When educational leaders supervise the implementation of standards-based curricula, they should understand the forces acting on classroom teachers during that implementation process. This study investigated the lived experience of 20 elementary teachers who developed, piloted, and implemented an elementary science curriculum (ESC). Using DiMaggio and Powell's theoretical lens of institutional isomorphism, I explored the coercive, mimetic, and normative mechanisms the participants faced when implementing the ESC and strove to understand how their involvement in the process of curriculum development shaped their perception of the implementation. This interpretive inquiry qualitative study addressed the overarching question: In what ways is a teacher's participation in the curriculum development process meaningful to their lived experience in the classroom during school-wide implementation? This study is relevant to educational leadership because school leaders should consider the relationship between learning standards and curriculum implementation and how these elements influence each other in the classroom. The pool of candidates recruited for this study was limited to 167 teachers who worked with a regional education support agency that provided professional learning supervision during curriculum development and support during the curriculum piloting phases. This shared experience of curriculum development and piloting separates the participants in this study from their colleagues in their home district. It may shape their experience when implementing an ESC. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]