The purpose of this study is to contribute to existing research on teacher supervision, instructional leadership, and teacher reflectivity and teacher reflexivity by examining: teachers' personal perceptions and reflections about improving instructional effectiveness through observations of their own lessons when using a standards-based appraisal system, the Professional Development Appraisal System (PDAS)--to self-assess their teaching. A combination of surveys, cognitive interviews and participant self-rating data was collected. The procedure involved the administration and descriptive analysis of a teacher survey in Liked style format in four school districts. In one of the four school districts, teacher observations (video-taped), pre- and post- observation interviews along with three reflections were conducted with four participants. Veteran teachers described their prior experiences being evaluated using a standards-based instrument PDAS, as mainly for evaluative purposes, rather than for professional growth. Overall, many teachers (62%) indicated that their teaching practice has not improved as a result of participating in the PDAS process. Most teachers (72.4%) would not participate in PDAS if it were not required. Teachers noted the opportunity for growth through reflection and self-evaluation and expressed a strong desire to have input into their evaluations. Each teacher identified specific areas for improvement through this process, demonstrated receptivity to external feedback and described having made a deeper connection to the analysis of their practice as a result of participating in this study. The findings suggest that reflection and self-evaluation of formally observed lessons are essential components of meaningful and relevant opportunities for teacher growth through evaluation. [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.]