Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a School-Based Literacy Program for Adolescent Learners With Reading Difficulties: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This 12-week mixed-methods study examined an 8th-grade English language arts curriculum designed to increase participants’ (N = 62) reading comprehension and reading motivation. Data consisted of demographic information, pre/post standardized reading comprehension scores, reading motivation survey scores, and participants’ periodic semistructured written reflections. We used the quantitative data to describe changes in reading comprehension and reading motivation and found a significant increase in participants’ scores. The qualitative data on participants’ experiences revealed several constructs directly related to evidence-based theoretical and practical research in the field of adolescent literacy as well as several emergent themes related to implementation. The results suggest improvements in participants’ reading comprehension and reading motivation through the implementation of an English language arts curriculum embodying social constructivism and cognitive theories with embedded research-based instructional practices supporting adolescent learning: explicit strategy instruction; text-based collaborative practices; and a partnership among a researcher, literacy specialist, and novice teacher.

Notes

1 To be considered at risk by the state, students had to meet at least two of the following criteria: (a) having low achievement on state- or locally administered assessments in mathematics, ELA, social studies, or science; (b) failing to meet proficiency standards in reading by the end of third grade or career and college readiness standards for high school students at the end of 12th grade; (c) being a victim of child abuse or neglect; (d) being a pregnant teen or teen parent; (e) having a family history of school failure, incarceration, or substance abuse; or (f) being a pupil in a priority or priority successor school.