Perceptions of Novice Career and Technical Education Teachers Regarding Teacher Evaluations

As states expand funding for alternative teacher-licensure pathways, this qualitative descriptive case study examined how 38 novice Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in a Midwestern research university’s alternative licensure program perceived teacher evaluation during their first years in the profession. Analyses yielded ten major themes with three subthemes each, which were synthesized into the DEEPS conceptual evaluation framework: Development, Evaluation, Engagement, Partnerships, and Skills. We arranged the acronym DEEPS based on data analysis for conceptual coherence rather than order of occurrence. Participants described evaluation as misaligned with the specialized demands of CTE instruction and called for tools that better capture laboratory-based pedagogy, safety, technical skill development, and industry-aligned outcomes. They also emphasized the need for evaluator credibility in CTE contexts, actionable feedback, protected time for reflection, and professional learning that integrates instructional improvement with evaluation literacy. These findings offer a practitioner-grounded rationale for redesigning novice CTE teacher evaluation systems and inform policy and program decisions aimed at strengthening support, instructional quality, and retention in alternative licensure pipelines.