First introduced in the mid-1920s, student evaluation of instruction is a routine, mandatory part of teaching in colleges and universities in America. In this research, we summarized what is known about evaluating the effectiveness of instruction in postsecondary education and proposed areas for improvements, as well as considerations for future research. Considerable confusion, discontent, and concern were evident in the literature regarding the usefulness of ratings-based evaluations. Despite the contention surrounding student evaluations of teaching, they will continue to be used for personnel decisions. For this reason, research-based methods for improving the process and addressing areas of concern are still needed.