This study investigates the perceptions, experiences, and recommendations of literacy professionals in the field of secondary reading intervention and working with striving readers. It identified four themes which characterize their experiences with striving readers. This study developed these themes using semi-structured interviews. The themes…

Developing the high levels of reading proficiency necessary to navigate the secondary curriculum is challenging for ELLs, but it is an essential component of academic success in their secondary and subsequent post-secondary education. Despite the importance of understanding the literacy needs of this population, research documenting the reading…

The Virginia public-school assessment and accountability system impacted the statewide reading proficiency scores for students with disabilities. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was applied to answer the research question, and hypothesis statement and determine the difference in the reading improvement measured by the…

High school classroom teachers with English language learners (ELLs) assigned to their classrooms might not be using effective instructional strategies to increase reading comprehension scores of ELLs. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the use of strategies that high school classroom teachers use to teach cognitive…

Research has shown that fewer studies have focused on improving the reading abilities of middle school Black girls (Morris, 2007). As BGRDs progress through K-12 grades, they increasingly rely on basic and advanced reading skills (i.e., oral reading fluency [ORF] and comprehension) to learn. Providing BGRDs with engaging reading passages that are…

The purpose of this single case design study was to examine the efficacy of a graphic organizer for improving the reading comprehension of middle school Spanish-English bilingual middle school students with learning disabilities. Students included two females and one male student. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, students were…

Underdeveloped reading skills can have major implications in students' adult lives, and virtual students' reading comprehension has been steadily declining. This qualitative study explored virtual high school English teachers' perceptions of graphic novels as supplemental tools for improving students' reading comprehension. Through a multiple case…

America's educational system is graduating high school students who are unable to meet the literacy demands of the 21st Century. To be successful, a student must be able to gain knowledge, act as a problem solver, and possess the ability to make informed decisions in all aspects of life (Goldman, 2012). A deficit in reading comprehension can…

This study was designed to understand to what extent, if at all, performance information and organizational learning used within public schools serving middle school grade levels, or grades sixth, seventh, and eighth, influenced student achievement in literacy. A total of 26 interviews were conducted within six schools in the Minneapolis Public…

Students who graduate from high school not reading on grade level do not have the same post-secondary opportunities as students who read on grade level. Many researchers have found that struggling high school readers are not successful reading independently above the second-grade level; a significant percentage of high school students cannot read…

This study uses Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis performance model which systematically analyzes organizational goals to identify current performance levels and stakeholder assets or needs within an organization. In this study, the model was adapted as a promising practice approach to identify the knowledge, motivation, and organizational…

The capacity to read nonfiction text with understanding is of obvious and vital importance, yet many students struggle to do so. This randomized control trial extends previous research by contrasting the efficacy of a standard, or Comp, tutoring program with a second Comp tutoring program that included strategies for transferring learning to new…

Middle school is often the last place where students are taught basic reading skills such as phonology, morphology, fluency, and comprehension before they move on to high school where reading is predominately focused on understanding, analysis, application and evaluation of content area material. In addition, middle school students are exposed to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the HELPS Program on the reading fluency skills of secondary level students attending an alternative education program using single case design methodology. Participants in this study included one 8th grade student and two 9th grade students attending an alternative education program in…

Native American secondary students have consistently scored lower in reading than other racial groups. Research has suggested that increasing student reading engagement and using a culturally-responsive pedagogy may help Native American students to improve reading levels. The problem addressed by this study is the need to identify best practices…