Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Rhonda Jeffries
Abstract
The scores received on high-stakes tests throughout a student’s educational journey are an indication of the level of mastery of advanced content. Subsequently, these scores highlight their ability to access skills that reflect their likelihood to achieve success and become 21st century college and career-ready individuals. As an educator teaching in an underserved area, students’ inability to comprehend academic language and literacy skills negatively impacts standardized test scores and evidence of complete competency of learned materials. This research examines the effects and outcomes of building on students’ academic language and literacy skills to foster higher academic achievement on standardized tests that are heavily rooted in Standard American English.
The data for this research involved 19 participants from an 11th-grade United States History and the Constitution class during the first semester of the 2025-2026 academic school year. These students varied in their Standard American English proficiency and reading comprehension as the class encompasses a variety of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504s, MLs, and seniors who failed the course the previous year. The findings indicate the need for understanding the importance of finding ways to dedicate true allotted time to build in students’ academic vocabulary and literacy skills to improve scores on high-stakes tests, specifically South Carolina’s USHC EOC Examination. Three themes emerged from the data collected from this study including providing extended and expanded learning opportunities, creating communities of care, and the need for meaningful curation of content. In conclusion, it is essential to conduct research that identifies and analyzes ways to dedicate time to access the skills in building language acquisition in a society that privileges Standard American English and successively improve standardized test taking skills for better achievement moments to come.
Keywords: academic language, critical consciousness, cognitivism, culturally relevant pedagogy, literacy skills, standardized tests, English language acquisition, standard American English, higher academic and professional achievement, systemic, extended and expanded learning times, communities of care, meaningful curation of content.
Rights
© 2026, Amber Nicole Gant
Recommended Citation
Gant, A. N.(2026). Fostering High Achievement for Students Within and Beyond the Classroom – Building in Students Academic Language and Literacy Skills to Improve Standardized Test Scores in United States History and the Constitution. An Action Research Study. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8877