The problem in the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) afterschool program was that 40% of the students enrolled performed below the proficiency level in reading on the state assessed exams during the past 3 school years. This was of great concern for the teachers and administrators in this Title I middle school, Grades 6-8. This…

This research explored principals' perceived leadership content knowledge around literacy by examining the relationship between principals' perceptions of their own literacy knowledge and the actions that they took to support teachers' literacy instruction. A sampling group included seven elementary principals and 25 elementary teachers from Title…

Elementary students' literacy skills are decreasing nationwide ("The Nation's Report Card," 2019). This is concerning because as literacy skills slip, the literacy demands for American workers are steadily increasing (OECD, 2013). Unfortunately, adding to the situation is the fact that students' attitudes towards reading are worsening…

This study examined the self-efficacy and identity beliefs about literacy of 10 rural adolescent Title I Reading students. Sociocultural theory influenced by knowledge of self, culture, identity, and self-efficacy served as the theoretical framework for the study. The research employed a qualitative case study design using a photo-elicitation…

This study examined how the professional development initiative of Reading Apprenticeship (RA), which included the support of a school-based literacy coach, impacted two high school Title I teachers and their students. In the field of education, much is known about the qualities of professional development which lead to improved learning on the…

The authors examined the implementation of a blended learning program for literacy instruction across kindergarten through Grade 5 in a Title I urban elementary school, including a population of students (18%) who are English learners. Student progress in the online component of the blended learning program was a significant predictor of growth in…

This article examines the federal role in adolescent literacy from its roots in Lyndon B. Johnson's administration with the Economic Opportunity Act (1964) through the Reading for Understanding grants of 2010. The authors consider the extent to which the recent attention to and changes in the federal approach to adolescent literacy can be…

Achieving 100% literacy is an important goal for many schools. Over the past 5-10 years, government legislation and federally funded programs such as Title I, No Child Left Behind, and Reading Initiatives, such as the Alabama Reading Initiative, have emphasized the importance of effective literacy instruction in order to achieve 100% literacy…

As part of the development of a functional literacy test for fourth through eighth grade children in Title I compensatory education programs, this report enumerates a set of criteria for selecting appropriate tests. The criteria are grouped into six categories: (1) test background; (2) psychometric quality; (3) examinee appropriateness; (4)…

As part of the development of a functional literacy test for fourth through eigth grade children in Title I compensatory education programs, this report defines functional literacy for children and enumerates criteria for evaluating existing tests. Criteria for selection of a test include: (1) content, empirical, and construct validity; (2)…

This handbook lists the International Reading Association's 10 recommendations for improving the standards set by Congress' latest reauthorization of Title I, a program that uses federal funds at the local school district level to improve the performance of students in the early elementary grades who are at risk of school failure. Each…

Rigorous research provides information that will allow other schools and districts to select interventions that have a scientifically based track record of effectiveness. All Striving Reader grants include the mandate to evaluate literacy intervention(s) targeted to adolescents who are reading significantly below grade level. Although all studies…

There are inequalities in the educational experiences of blacks and whites. Black students tend to have lower grade point averages than do white students. Also, they are suspended more often and for longer spells than whites. Fewer blacks remain in secondary school beyond the compulsory attendance age, fewer graduate from high school, and fewer…