These two case studies were commissioned by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) as part of its Western Policy Exchange (WPE) Project, in an effort to understand the dynamics and perceived consequences of a "state roundtable" approach to fostering partnerships in education in order to advance systemic change and reforms in higher education. Idaho and South Dakota were chosen for their different experiences with the WPE project. The case studies involved attendance at state roundtables, a review of documents, and site interviews with legislators, regents, and business leaders. Among the conclusions drawn from the case studies are that an understanding of and belief in the roundtable process is essential if it is to be employed as a systemic change tool; WICHE provides valuable resources for planning, organizing, and implementing the roundtable process; willingness to assume leadership risk is critical to success; roundtables must consider the uniqueness of each state; participants must be selected with care; background papers help in orienting and focusing participants; trust building is most effective if a group addresses its own internal shortcomings before expecting other groups to take corrective actions; and the cycle for effective use of the roundtable process is 5 to 6 years. (CH)