There is a disparity between suburban and rural school achievement, with rural schools often performing lower on academic measures such as reading. Regardless of a student's geographic location, they should receive a high-quality education. There are rural schools in the State of Illinois, despite their location, that have overcome odds and have been identified as Exemplary High Achieving schools through the Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award program. This study examined the interaction of internal and external factors that shape systemic change in rural elementary schools. This exploratory, multi-site case study generated a substantive theory of the interaction of internal and external factors that shape systemic change in rural elementary schools that are designated Exemplary High Achieving Schools as described in the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools. The results of the study were outlined in three themes: Teaching as a Team Sport (No One Can Do It Alone), Standards as a Starting Point and Catalyst for Curricular Autonomy, and Monitoring for Skill Deficits through Prescriptive Intervention. A secondary benefit of the study was to inform other elementary leaders on the feasibility of change in their own school's reading practices. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]