Change Is the Only Constant: Beginning Teacher Perceptions of Implementing the Current Top-Down Change

North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in 2010, implemented in 2012, and retracted in 2014. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to hear beginning teachers describe their challenges and realizations as they implemented top-down curriculum reform. Mandated reform has been linked to professional vulnerability (Day, Elliot, & Kingston, 2005), professional vulnerability has been linked to diminished teacher self-efficacy (Lasky, 2005), and diminished teacher self-efficacy has been linked to teacher attrition (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). Semi-structured interviews with three elementary beginning teachers were analyzed to uncover key themes. Participants stated that the amount of state or district initiatives they had experienced in their short careers was unexpected and overwhelming. Unsurprisingly, participants reported spending the most amount of instructional time on mathematics and reading because of the State tests. A synthesis of the findings suggests participants perceived the mandated reforms negatively and the intrinsic factors of teaching positively. Findings may help policy-makers and teacher-leaders understand beginning teachers' experiences implementing reform in order to diminish rampant beginning teacher attrition.