"The SEA of the Future" is an education publication series examining how state education agencies can shift from a compliance to a performance-oriented organization through strategic planning and performance management tools to meet growing demands to support education reform while improving productivity. This volume, the fifth in the series, draws on the experiences of state agency staff from Massachusetts, Michigan, and Tennessee, as well as the work of the Regional Comprehensive Centers, to explore how state education agencies can bolster their ability to use research and data to drive key spending, policy, and program decisions. Volume 5 includes practical tools state agencies can use to assist with research and data. Following an introduction by Ashley Jochim, this report contains the following essays: (1) Better Policy through Research: Pursuing High-Impact Research in State Education Agencies (Carrie Conaway)--features a sample policy analyst job description and a research office organizational chart; (2) Making Research Matter for the SEA (Nathaniel Schwartz)--describes how to build a research team within the SEA, and provides a framework and practical guidance on how research fits in the policy cycle; (3) Building Productive Research Partnerships (Venessa Keesler)--includes a case study of a research partnership: the Michigan Consortium for Educational Research; and (4) Technical Assistance to Support Evidence-Based Policymaking: A Conversation with the Regional Comprehensive Centers (facilitated by Bethany Gross)--provides a sample blueprint for states looking to create a research office, and Comprehensive Center leaders Kathleen Dempsey, Caitlin Howley, and Paul Kohler discuss their experiences in building evidence-based policy. [For "The SEA of the Future: Leveraging Performance Management to Support School Improvement. Volume 1," see ED562516. For "The SEA of the Future: Prioritizing Productivity. Volume 2," see ED562514. For "The SEA of the Future: Building the Productivity Infrastructure. Volume 3," see ED562515. For "The SEA of the Future: Uncovering the Productivity Promise of Rural Education. Volume 4," see ED562510.]