The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial unfinished learning for U.S. students, but to differing degrees for various subgroups. Students of color, from low-income families, or who attended high-poverty schools experienced greater unfinished learning. In this study, we examined the degree of unfinished learning for students who went into the…

Background: By Grade 4, learners should be able to read fluently and comprehend reading materials at their grade level. However, many learners in Africa, particularly in the Namibian context, seem to go through the primary phase with poor reading skills. Aim: This article examines the overall reading growth of Grade 5 learners, and then…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial unfinished learning for U.S. students, but to differing degrees for various subgroups. For example, students of color, from low-income families, or who attended high-poverty schools experienced greater unfinished learning. In this study we examined the degree of unfinished learning for students who…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in test scores on the Grade Five Reading State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness involving male and female students identified as having the characteristics of dyslexia who received early dyslexia intervention and those who received late dyslexia intervention,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and social validity of Read STOP Write, a text structure intervention for reading and writing, in grades four and five. In a cluster randomized trial, 11 teachers in three elementary schools were randomly assigned to deliver Read STOP Write or RARE Reading & Writing, an alternative…

This study examined the impact of knowledge-building curricula on raising reading achievement for students from high-poverty backgrounds. The overall purpose of the study was to contribute to our understanding of curricula that may be effective in closing achievement gaps for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds compared to…

Background: Over the last twenty years, retention has increased in popularity with policymakers who are concerned with student achievement and aim to end social promotion (i.e., the practice of advancing a student to the next grade level although they have not yet met the academic expectations of their current grade level). Despite calls to expand…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) has conventionally included accuracy criteria with recommended fluency thresholds for instructional decision-making. Some scholars have argued for the use of accuracy to directly determine instructional need (e.g., Szadokierski et al., 2017). However, accuracy and fluency have not been directly examined to…

This study aimed to investigate the impact of LETRS professional development on reading proficiency. I used ANOVA tests to analyze third- through fifth-grade EOG assessment scores for changes in proficiency from 2021-2023. The results indicated a statistically significant change in the means for all grades. Third-grade results reflected the most…

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted educational outcomes, including reading achievement in grades 3-5, particularly in schools primarily serving high-poverty communities of color. This study evaluates the 95 Phonics Lesson Library (95 PLL), a targeted phonics intervention program, in a low socio-economic status, ethnically diverse,…

This study, conducted by LXD Research, evaluates the 95 Phonics Lesson Library (95 PLL), a targeted phonics intervention program in a majority low SES, ethnically diverse midwestern school district from 2023-2024. Using a quasi-experimental mixed-method design, this study compares reading outcomes of fourth and fifth graders using 95 PLL with a…

Despite the importance placed on reading in the classroom, an unacceptable number of students lack the literacy skills essential to succeed in today's knowledge-based economy, putting them at greater risk of persistent unemployment and other forms of economic hardship. The problem is that public charter elementary (K-4) school intervention…

Grade 3-5 students in southeastern Arkansas are reading below grade level despite the efforts of educators. The study explored educator perceptions of the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) professional development, in which educators learn about Science of Reading (SOR) instructional strategies and how to implement them in the…

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of third through fifth grade teachers on the effectiveness of district reading instruction training as it relates to reading achievement. This research was conducted for the following purposes: (a) to explore the perceptions of third through fifth grade teachers on the effectiveness of…

This action research study describes the impact of ability grouping on fifth-grade students' academic achievement in reading. The theoretical framework that supported this study is embedded in cooperative learning, social learning, social interdependence, and self-efficacy. This study used a mixed methods design to consider the following research…