Promoting professional growth in new teacher evaluation systems: Practitioners’ lived experiences in changing policy contexts

International recognition of the teacher’s role in student learning has increased attention to teacher quality and evaluation. In the U.S., policy has relaxed requirements for using student outcomes and granted more flexibility to evaluate teachers in ways that ostensibly improve instructional practice and student learning. This exploratory single case study examined the perceptions of practitioners at one high school in a large, suburban district during the implementation of a new evaluation system posited as focused on teacher support and growth. Findings suggest teachers and administrators appreciated the emphasis on communication. However, tensions inherent to the conflation of evaluation and support created challenges. These included distrust of policymaker motives, complexity of the model, technical challenges to implementation, time constraints, and teachers’ need for additional support. Practitioners’ lived experiences can inform policymakers reconsidering how and to what extent evaluation systems tied to accountability can meaningfully impact teacher professional growth and student learning.