Reading fluency has been a tenacious problem in our schools. Studies have addressed the national decline in reading fluency in elementary schools. Tennessee's data outlines a similar pattern of findings. Approximately one third of Tennessee students complete third grade without becoming fluent readers (Tennessee Department of Education, 2023). New…

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…

Motivation in students can have a strong effect on student engagement and overall student success. Due to the impact of COVID-19, students have been less motivated and have fallen farther behind which increases the need to better motivate and engage students within the classroom. This quasi-experimental study which incorporated a pre- and…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to first determine whether literacy performance changed over time for third and fourth graders of a private school in Tennessee with the implementation of the Units of Study co-authored by Lucy Calkins and Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (UOS). The researchers utilized data from the school's…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to first determine whether literacy performance changed over time for third and fourth graders of a private school in Tennessee with the implementation of the Units of Study co-authored by Lucy Calkins and Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (UOS). The researchers utilized data from the school's…

There is a significant lack of students in Tennessee who are reading at a proficient level. According to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment data, nationally only 37% of fourth grade students are reading at a proficient level. Specifically, in the state of Tennessee, only 35% of fourth graders scored in…

Research focused on identifying effective interventions for individuals with Down syndrome is increasingly informed by the behavioral phenotype -- a profile of performance associated with a genetic abnormality. Recent studies substantiate the efficacy of phenotypically aligned instruction in improving basic reading skills for children with Down…

Highly effective elementary teachers faced challenges to professional development which differed from their urban or suburban peers. With the increasing need for student proficiency in reading, strategies to help grow their engagement and motivation were necessary to investigate and apply to instructional habits. The purpose of this basic…

As students' reading proficiency gaps persist across the United States, educational leaders have turned to alternative methods to foster effective instructional literacy practices. One approach to combat this dilemma is the implementation of scripted reading programs. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of scripted reading…

The purpose for this study was to examine student reading data at one high-poverty, low-performing Title I school in the State of Tennessee over 2 consecutive years when reading instruction, teacher expectations, and administration changed. This study examined student growth in third and fourth grade on the county benchmark assessment (Study…

Prior research into computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has demonstrated that the use of technology in the classroom has the potential to help underperforming young learners. The literature has also stressed that thorough evidence-based testing is needed to ensure that effective instruction is provided to students and that accurate information is…

This research study addressed the impacts guided reading instruction had on reading achievement in third, fourth, and fifth grades in two suburban schools in a school district in east Tennessee. The researcher examined the differences in reading achievement between two schools. One school implemented guided reading for more than two years and the…

In February 2016, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) pulled together stakeholders from across the state and set an ambitious goal--that at least 75 percent of third graders would be proficient readers by 2025. The goal originated from both stagnant third grade reading scores in the state and national research indicating that third grade…

Students all learn at different rates and need a varying amount of support to reach goals based on individual needs. Response to Intervention (RtI) incorporates individualized research-based strategies based on individual students needs to help promote academic growth and is set up in three tier levels. The purpose of this quantitative ex post…

Reading is more than just decoding the letters on a page--although that is critically important. It is drawing meaning from text and making connections to the outside world. These are the critical thinking skills that determine success both in and outside the classroom. In past years, far too many of Tennessee's students have passed through…