In 2006, the Weld County School District Re-8 in Fort Lupton, Colorado, was eager to find a way to increase teacher effectiveness and, as a result, improve student achievement. This small, semirural district about 35 miles northeast of Denver grappled with high teacher turnover (34% in 2005) and low scores on state assessments (three out of four schools did not make Adequate Yearly Progress). More than 52% of 2,400 students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. The district's demographics and needs matched the purposes of a federal Teacher Incentive Fund program to "develop and implement performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in order to increase educator effectiveness and student achievement in high-need schools" (Lee, 2010). One of the core elements of the five-year grant is for professional development to improve practice. Using the grant, Weld County Re-8 placed one achievement coach in each building to work with teachers in their classrooms and forge new possibilities for professional learning. In addition, a half-time coach of coaches worked with principals, coaches, teachers, and students and served as liaison with district administrators and programs. Coaches met biweekly in professional learning communities to study, discuss, analyze, reflect, seek, share, risk, and grow professionally in their coaching roles. Because of their efforts, the district gained coaches with expertise in teaching skills and adult learning, and teachers gained flexible formats for professional learning. In what may be the most significant product of their work, coaches developed a rubric for planning, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning in many formats. The overall result is a foundation that will continue to support and sustain high-quality professional learning in the district after the grant dollars disappear. A Quick Guide to the Essential Elements of Quality Professional Learning, along with a Planning Worksheet, are included in this document.