Case study exploring the influence of leadership on a new teacher evaluation framework

There is a need to identify how leadership influences school reform frameworks enhancing teacher resolve needed to address underperforming students (Goddard, LoGerfo, & Hoy, 2004). An issue equally not well understood are perceptions of self-efficacy on the part of teachers and the extent to which this perception is enhanced or constrained by leadership. The new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (TTESS) is a potential framework encompassing these types of needs. While the majority of educators see an effective teacher evaluation tool as necessary, the manner in which school leaders implement TTESS is varied and worthy of study (Vara-Orta, 2013). School leaders are challenged to implement TTESS in a manner that best improves teacher effectiveness and student learning. The literature on leadership efforts connected to teacher evaluation richly describes aspects of self-efficacy implications, time constraints, local decision-making complexity, accountability implications, dismissal recommendations, as well as reflection and growth. However, research lacks an equally comparable study and analysis of the influence of leadership on teacher self-efficacy and perception of teacher evaluation implementation, particularly within the context of this new, detailed, and complex evaluation framework. This study is an analysis of leadership’s influence on teacher evaluation implementation and teacher self-efficacy.