The Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC) convened national and regional technical assistance (TA) providers and State Education Agency (SEA) teams for two days of focused work on teacher quality. The meeting was held at the Learning Center, Marlborough, Massachusetts, May 4-5, 2006. The purpose of the National Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ) Forums is to help states develop models for improving the preparation, licensing, and professional development of both general and special education teachers of students with disabilities. These forums provide opportunities for states to share ideas, hear from experts on topics of critical interest, and develop state-specific action plans for systems reform. NERRC gathered a broad array of national and regional technical assistance providers spanning general and special education, all of whom have a stake in and responsibility for teacher quality. The rationale for the meeting was exemplified in the opening session titled "The Why Behind It All: Connecting Policy and Practice to Improve Teacher Quality for All Students with Disabilities." State team planning time were organized to provide teams the opportunity to strategize and develop a single goal statement, culminating in State Teams completing a matrix indicating their focus area, goal statement, immediate or short-term activities, strategies, TA needs, resources, and a follow-up action plan that would ensure forward movement of the plan. States also met in cross-state teams or Affinity Groups to examine common problems and look for possible cross-state collaborative solutions. In general, participants agreed that the event was of high quality, well organized, planned and facilitated. It provided useful support and access to TA providers as well as cross-state networking opportunities.