MSU K-12 Outreach has fostered a relationship with Western Michigan University while working on the High Impact Leadership (HIL) School Renewal Federal Grant. The HIL project is rooted in models of continuous improvement and focuses on developing leaders who are well-equipped to promote enhanced literacy practices as outlined in the General Education Leadership Network's (GELN) Literacy Essentials. HIL works with nearly 100 schools in West Michigan. MSU K-12 Outreach staff have been instrumental in the successful administration and implementation of the grant. More specifically, Outreach staff have assisted in recruitment, content development, administration, and progress monitoring. Most notably, however, is Outreach's contribution to the HIL project’s qualitative research effort. Outreach staff have taken the lead in developing research proposals, data collection instruments, and reports for professional and scholarly audiences. Outreach staff have worked closely with WMU faculty and schools in West Michigan to collect, analyze, and synthesize interview, document, and observation data.