National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data have indicated that many secondary students lack sufficient literacy skills, and that students who receive free/reduced lunch, students from rural settings, and students with disabilities are particularly low-performing (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). Despite some…

The introduction of Common Core State Standards has many middle grade school teachers concerned with implementing standards while retaining student reading engagement and motivation strategies. This study analyzes the effectiveness of providing social networking strategies in online book discussion groups on enhancing middle grade student reading…

The purpose of this quantitative study was twofold. First, the researcher identified researched-based strategies which improve reading comprehension and literacy in adolescent students. Second, the researcher determined if particular factors influenced teacher use of identified strategies. One hundred seventy-seven teachers who taught sixth…

The textbook holds the potential to serve as an instructional resource, to provide directives on how to effectively teach reading comprehension strategies. In this capacity, the textbook becomes a tool in the teacher's toolkit. With this tool in hand, teachers may be better prepared to face their mission--to improve adolescents' literacy. This…

This grounded theory study examined the perceived effects of a cohort of seven secondary-level teachers earning a reading endorsement in a single-district sponsored professional development program. The researcher collected data through semi-structured personal interviews with the teachers, their principal, and the director of special services for…