Struggling readers in Grades 7-8 at a large, suburban middle school in Georgia have consistently failed to make adequate yearly progress in reading. In recent years, interest in improving the literacy of adolescents has increased due to the growing number of students experiencing reading difficulties on state and national standardized tests. The purpose of this project study was to determine the variable or combination of variables that best predicted achievement on the reading portion of Georgia's accountability assessment, the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT). The theories of constructivism and metacognition provided the conceptual framework for this correlational study. Archival data for 180 students in Grades 7-8 were collected and analyzed through regression analyses. Survey data from 18 content teachers were also collected and hand coded to identify common themes. Results of regression analyses indicated that a combination of Lexile score, reading comprehension, and reading fluency accounted for 45% of the variance of CRCT reading test scores. Repeated themes in the survey data indicated that students' use of metacognition strategies during reading could increase comprehension of informational texts. The final project for this doctoral study was a yearlong professional development plan that provided training to content teachers on reading strategy instruction. Implications for positive social change include improving reading instruction in content-area classrooms so that overall student achievement may be increased. In addition, improving students' ability to comprehend informational texts may increase the number of college, career, and citizenship opportunities available to them after high school graduation. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]