View in EDS

Reading Full Books in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms: Findings from the Spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey. Research Report. RR-A4594-4

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Reading Full Books in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms: Findings from the Spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey. Research Report. RR-A4594-4
Language: English
Authors: Ashley Woo, RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure
Source: RAND Corporation. 2026.
Availability: RAND Corporation. P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Tel: 877-584-8642; Tel: 310-451-7002; Fax: 412-802-4981; e-mail: order@rand.org; Web site: http://www.rand.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Walton Family Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Language Arts, Secondary School Teachers, Secondary School Students, Books, Assignments, Equal Education, Disadvantaged Youth, Low Income Students, Minority Group Students, Multilingualism, Students with Disabilities, Curriculum
DOI: 10.7249/RRA4594-4
Abstract: Scholars, education practitioners, and the media have raised concerns about the diminishing role of full books in schools. In this report, the author draws on data from the spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey, a nationally representative survey of public school teachers in kindergarten through grade 12, to examine the questions of whether secondary English language arts (ELA) teachers assign full books to students, how many books they assign, and how assignment varies by teachers' curricula and context. Survey data suggest that most secondary ELA teachers did assign at least one full book to students during the 2024-2025 school year. However, the findings reveal a more nuanced picture. Survey results suggest that full-book reading remains peripheral in most secondary ELA classrooms; 9 percent of teachers did not assign any full books, and about two-thirds of teachers assigned only one to four books. Teachers' reports also suggest inequities to accessing full books: Teachers who served more historically disadvantaged students consistently assigned fewer full books--a pattern that begins as early as elementary school. On average, only about half of assigned books came from teachers' required or recommended curriculum materials, suggesting limited instructional resources for full-book instruction. These findings offer a foundational look at full-book reading in secondary ELA classrooms. By documenting the extent of full-book assignment and its relationship to student demographics, curriculum use, and instructional practice, this report provides a starting point for building the evidence base on full-book reading in ELA instruction.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680504
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED680504
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Reading Full Books in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms: Findings from the Spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey. Research Report. RR-A4594-4
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ashley+Woo%22">Ashley Woo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22RAND+Education%2C+Employment%2C+and+Infrastructure%22">RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22RAND+Corporation%22"><i>RAND Corporation</i></searchLink>. 2026.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: RAND Corporation. P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Tel: 877-584-8642; Tel: 310-451-7002; Fax: 412-802-4981; e-mail: order@rand.org; Web site: http://www.rand.org
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 16
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Gates Foundation<br />Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies<br />Walton Family Foundation
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Arts%22">Language Arts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Teachers%22">Secondary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Assignments%22">Assignments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disadvantaged+Youth%22">Disadvantaged Youth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Minority+Group+Students%22">Minority Group Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multilingualism%22">Multilingualism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum%22">Curriculum</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.7249/RRA4594-4
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Scholars, education practitioners, and the media have raised concerns about the diminishing role of full books in schools. In this report, the author draws on data from the spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey, a nationally representative survey of public school teachers in kindergarten through grade 12, to examine the questions of whether secondary English language arts (ELA) teachers assign full books to students, how many books they assign, and how assignment varies by teachers' curricula and context. Survey data suggest that most secondary ELA teachers did assign at least one full book to students during the 2024-2025 school year. However, the findings reveal a more nuanced picture. Survey results suggest that full-book reading remains peripheral in most secondary ELA classrooms; 9 percent of teachers did not assign any full books, and about two-thirds of teachers assigned only one to four books. Teachers' reports also suggest inequities to accessing full books: Teachers who served more historically disadvantaged students consistently assigned fewer full books--a pattern that begins as early as elementary school. On average, only about half of assigned books came from teachers' required or recommended curriculum materials, suggesting limited instructional resources for full-book instruction. These findings offer a foundational look at full-book reading in secondary ELA classrooms. By documenting the extent of full-book assignment and its relationship to student demographics, curriculum use, and instructional practice, this report provides a starting point for building the evidence base on full-book reading in ELA instruction.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: ERIC
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED680504
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED680504
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.7249/RRA4594-4
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Language Arts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Books
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Assignments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disadvantaged Youth
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Minority Group Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multilingualism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Reading Full Books in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms: Findings from the Spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey. Research Report. RR-A4594-4
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ashley Woo
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 06
              M: 05
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: RAND Corporation
              Type: main
ResultId 1