statewide standards and assessments, computerized feedback systems, increased local flexibility with accountability, and a shift in resources to disadvantaged students. Resources for further reading in each of the goals are presented at the end. (JMD)