The ability to read, the single most important skill students need for learning, has been on the decline across the nation while student interest in books has also waned. Yet, despite the flagging interest in, and proficiency with, reading, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction has remained largely unchanged especially in grades 6-12. The purpose of this study was to determine if changing secondary ELA instruction could have an impact on student attitudes toward reading while also increasing reading proficiency. A diverse group of sixth-grade students at Shue-Medill middle school in the Christina School District participated in the study. Students were surveyed about their attitudes toward reading and data was collected from two different reading assessments to measure how many students read proficiently. The study intended to examine the effects of independent choice reading during the school day on student reading attitudes and reading proficiency. The overall results showed that when students are given daily independent reading practice with books they choose during the school day and teachers are able to provide targeted individual or small group instruction, reading proficiency scores will increase. [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.]