The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers describe their participation in a school's leadership decision-making process; how they think their participation might influence their teaching practices; and how participation might affect students' outcomes within a school district in a Northeastern metropolitan area of the United States. The theoretical foundation for this study included the participative decision-making (PDM) theory. Three research questions guided the study: how do teachers describe their participation in a school's leadership decision-making process; how do teachers describe how they think their participation in a school's leadership decision-making process might affect their teaching practices; how do teachers describe how they think their participation in a school's leadership decision-making process might affect students' outcomes? Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and two focus groups. The sample size was 12 certified general education teachers from the Northeastern United States. Inductive thematic analysis produced five themes: teachers value being included and actively involved in the decision-making process within the school's leadership; teachers believe that their active involvement in the decision-making process of the school's leadership committee directly impacts their teaching practices; teachers perceive that having a voice in decision-making allows them to contribute their expertise, perspectives, and insights; teachers feel empowered to make choices that directly impact students' success when they are active participants in decision-making; teachers' involvement in decision-making leads to enhanced job satisfaction and an improved student learning environment. [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.]