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Organized as a set of three manuscripts, this research draws attention to the academic learning experiences for adolescents with particular attention to adolescents with limited reading proficiency and the use of single case design research as a viable option for discovering solutions to a persisting research-to-practice gap in education. Data analyses included a systematic literature review with findings synthesized into themes using qualitative methods, a multiple probe single case design, a non-parametric statistical analysis, and effect size calculations. The first article is a systematic literature review on the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension for adolescent with limited reading proficiency (ALRP) in grades 6-12. The results of 22 studies were synthesized into five themes and results suggest that knowledge of an adolescent's ORF provides helpful information about his or her reading profile, but is not sufficient to evaluate instructional needs nor measure progress. The article concludes with a discussion on the envelopment of ORF within the Simple View of Reading specifically for adolescent readers as well as implications for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and assessment developers. The second article presents the findings from a study on the influence of a word level intervention on multiple reading component skills. Six students in two different intervention classes in Virginia participated. The primary analysis was based on a single case design, specifically a multiple probe across participants and settings design. Visual analyses of baseline and intervention phase data indicated a functional relationship between the word level intervention and multiple reading component skills. Statistical analysis (Tau-U) supported this finding with aggregated small effect sizes (0.14 to 0.54) for word identification, accuracy, and automaticity, and one moderate effect size (.70) for prosody. Secondary analysis showed a significant effect for improved strategy knowledge and skill with a 0.90 effect size, but no statistically significant group effects for silent reading fluency and sentence comprehension. The third manuscript is a broad overview of adolescent literacy instructional recommendations and presents a vision for how all teachers contribute to the development of strategic learners when they support content learning through literacy-rich classroom environments. / Doctor of Philosophy / This research draws attention to the academic learning experiences for adolescents, with particular attention to adolescents with limited reading proficiency. The first article examines the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension for adolescent with limited reading proficiency (ALRP) in grades 6-12. Results suggest that knowledge of an adolescent's oral reading fluency (ORF) provides helpful information but is not sufficient to evaluate instructional needs nor measure progress. Discussion includes where ORF fits within the Simple View of Reading theory specifically for adolescent readers as well as implications for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and assessment developers. The second article presents findings from a study on the influence of a reading intervention on multiple reading component skills of adolescents with limited reading proficiency. Six students in two different intervention classes in Virginia participated. Visual analyses of individual baseline and intervention phase data indicated a functional relationship between the reading intervention and multiple reading component skills. Additionally, there was a significant group effect for improved strategy knowledge and skill, but no statistically significant group effects for silent reading fluency nor sentence comprehension. Discussion includes limitations and implications for future research, intervention teacher practice and school improvement leaders. The third article gives a broad overview of adolescent literacy instructional recommendations and presents a vision for how all teachers contribute to the development of strategic learners when they support content learning through literacy-rich classroom environments.

More than 8 million of America's middle and high school students are struggling readers. Two-thirds of all eighth graders read below grade level, and the reading scores of high school students have not improved since 1974. Low literacy levels affect learning in all subject areas and impede student opportunity for future success. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the accountability measures associated with the Act have heightened public awareness of the deficiency in adolescent literacy. School districts are choosing to respond in one of two ways. Some school districts are opting to invest in teacher-proof curricula that negate the effect of the teacher. Other districts are opting to invest in the professional development of their teachers. The goal of this study was to support district efforts to provide strategic professional development opportunities for teachers by investigating the effects of teacher efficacy for instructional strategies, classroom management and student engagement on ninth and tenth grade students' reading achievement. Teachers with high efficacy were hypothesized to impact students' reading gains positively. Student contextual variables of prior achievement, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and grade were controlled for in the study. The participants included 2,061 students in 23 classrooms taught by 110 teachers in two school districts on the west coast of Florida. The results indicated that there was no statistically significant relationship between teacher efficacy and student reading achievement gains. The only variables of statistical significance were race (white vs. Non-white) and grade. As more researchers use the findings and recommendations from this study to inform new investigations of the complex relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement in reading, teacher educators, policymakers, teachers and administrators will be better informed as they continue to work towards improving the reading achievement scores of and narrowing the achievement gaps in adolescent literacy.

This embedded case study of an eighth-grade English language arts reading classroom employed an ecological perspective based on Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to examine the ways in which a myriad influences, often conflicting and originating in a variety of settings external to the classroom, intersected in that classroom. The findings from this research point toward the reality of literacy classrooms buffeted by conflicting Discourses around writing that originate in official school structures, as well as the difficulty students and teachers have navigating the tensions created by those conflicts. The focal teacher for this study, a master teacher, navigated these conflicting discourses by being thoughtfully adaptive and balancing policy mandates with her own knowledge of and beliefs about literacy instruction, though she often made instructional decisions at odds with her knowledge and beliefs because she feared lack of compliance with administrative or district mandates risked her job. In this contested atmosphere, the teacher supported students in navigating the myriad literacy practices within the classroom, and the literacy practices from their lives outside of school, using writer's notebooks. These notebooks served as boundary objects because they incorporated a variety of influences and Discourses in a single tool. Even in creating a robust literacy ecology in her classroom through the use of writer's notebooks, thoughtfully adapting to the myriad policy mandates, and having departmental and professional support for her work, she left the school at the end of the year because she could not be the type of teacher she wanted to be in that school. The broader implication of her decision, and the research more generally, is that classrooms are not isolated from the settings within which they are embedded, and those settings often influence the classroom in ways that conflict and create tensions. Teachers and students, then, must make decisions about how to navigate those tensions, often at odds with their knowledge or beliefs. These conflicts and tensions within a classroom can be reduced, or mitigated through communicating, building trust, working toward consensus, and avoiding exercises of power. / text

Comics, graphic novels, and manga differ appreciably from textual narrative formats, and materials with increasingly visual elements have found their way into progressive and student-centered library collections. But many educators and librarians still resist inclusion of graphic narratives in school libraries and devalue the reading practice of students who prefer more visual texts. Using the framework of radical change, which posits that both text conventions and reader expectations for text are increasingly multimodal as they possess characteristics of evolving digital media, this study considered the relationship of the characteristics of text individual students prefer, particularly those they select from the school library, and their attitudes towards aspects of reading practice as evidenced through the Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile instrument. Survey data was supplemented with circulation history from the library management system to inform a correlational study punctuating attitudinal differences based on reader preferences. Findings include high school students who engage with graphic narrative text formats reporting more favorable views of libraries and reading. There is a demonstrable distinction in attitudes between students who prefer more visual text when compared with peers with more traditional print affinities. Student engaging with graphic narrative texts also report more frequent engagement with text overall. These demonstrated relationships should help to legitimize the inclusion of more graphic narrative text formats in school library collections.

National and state-based assessments have been a common practice for the past several decades. These assessments often come with high-stake consequences for students and schools, which tends towards the creation of a test-centric environment where educators prioritize test-based instruction to prepare students to be successful on those assessments. The over-arching purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mandated high-stakes testing influences educators specifically within a complex system by first seeking to identify ways educators at different levels within the system—the classroom, campus, and district levels—perceive these testing influences. This study is based on complexity theory with a particular focus on complex adaptive systems (CAS) and frameworks from human systems dynamics (HSD), which helped to identify key tensions within a complex learning ecology. This study used thematic analysis of interview data from the classroom, campus, and district levels. Analysis also included mapping the emergent themes and patterns onto a CAS model for each level. Findings revealed a tension between a complicated, linear approach and a complex approach to curricular and instructional decisions that is moving those decisions ever closer to standardization. This study includes implications and recommendations for balancing these tensions for a healthy, complex learning ecology.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current level of literacy in South Africa is cause for concern. The Annual National Assessment of Literacy and Numeracy, conducted nationally by the National Department of Education of South Africa, shows that only 28% of Grade 3 learners and 35% of Grade 6 learners passed these tests in 2011 (Department of Basic Education (a), 2011). According to the policy on progression and promotion issued by the National Department of Education, learners may only be retained once in a phase, which means that these learners may lack essential academic literacy skills when they reach high school. The main concern addressed in this thesis is whether high school teachers can help improve academic literacy by using reading comprehension software, like Reading Rocket, as an intervention tool to help learners who struggle with reading comprehension, and whether Reading Rocket is in fact an effective program to use for such purposes. This study was conducted by using data from one school within the Western Cape which has been using Reading Rocket for the past three years. Use of the program forms part of their timetable, and Grade 8 and 9 learners spend twice per cycle working with the program. Learners are first tested on entering Grade 8 and group reports are retrieved from the program each term to monitor their progress. These reports give a summary of the reading level, the percentage gained in the reading exercises, reading speed in w.p.m and a spelling score in percentage. This data was used to compile a summary of the results obtained over six terms Term 1 2010 until Term 3 2011. These results were compared with quarterly classroom (paper‐based) comprehension and language tests in order to determine is a correlation between the program data and the paper‐based test data. There is no control group for this study as all the Grade 8 and 9 learners use the program. There is no conclusive evidence that the program is an effective intervention tool, but findings show a positive correlation between program data and paper‐based test data which indicates that the program may be used as a tool to determine on what grade level learners read. Given the numerous responsibilities and duties of teachers, it is essential that they are given an effective measuring tool for literacy and because computer software is essentially objective and time‐effective in provide results, using computer technology for such purposes may be part of a solution to improve literacy in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige toestand van geletterdheid in Suid‐Afrika is kommerwekkend. Resultate in 2011 van die jaarlikse nasionale assesseringstoetse vir geletterdheid en gesyferdheid wat nasionaal deur die Nasionale Onderwysdepartement gedoen word, wys dat net 28% van Graad 3‐leerders en 35% van Graad 6‐leerders hierdie toetse slaag (Department of Basic Education (a), 2011). Volgens die beleid van progressie en promosie van die Nasionale Onderwysdepartement mag leerders net eenkeer in ‚n schoolfase agtergehou word wat beteken dat bogenoemde leerders dalk nie die geleentheid het om voldoende te verbeter voordat hulle die hoërskoolfases betree nie. Die hoofkwessie wat in hierdie tesis aangespreek word is of hoërskoolonderwysers rekenaar sagteware soos Reading Rocket as ʼn intervensie metode kan gebruik om leerders se akademiese leesbegrip te verbeter, en of Reading Rocket wel ʼn effektiewe intervensiemiddel is. ʼn Studie is gedoen deur die data van een skool in die Wes‐Kaap te gebruik wat Reading Rocket al vir die afgelope drie jaar gebruik. Dit vorm deel van hulle skoolrooster en graad 8 en 9‐leerders spandeer twee keer per siklus aan die program. Groepverslae wat deur die program opgedateer word elke kwartaal getrek om progressie te monitor. Die verslae bevat ʼn opsomming van die leerders se leesvlak, leesbegrip in persentasie, leesspoed in w.p.m en ʼn persentasie vir spelling. Hierdie data is gebruik om ‘n opsomming saam te stel van die resultate oor ses kwartale (kwartaal 1 2010 tot kwartaal 3 2011). Die programresultate is vergelyk met resultate van klaskamer (papiergebaseerde) begripstoetse en eksamens wat hulle vir dieselfde kwartale geskryf het. Omdat al die graad 8 en 9‐leerders aan die program blootgestel word, is daar nie ʼn kontrolegroep vir die studie nie. Daar is nie konkrete bewys dat die program ʼn effektiewe intervensiemiddel is nie, maar statistieke wys wel dat daar ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen die programdata en die papiergebasseerde data is en daarom word die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat die program wel as ʼn instrument kan gebruik word om die leerders se leesbegrip op enige stadium van die jaar te toets. Weens vele verantwoordelikhede is dit essensieel dat onderwysers ʼn effektiewe metingsinstrument vir leesbegrip tot hulle beskikking het. Omdat rekenaarsagteware soos Reading Rocket tydbesparend en objektief in die voorsiening van resultate is, mag die gebruik van sulke tegnologie deel van ʼn plan vorm om geletterdheidsvlakke in Suid‐Afrika te verbeter.

At the high school level teachers are often departmentalized by their content area and do not teach subjects outside of their specialties. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) introduced literacy standards across the curriculum requiring reading and writing instruction in all courses. The adoption not only affected traditional literacy teachers but also science, math, social studies, and career and technical education teachers who may have had little or no training or experience in teaching literacy to adolescents. These teachers, because of little training or experience in teaching literacy, may feel unprepared for the CCSS literacy shifts or inadequate in delivering literacy instruction. This study was designed to explore teacher perceived self-efficacy after the implementation of new literacy standards in Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to evaluate high school teachers’ perceptions with regard to self-efficacy and literacy instruction across the curriculum. Data were collected through online, voluntary surveys using Likert scaling and one open-ended response question. The sample included Tennessee high school teachers from 3 counties in Tennessee First Core Region 1 high schools who had taught math, science, social studies, career and technical education, or ELA. This study found no significant difference based on self-efficacy and content area, level of teaching experience, or gender. There was also no significant difference based on literacy efficacy and level of teaching experience or gender. There was a significant difference based on literacy efficacy and content area. ELA teachers were more significantly confident in teaching literacy than nonELA teachers.

abstract: This dissertation investigates the impact reading Young Adult Literature (YAL) has on students' empathetic responses as well as their capacity to take action regarding a social justice issue chosen by the student. Drawing on data from a 10th grade honors classroom at a Title 1 school in the Southwest, this ethnographic case study investigates how students use YAL to formulate knowledge construction, empathetic responses, action plans and personal healing. Data for this research includes ethnographic fieldnotes, semi-structured participant interviews, daily journals and a focus group interview. Throughout this study, the teacher and researcher worked together to develop a flexible curriculum that implemented YAL and social activist ideas, such as investigation into action plans and discussion surrounding ways to make change. Results demonstrate that students who had some prior experience with an issue, coupled with identification with a helper character from the novel were more inclined to attempt to take tangible, victim-focused action, whereas students with no prior experience with an issue or those who identified overtly with the victim in the novel were likely to create action plans that spread awareness for others who were unaware of the complexities of the issue. Additionally, the students who had little exposure to the social justice issue they chose demonstrated a level of productive discomfort and a shift in the way they perceived the complexities of the issue. The importance of YAL in the students' social and emotional growth, coupled with an opportunity to create civically minded citizens signals the growing importance of this type of literature in a socially minded world. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2017