States are looking to leverage their longitudinal data systems, particularly the teacher/student data link, to inform the policies and practices that support educator success. It is essential that states bring critical stakeholders together in partnership to determine what teacher data the state should be collecting and matching to student data and how the information will be used. This work will require cross-sector and agency collaboration to be successful. To inform the growing partnerships between state policymakers, K-12 and postsecondary leaders, and teacher preparation programs, the DQC, AACTE, CCSSO, and NCATE created a template to guide discussions between states and teacher preparation programs around how data can be collected, analyzed, shared and used to improve the preparation of teachers and the ultimate increase in student achievement. Possible outcomes of these conversations include identifying critical policy questions and increasing transparency and effective communication about teacher preparation/continuous improvement. Each state will approach this work differently--some will use this template in its entirety, some will draw on pieces of it and some may create their own from scratch. It is also foreseeable that states will have a different process and agreement in place for each individual teacher preparation program within the state. The template is meant to "spur and guide" a conversation so that stakeholders can come to the table with something in hand to react to and modify based on their needs as well as set expectations based on defined roles.