According to the latest Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), teachers participate in professional learning more than most other professionals, yet only about half report that it improves their teaching (OECD, 2025). For district and school leaders, this raises an important question: What actually makes professional learning effective?
To better understand the answer, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) surveyed more than 1,400 teachers across our partner districts in eight states (Barnett, 2026; Serdiouk et al., 2022). Partner districts have in place teacher leaders and a system for classroom observation and feedback based on NIET’s TAP System model. These elements provide a core foundation for more effective, collaborative professional learning. The survey examined what influenced teachers’ ability to apply new learning in their classrooms.
The analysis yields two findings that point to a clear conclusion:
- Professional learning is 30 times more effective when it is aligned with teachers’ evaluation feedback.
- Professional learning is four times more likely to be applied when it includes frequent individualized support from teacher leaders (Serdiouk et al., 2022).
Every Student Deserves High-Quality Support, and So Does Every Teacher
Professional learning is most effective when it is embedded within a coherent instructional system rather than a standalone initiative (Schapiro, 2025).
Our survey results revealed that when professional learning is aligned with teachers’ evaluation feedback, 84 percent of teachers reported being satisfied with their learning experience, and 81 percent said they frequently applied what they learned in their classrooms. When that connection was absent, satisfaction dropped to 38 percent, and only 33 percent reported regularly implementing new strategies.
Teachers are far more likely to embrace professional learning when it directly addresses the instructional challenges they experience every day. Classroom observations provide valuable insight into teachers’ strengths and opportunities for growth, while professional learning should equip educators with practical strategies to address those needs. When these systems operate together rather than independently, the results show higher teacher engagement, greater satisfaction, and more classroom application (Özdemir, 2020).
Cotulla Independent School District in Texas demonstrates how strong instructional systems and targeted support can impact both educators and students alike. Since implementing an embedded system of ongoing coaching, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across schools, the district has achieved remarkable gains in student outcomes. Encinal Elementary improved from an F to an A in just one year, Ramirez Burks Elementary increased its accountability rating by 14 points, and both Newman Middle School and Cotulla High School earned B ratings for school progress.
For more than 25 years, NIET has partnered with schools and districts nationwide to build these connected systems by aligning educator evaluation, teacher leadership, coaching, and professional learning. These survey results reinforce what NIET has observed alongside partners for decades: professional learning is most effective when it is part of a coherent strategy for improving instruction rather than a series of disconnected training sessions.
Teacher Leaders Drive Lasting Professional Learning
As education leaders look to understand what is driving these improvements, Louisiana offers two compelling examples of how investing in teacher support can accelerate student success.
NIET partner Natchitoches Parish School Board was nationally recognized in The Boston Globe for its use of teacher leaders to facilitate weekly teacher collaboration meetings and provide individual coaching for teachers. The strategic use of teacher leaders has driven significant improvements in educator effectiveness and student achievement, with the district earning its highest-ever district performance score and rising from a state ranking of 43rd in 2020 to 22nd in 2025.
Reflecting on Natchitoches Parish School Board’s success, Superintendent Dr. Grant Eloi shared, “Our students’ success isn’t an accident - it’s the result of investing in teachers. Through NIET’s support, we’ve built a system where every educator, from new teachers to veteran leaders, has access to ongoing coaching and collaboration. When teachers are strong, students thrive.”
DeSoto Parish Schools, another NIET partner district, has experienced similarly impressive results. Since 2008, the district has climbed from 47th to second in statewide student achievement and increased its graduation rate from 67% to 97%. The district’s teacher leadership model has been a major factor in its success.
These district results reinforce the aforementioned survey findings. When professional learning included regular one-on-one classroom support from instructional coaches or teacher leaders, 90 percent of teachers reported being satisfied, and 89 percent said they frequently applied what they learned. Without that ongoing support, satisfaction fell to 47 percent, while classroom application dropped to 43 percent.
Teacher leadership is one of the most powerful drivers of effective professional learning. By modeling instruction, facilitating collaborative learning, providing actionable feedback, and coaching colleagues through implementation, teacher leaders help bridge the gap between learning about a strategy and confidently using it in the classroom (Barnett, 2024).
Across NIET partner districts, teacher leaders play a central role in sustaining professional learning by leading collaborative learning teams, supporting classroom practice, and helping educators continuously refine instruction based on student needs (Van Hook et al., 2025).
The Best Measure of Professional Learning is Student Impact
Applied professional learning can lead to lasting gains in students’ academic and social outcomes, with research demonstrating an estimated 14-to-1 return on investment (Cohodes et al., 2026). These findings underscore what is possible when professional learning is embedded in a comprehensive system designed to strengthen teaching over time.
Since 1999, the comprehensive approach of the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement, created by NIET Founder Lowell Milken, has dramatically improved outcomes for students and changed the trajectory of entire communities. Through four interrelated key elements, TAP supports teachers in strengthening their instruction and improving student achievement.
In schools implementing NIET’s TAP System, researchers found improvements extended well beyond test scores. Students were more likely to enroll in 12th grade and graduate on time, while also experiencing longer-term benefits, including reduced reliance on social welfare programs and lower arrest rates. The study also found that the longer students were exposed to schools with these systems of teacher leadership, coaching, and ongoing professional learning, the greater the positive impact on students.
As districts continue investing substantial resources in professional learning, attendance and completion should not be the primary measures of success. The more meaningful outcome for district leaders is whether teachers are applying what they learn to improve instruction to better impact students.
Districts are more likely to see meaningful returns when professional learning is aligned with evaluation, supported by teacher leaders, reinforced through coaching, and embedded within a coherent instructional system. These are the very systems NIET helps districts build and sustain through educator evaluation, teacher leadership, instructional coaching, and collaborative professional learning.
Is Your Professional Learning Designed to Have Lasting Impact?
As district leaders enter another school year of professional learning investments, the question is no longer whether professional learning matters. The evidence is clear that it does.
Instead, ask:
- Is professional learning connected to teachers’ instructional needs identified through their evaluation?
- Are teachers receiving regular one-on-one classroom support from instructional coaches or teacher leaders that is reinforced by ongoing coaching?
With proven results, NIET has guided partner districts to build instructional systems that answer “yes” to each of these questions. We have long championed the importance of individualized support and alignment with teacher evaluation, both of which research shows to be effective. When professional learning is connected to teachers’ daily practice, supported by teacher leaders, and reinforced over time, it becomes a powerful driver of improved instruction and stronger student outcomes.
Dr. Joshua H. Barnett serves as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), a national non-profit organization that has trained and supported more than 35,000 teacher leaders over twenty-five years with proven results. At NIET, he leads a team of experts to support districts, states, and universities to improve educator effectiveness and student learning by creating the systems and structures that enable educators to be most successful. Published in numerous outlets, he is the author of the bestselling book Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom.