The school involved in the study is a diverse, faith-based, private school located in a large Midwestern city. Within the school, reading skills vary considerably. Typically, decoding and word skills are not widely taught after the third grade. Sixteen Junior High students who underachieve in reading were given additional instruction using the Words Their Way series four days per week over the course of four months to improve reading skills. Students were pre and post-tested using fluency and comprehension portions of AIMSweb and the Qualitative Reading Inventory 5. Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in fluency, and gains in comprehension scores for some students. The study helped reveal issues related to methods of instruction, assessment, scheduling, and selection of materials.

This study focuses on three case studies of three Florida teachers’ action research projects focusing on improving at-risk students’ literacy skills through innovative instructional technology, culturally-relevant poetry and bilingual teaching. The teachers, White, African American and Latina, describe their research journeys, the literacy teaching strategies they used and the outcomes on their students’ achievement. The case studies are then analyzed focusing on the effects the action research projects had on the participating teachers. The analysis explores transformative processes in the teachers’ epistemological shifts, acquisition of skills, attitudes and dispositions, as well as professional development and personal transformation. The findings indicate that action research is an important tool leading to improved classroom practice, leadership agency and a stronger commitment toward emancipatory educational action.