To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to reform, replicate successful strategies and accelerate systemic reform in their own states, particularly around the college- and career-ready agenda. The project includes: (1) Four case studies that examine both governmental and non-governmental strategies that were effective in making reform last in Indiana, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Texas; (2) A paper that draws on and synthesizes the case studies' overarching lessons and states' strategies for sustainability; and (3) A tool that states can use in their own planning. The four states were chosen because they were able to pass and sustain significant education reforms over time, for at least a decade. The focus of the case studies is not on the specific policies passed, but rather the process and strategies the states employed to make significant change last. By all accounts, Massachusetts' journey to education excellence is a model for states around the nation. This case study attempts to capture the lessons that Massachusetts has learned in the 20-plus years it has been working on education reform, particularly with respect to how the commonwealth has successfully sustained its efforts over time. What did Massachusetts do? Who was involved? How did they make it happen? What's kept it going, especially in the face of inevitable opposition? (Contains 3 footnotes.)