With only four years of mandated state-standards in adult basic education (ABE), very little is known about the influence of state-standards implementation on the unique learning needs of its adult students. Two decades of research on standards-based education in the U.S. K12 system has yielded widely debated results regarding the impact of state-standards on student achievement. Against this backdrop, state-standards implementation within the distinct context of Minnesota ABE was examined in this study, specifically the perceived influence of standards implementation on teacher practices and student engagement in cognitive rigor, as well as the teacher, site, and student characteristics reported to have either supported or challenged implementation. The basic qualitative design was utilized to collect and interpret the perceptions and experiences of its sample of 12 Minnesota ABE teachers from distinct instructional contexts with 12 or more hours of standards implementation training. Data triangulation was utilized for data collection, including an interview and two member checks. The inductive analysis procedure in concert with the constant comparative method was used to analyze the interviews and develop themes and deeper connections based on the theory of complex adaptive systems. The results of the study showed that, overall, participants reported modest changes in their teaching practices that they perceived to have increased their students' engagement in cognitive rigor. Participants also reported modest changes in student demonstration of learning that indicated increased cognitive rigor. Findings indicated a minimal contrast to the inconclusive nature of the K12 research base in establishing a link between standards implementation and increased student achievement. Furthermore, the findings showed that state leaders should continue to offer robust training and support teacher collaboration. [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.]