The educational system is in a continual state of refinement in an effort to improve effectiveness. Many decisions are made regarding policy and procedure at the individual school level ascending to the federal level. The majority workforce carrying out these reform efforts is comprised of classroom teachers. Teachers have the most direct experience with the implementation and evaluation of educational practices in the classroom. However, their involvement in the development of reform is limited. Teacher ownership in the educational decision-making process is an important element but it is vaguely defined and lacks empirical research. This study examined elementary school teachers' perceptions of their ownership in decision-making processes. The researcher utilized generic qualitative design in order to better understand teachers' perspectives regarding their ownership of decision-making. The sample of twelve participants was purposefully drawn. All participants were certified public elementary teachers in one of the three Georgia public school districts approved for this research study. Additional criteria included: participants were required to be employed full time and have at least three years of teaching experience. Data were collected from the participants' journal entries and interviews. The data were then analyzed to identify recurring patterns and themes in the participants' responses. The results of the study indicated that teachers held varying but related meanings of their ownership, that their level of involvement in decision making directly impacted their ownership, that they felt ownership was an important factor in education, and that there is a need for more ownership in education at all levels. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]