The pivot point for educational change is now firmly placed with the district, rebalancing the position of the state and the school relative to the local education agency (LEA). The state education agency (SEA) has been shifting its emphasis for decades, from a compliance-focused authority to a change agent equipped with systems, processes, training, and support to heighten the progress of the local district and its schools. A strategic approach to performance management fits neatly in this new organizational environment. Ideal for organizing people and their work in one entity (SEA, LEA, or school), strategic performance management is equally suited to a multi-organization system where interlaced data and responsive supports are critical. A state system of support is such a system. The publication is presented in four parts: (1) Casting a Responsive Net; (2) Synopsis of the Modules and Steps for an SEA, LEA, or School to Implement SPM; (3) Interlaced Data and Responsive Supports; and (4) Best Practice, Productivity, and Innovation. With the SPM approach, each entity in the educational network claims its due share of autonomy, determining its organizational goals, strategies, performance measures, and actions. These core elements of SPM are structured in a way that implementation and performance data can flow between district and school and between both and the state, making possible responsive supports. In a multi-organizational application of SPM, the state agency itself adheres to the same principles of continuous improvement as districts and schools. The SPM processes generate useful, timely data to guide decision-making and course correction within each organization and across them. In this proposal, a networked application of SPM sharpens each organization's unique direction, enhancing that organization's productivity in pursuing its own goals. Two appendixes are included: (1) Ways to Identify Sound (Best) Practice; and (2) Summary of Recommended Study Criteria for Each Evidence Level.