Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Foundations & Leadership

Committee Director

Steve Myran

Committee Member

Jori Beck

Committee Member

Tony Perez

Abstract

This phenomenological study exposes the complex cognitive and organizational processes school leaders navigate as they translate high-stakes state mandates into localized action. By examining the implementation of Virginia’s revised Standards of Accreditation and Accountability (SOA), this study challenges the prevailing managerial paradigm that views policy implementation as a linear, mechanical execution of directives. Instead, grounded in sensemaking theory and SDT, this research conceptualizes implementation as a situated and interpretive act shaped by leaders’ prior experiences, beliefs, and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi structured interviews with 12 school and division leaders within a single public school system during the early stages of SOA implementation. Analysis revealed four interrelated themes that characterize leaders’ lived experiences: (a) navigating uncertainty amid shifting expectations and limited clarity, (b) experiencing persistent tension between compliance and authentic teaching and learning, (c) reconstructing leadership roles as translators of policy, and (d) reframing accountability through an emphasis on equity, student growth, and expanded definitions of success.

Findings indicate that policy implementation occurs within an internal organizational void created by top-down standardization, where formal structures fail to produce shared understanding. Within this space, leaders engage in active sensemaking, moving beyond surface level compliance toward deeper, adaptive responses that align with the realities of their schools. This process requires leaders to transcend traditional managerial roles and function as curators of knowledge, fostering conditions for double-loop learning and questioning governing norms.

This study contributes to the literature by extending sensemaking theory to include the active reframing of policy meaning, applying SDT to leadership in accountability contexts, and advancing a post-managerial perspective on educational leadership. The findings highlight the limitations of compliance-driven systems and underscore the importance of contextual responsiveness, professional agency, and relational accountability. Ultimately, this research positions school leaders not as passive implementers of policy but as active agents who shape its meaning, impact, and potential for advancing equity and epistemic justice in public education.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25777/tesn-9j39

ISBN

9798197810625

ORCID

0009-0002-0884-8674

Download

Share

COinS