The charge of the Comprehensive Center program is to support State education agencies (SEAs), regional education agencies (REAs), local education agencies (LEAs), and schools so they can improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction. The U.S. Department of Education defines capacity-building (CB) services as assistance that strengthens an individual's or organization's ability to engage in continuous improvement and achieve expected outcomes. Given the range of CB services that Regional Comprehensive Centers can provide to SEAs, REAs, and LEAs, a needs assessment can help regional comprehensive center staff understand recipients' needs and can help clarify how the stakeholder will benefit from the Center's services. Regional Comprehensive Centers' needs assessment and planning typically focus on interactive discussions with State education leaders and SEA staff. This Preliminary Capacity-Building Needs Assessment is meant to help focus those discussions on core components of CB and corresponding needs and, in short, help Centers and stakeholders decide whether CB services are needed and, if so, which components are crucial.