The quality of preK-12 education is an international issue of central importance in discussions currently being held by educators, administrators, legislators, and educational policymakers. Concerns addressed in these discussions include funding, high-stakes assessments, the role of technology in the classroom, national and state curriculum standards, guidelines, regulations, and requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), federal and state education policies, English Language Learners, special needs learners, 21st Century Skills, college and career readiness, Neuroscience discoveries, Differentiated Instruction, creativity, and teacher performance and their effectiveness in contributing to student achievement are among some of the critical issues fueling these discussions (Sabol, 2013). The roles teachers play in addressing each of these topics is of paramount importance. Teacher effectiveness evaluations are one method used to examine the link between student achievement and the instructional practices of teachers. This study examines current educational practices by looking at factors leading up to increased attention on student achievement and the role of teacher effectiveness evaluation models in delivering a quality education. The RISE teacher effectiveness evaluation model used in Indiana and two teacher evaluation models commonly used, by Charlotte Danielson and Robert Marzano, are examined based on their capacity to evaluate and support the professional performances and growth of art teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]