Principals' Perceptions of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System

This qualitative study investigated principals' perceptions of the effects of the 2011 Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System on teacher growth and development, principals' capacity to support teacher growth and development, and principal-teacher relationships. Participants were eleven elementary level public school principals who are the sole evaluators of teachers in their schools.;The study was guided by the following three research questions.;1. How do principals perceive the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System as supporting teacher growth and development, in theory and as they have experienced it?;2. How do principals perceive the effect of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System on their ability, capacity and opportunity to effectively support their teachers' development?;3. How do principals perceive the effect of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System on the development and maintenance of trusting relationships between principals and teachers as they have experienced it?;The findings of this study suggest that the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System provides some benefits to the growth and development of teachers and to principals in supporting that growth and development. Additionally, the study revealed some aspects of the System that principals perceived to be challenging to implement effectively, and some aspects that principals perceived to be detrimental to teacher growth and development.;Keywords: Teacher Evaluation, Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System, Evaluation, Supervision, Principal-Teacher Trust.