This qualitative descriptive study explored how progressive teachers navigate the tensions between their beliefs and teaching practices while teaching in high-stakes accountability in the U.S. The target population was progressive education teachers currently working in progressive programs in America. The theoretical foundation was Fransson and Grannas' (2013) theoretical framework of dilemmatic spaces. The data sources in this qualitative descriptive design came from a questionnaire using the Beliefs About Primary Education Scale (BPES) and a semi-structured interview. The research questions address progressive education teachers' reported pedagogical beliefs and practices and how they describe how they navigate the tensions between their beliefs and practices. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and description to address the problem statement. The study findings revealed four key themes identifying current progressive educators' beliefs and practices and their experiences working within high-stakes educational climates. The themes identified were Freedom to Teach My Values, Accountability Not Tied to Standardized Tests, Challenges to My Beliefs, and Adapting to Changing Times. Recommendations for future studies include qualitative studies on progressive educators in other contexts, dilemmatic spaces, high-stakes testing environments, and principled resistance. [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.]