In this case study, Katie Eichhorn, Kathy Gilbert, Myra Hall, Gretchen Lawyer, and Jill Nunez from Johnson STEAM Academy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, share data showing improved reading results after their first year of implementation of Sounds-Write, including a successful partnership with a local middle school to use Sounds-Write with Grade 7 students…

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…

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…

The problem addressed in the study was the lack of evidence on the efficacy of the single-gender educational model as compared to the coeducational model in increasing reading achievement for middle school boys in the local school district. Leaders in the district implemented the single-gender model to address the problem of an ongoing reading…

The purpose of the present article is to report on a large-scale investigation of six school districts' implementation of an initiative aimed at reducing dropout rates by improving reading achievement in the middle grades. Data for the Middle School Intervention Project (MSIP) were collected in 25 middle schools across the state of Oregon. We…

Young adolescents are at a critical age in their schooling as they transition from primary schooling into secondary education. The reading development of these young adolescents in New Zealand occurs within a variety of contexts. Reading is not only a complex skill to achieve, but it is also contextual. Therefore, understanding the context and the…

Some claim that good and poor readers continue their trajectories despite intervention. This quasi-experimental study examined whether the READ 180 program helps general education, below-grade-level, Title I pre-adolescent readers improve. Participants included 82 students, grades 4-8, in public Title I elementary and middle schools. Results…

This study examined the effects of the SRA FLEX Literacy (FLEX) program provided to 44 middle school students considered at risk for reading failure as compared to their peers who were not at risk in reading (N = 197) who received instruction in the Holt Elements of Literature series. Two outcome measures were used to judge the effects of the…

Young adolescents are at a critical stage in their schooling. They are consolidating and improving their reading skills. By exploring what supports these 11- to 13-year-old students in reading from a wider systemic perspective, educators and policy-makers can better understand the complex factors which support reading development. This article…

This study evaluated the effects of a blended learning instructional experience for sixth-grade students in an English/language arts (ELA) course. Students at two treatment schools participated in a blended learning instructional paradigm, and their ELA test scores were compared to one comparison school that used a face-to-face delivery. Other…

Researchers have documented a "summer reading setback" where an achievement gap between proficient and struggling readers expands during the summer. This research focuses on 20 rising sixth graders who participated in a summer independent reading initiative using Nook digital readers. Using a qualitative exploratory design and content…

This research investigates the impact of teaching Shakespeare to below-grade-level readers in an English Language Arts classroom on Chicago's South Side. The students studied are five middle school boys who were observed over a two-year course of study under the same teacher who, after finding success with this method, found herself asking, how is…

In the middle school setting, reading is a requirement if students are to access the curriculum and demonstrate content proficiency. By grade three, students are expected to read on grade level, but by middle grades (7-8), some students still struggle with reading for comprehension. In addition, some middle school teachers struggle to implement…

The benefits of motivation, mental imagery, self-monitoring and guided retellings on reading comprehension have long been lauded as effective methods for improving reading achievement. At a time when technology continues to flourish, yet secondary reading performance remains at a level far below proficiency, identifying strategies that assist in…

This study used Culturally Relevant Reading materials (CRRM) with a proprietary, culturally relevant pedagogy for Reading. It was focused on results in Reading Achievement, both reading fluency and comprehension, involving 7th and 8th grade students in a twelve (12)-week program of Reading Language Arts. It was an exploratory sequential mixed…