Throughout the years, United States education reform has sought to target the most disadvantaged students. Nonetheless, during this same period, proficiency rate disparities seem to have emerged among student subgroups. This study was designed to find ways for school districts to begin closing the achievement gaps between student subgroups, focusing on English language learners. I used quantitative data to determine whether student academic proficiency rates improved because of the implementation of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, a new statewide assessment delivered in the modality of a computer adaptive test. The analysis of the data collected, and conclusions drawn from these data were intended to provide school stakeholders with a method of promoting student learning through social interactions and the timely use of progress monitoring assessments as another attempt to improve academic proficiency rates and to close achievement gaps among subgroups. [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.]