A new study that analyzes the status of professional learning in the United States reveals that the nation is making some progress in providing increased support and mentoring for new teachers. But the study also reveals that the United States has moved backward in providing the vast majority of teachers with the kind of ongoing, intensive professional learning that research shows has a substantial impact on student learning. In 2008, teachers nationwide had fewer opportunities to engage in sustained professional learning opportunities than they had four years earlier. They were also half as likely to report collaborative efforts in their schools than teachers did in 2000. The new report, which examined 2008 data from the federal government's Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and other sources, summarizes Phase II findings of the three-part Status of Professional Learning study launched in 2008 by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) and a team of researchers from the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE). It also assesses each state on the quality of their professional development across 11 indicators that comprise a newly-developed Professional Development Access Index. (Contains 3 charts.) [For the full report "Professional Development in the United States: Trends and Challenges. Phase II of a Three-Phase Study. Technical Report," see ED522583.]