State education leaders should take the lead in efforts to create more coherent, comprehensive, and sustained statewide professional learning systems that help educators meet the promise of the Common Core, according to a new policy brief by Learning Forward. Seizing the Moment: State Lessons for Transforming Professional Learning underscores the importance of a coordinated state professional learning strategy, the adoption of professional learning standards, the value of assessing the quality of professional development, and strategies for leveraging state leadership to drive improvements at the regional and district level. The brief is a first look at lessons learned through Learning Forward’s ongoing initiative, Transforming Professional Learning to Prepare College- and Career-Ready Students: Implementing the Common Core. “We have one tight window of time to ensure that