The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe/summarize the perceptions of the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES) for 10 educational leaders in two small rural school districts in eastern North Carolina. This study was conducted through the problem definition lens. The 10 educational leaders for this study included two elementary principals, two middle school principals, two high school principals, two human resource representatives, and two superintendents. The findings pinpointed areas of strengths and needs within the tool based on the educational leaders' perceptions. Overall, the participants perceived the NCEES to be better than its predecessor. While the system was noted to have strengths compared to the previous system, the educational leaders identified changes needed to assist with implementation of the system, such as better training for evaluators and teachers. They also noted that the NCEES tool does not address the components of an effective lesson, and thus does not aptly assess a teacher's actual instructional abilities. The educational leaders shared specific design elements they would include in their ideal teacher evaluation system. Additionally, they did not perceive the current system as having any impact on teacher retention in their respective districts. This study provided some insight into what constitutes an effective teacher evaluation system in the eyes of educational leaders. Still, there continues to be a need to address effective teacher evaluation and classroom instruction to see student growth across all districts, whether rural or suburban, in the state of North Carolina. [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.]