As educational institutions have recognized growing educational inequities in traditional educational environments, more and more schools are turning to personalized learning as a solution. This mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design sought to determine to what extent elementary school students demonstrate growth in mathematics after one semester in a personalized learning environment, and to explain the role and dispositions of building leadership through change initiatives. Through an analysis of pre- and posttest results drawn from 185 second- through fifth-grade students attending a school in an urban district in a rural state in the Midwest, as well as an analysis of teacher perceptions obtained from a focus group comprised of five teachers with experience in both traditional and personalized learning settings, findings demonstrated a large effect size across all grade levels. Leadership dispositions are crucial in determining the success of change initiatives. When leaders exhibit characteristics of transformational leadership, personalized learning has the potential to greatly impact student achievement. [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.]