Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: This descriptive research aimed to explore third-grade reading laws in nine southeastern states. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants from the states included in this study and integrated both quantitative archival reading assessment data and qualitative interview data…

This research attempts to shed light on the persistence of the separate but equal ideology. An opinion that was ruled unconstitutional in 1954 by the US Supreme Court. Failure by the Holmes County School Board through intentional delays and legalities compelled Beatrice Alexander to file a civil court case with the District Court for the Southern…

The goal of this quantitative study is to determine if there is a significant difference in the reading proficiency rates for students with disabilities in districts utilizing the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) as evident by the scores from the English Language Arts portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP). This study…

Teaching reading has been an ongoing challenge for many educators across the United States. Numerous studies suggest that teachers feel they were not adequately prepared to teach reading and have low efficacy in delivering literacy instruction. Teaching reading requires educators to be knowledgeable about the alphabetic principle, decoding new…

The implementation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act in Mississippi required third graders to prove mastery in reading before promotion to the fourth grade. This mixed model method of research investigated the achievement test scores of fourth and fifth grade students that were not accountable for passing the Third Grade Summative Reading…

Reading skills assessments have demonstrated that middle-grade Mississippi school children are on average two full grade levels or more below grade reading levels. This qualitative case study in one urban county Mississippi school district with decreasing literacy scores examined teachers' perceptions of evidence-based literacy instruction…

The consequences of less than proficient reading skills are well documented. In educational settings, as children progress through the grades, the expectation that they acquire content knowledge through reading continually increases. However, many children lack the proficient reading skills that would enable them to acquire content knowledge…

The world of education is an ever-evolving profession. We, as a society, have learned so much about education and how we can better benefit our students. Students depend on education to equip them with the tools needed to become successful. This dissertation addresses the need for and adequacy of today's teacher professional development in Reading…

This study was conducted using a qualitative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of READ 180 Program in improving students reading interests and achievement at West Bolivar Middle School (WBMS). A number of interviews and observations were conducted. Two teachers and nine students were interviewed, and nine classroom observations were…

This study was needed to determine if the Accelerated Reader (AR) program made a positive impact in schools, which were attempting to increase student achievement in reading. The purpose of this study was to determine if students who received reading instruction supplemented with the AR Program achieved higher reading scores as measured by the…

This study explored the topic of middle school students and their instructional reading environment. As students progress through school, there is a decrease in the amount of time spent reading for pleasure. Overall, students' attitudes toward reading and motivation to read decline as they get older due to a complex mix of factors including…

Teachers are now being held to high accountability standards in reading instruction, yet studies show that teachers lack adequate knowledge in reading and phonological awareness principles (Moats, 1994, 2009; Spencer, Schuele, Guillot, & Lee, 2008). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of visual representations of…

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of reading programs of students who used the Reading Program One, Reading Program Two, and Reading Program Three reading programs and those students who were taught using no basal reading program in North Mississippi. The study also assessed teachers' perceptions of the various reading programs…

This study investigated the implementation and impact of Reading First programs in 8 elementary schools across the state of Mississippi. The study assessed how principals, literacy coaches, and kindergarten through third grade teachers perceived the implementation of the Reading First program at their respective schools. Data from these three…