I keep hearing that ESSA (the Every Student Succeeds Act) has new requirements about the evidence base required for using federal funds for professional development expenditures. At the same time, I read that there is a limited evidence base related to professional learning. So how am I supposed to justify the professional learning plan for my school? Great question. ESSA has introduced new evidence requirements tied to expenditure of funds in a variety of areas, including professional learning. We welcome this new stipulation — as this issue of The Learning Professional indicates, we are committed to helping educators as they find ways to document the impact, with evidence, of the links between professional learning and improved educator practice and student results. In addition, Learning Forward’s