The primary goal of the Northeast Ohio Barometer of Economic Attitudes (NEO Barometer) is to provide meaningful information about what the public knows and perceives about the region. The Barometer is designed to provide a reliable and objective opinion-gauge of the people in Northeast Ohio. Since 2004, it has been tracking the public’s perception of the region’s general economic development progress, as well as opinions on regionalism and economic development initiatives. The 2008 survey added a new section that begins to track public perceptions about the importance of education, to inform strategies for addressing the persistently low levels of educational attainment of northeast Ohio residents.