The "Closing the Achievement Gap" series explores the Casey Foundation's education investments and presents stories, results, and lessons learned. This publication looks at the various influence activities the Foundation's education program has supported in the past seven years. It also explains the logic behind this diverse set of investments, and it presents stories about two different influence investments that have led to concrete outcomes. Key questions for measuring influence are identified: (1) Is the influence activity evidence-based and well articulated?; (2) Who is the target audience?; (3) Is the audience consuming and using your work?; and (4) Is anything changing as a result? (Are school outcomes improving for children? Is the achievement gap closing? Are young people graduating ready to succeed as adults?). Lessons for both influence organizations and donors are included. [For the entire "Closing the Achievement Gap" series, see ED500487 through ED500493.]