Date of Award

12-17-2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Angela Sewall

Abstract

Learning to read and write is critical to a child's success in school and later in life. Although most funding for literacy education has been centralized in the primary grades in the past, the concern for the growing numbers of adolescents continuing to struggle in literacy has gained attention. This is especially true when considering the high stakes accountability measures in place at grades 3-8. The pressure mounted by the No Child Left Behind Act for improved literacy gains for all students is growing more and more intense as school districts are challenged to meet adequate yearly progress. The literacy needs of the adolescent reader are greatly different from those in the primary grades. A research panel funded by the Carnegie Corporation established a set of evidence-based recommendations that identified 5 key elements of effective adolescent literacy practices to account for those differences. The study examined whether a relationship exists among the 15 key elements of effective adolescent literacy practices and student achievement measures in 22 Arkansas and Missouri middle schools. Findings suggest no significant relationship exists among the 15 key elements of effective adolescent literacy practices and achievement levels in the middle level schools that were studied in Arkansas and Missouri. The study reveals administrator and teacher perceptions of implementation of the 15 key elements of effective adolescent literacy practices in the 22 middle level schools.

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