On the assumption that individual teachers are the primary agents for developing more effective education, the Cleveland Public Schools began a four-year teacher-based change project entitled Planning Educational Environments for Cleveland Children in two volunteer schools. The various evaluators in the project, however, assumed that the funding agency was their primary client, the school administration next, and the school staff the last. Evaluation reports were not sufficiently detailed or specific to be useful to the teachers. Emphasis of reports was on instructional processes and pupil products in three areas: reading, mathematics, and self-concept. There was considerable disagreement on the meaning of self-concept. Resistance by the teachers took the forms of refusing to respond, responding incompletely, or responding falsely. The evaluation process was perceived by the teachers as threatening, because of unrealistic expectations and attitudes toward the administrative bureaucracy. For some teachers, the costs of evaluation were far greater than the benefits. Effective evaluation requires understanding of the political and social context, and flexibility to adapt to that context. The evaluator must consider the individual characteristics of the participants and attempt to reduce their anxieties, while treating them honestly. (CTM)