School sense of belonging is critical for students' academic achievement and emotional well-being. The development of a sense of school belonging is influenced by direct and indirect factors within the school environment. Categorization into low and high achievement groups based on academics is a process largely outside the direct control of a…

This study explored the ways in which seventh and eighth grade students in three small-group book discussions used and responded to Critical Companions, texts used to supplement and support students' critical reading of young adult novels. The Critical Companions were written from the perspective of a variety of critical literary theories with the…