ABSTRACT Pamela H. Breedlove, TEACHER EVALUATION IN NORTH CAROLINA: TEACHER

Teacher evaluation has the potential to lead to improved instruction and professional growth, but, in practice, this potential is often unrealized. North Carolina has revised its teacher evaluation process to include many of the elements that are supported by research as necessary for effective teacher evaluation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these changes have had any effect on teacher perceptions of evaluation as measured by specific questions on the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey. These TWC Survey questions asked teachers whether they are held to high professional standards for delivering instruction, whether they receive feedback that can help them improve instruction, whether the procedures for teacher evaluation are consistent, whether they are encouraged to reflect on their own practice, and whether they are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction. The new teacher evaluation process in North Carolina was piloted in 2007-08 and then implemented in three phases beginning in the fall of 2008. Data from the 2008 and 2010 TWC Surveys were obtained from the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission. A series of dependent samples t tests was conducted to compare TWC Survey responses from