In 1983 the National Commission for Excellence in Education investigated claimed that U.S. schools were failing to adequately educate children. The Commission identified many inconsistencies nationwide in areas of access, teacher standards, learning standards, and accountability. This investigation led to an evolution of legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, which have had their own unique impacts on the educational system in the United States. Common to each legislation is the need for teacher evaluation and accountability. The process of evaluating teachers has evolved to a norm in the profession, pairing educational leaders and educators in a collaborative environment, collaborating to discuss strategies for growth. Missouri requires teachers to be evaluated to monitor effectiveness using a set of principles created by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and approved by the legislature. Little knowledge in Missouri concerns the implementation of these principles and its growth model, especially among rural school districts. This qualitative study will use interviews and focus groups to gather perceptions from rural practitioners regarding two commonly used evaluation tools in the State of Missouri. Qualitative data will be coded and disseminated to reveal teacher perceptions about the effectiveness of each tool when considering its impact on work in the classroom. [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.]