Abstract
Despite the state-mandated implementation of Act 82 of 2012, there is little research to confirm whether Pennsylvania’s Educator Effectiveness System affects teachers’ instructional growth. This is an important consideration for school principals and organizational leaders who utilize the evaluation model with the intent of improving teachers’ instructional pedagogy. However, if the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Act 82 are not resulting in teachers’ instructional growth, then school district representatives at the local or state level need to explore other methods to evaluate teachers and improve their skill set. Based upon the importance of needing quality teachers in classrooms and having principals evaluate and foster their instructional growth, it is essential to know if the goal of Act 82 is being accomplished. The purpose of this qualitative study was to measure elementary principals’ perceptions of the effect of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Educator Effectiveness System (Act 82 of 2012) on teachers’ instructional growth.