This study is a qualitative case study of middle schools located in a rural public school district in a southern state in the United States that has implemented the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which explored the roles of education leaders in the implementation of NGSS. Participants included teachers, instructional coaches, and district administrators. The findings of the study include how a lack of training for NGSS impacted the effectiveness of education leaders, district leadership focused on curriculum instead of the standards, the response to teacher frustrations led to an adversarial relationship with the district, and education leaders exist in many contexts within the district. Education leaders can benefit from the findings of the presented study by understanding the challenges faced by this district and how education leaders within the district responded to those challenges. [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.]