Accelerating the acquisition of reading skills in at-risk third- through sixth-grade students is critically important if educators expect to meet federal and state performance targets and also meet children's needs. In an attempt to rapidly advance learning in reading, a large urban school district provided a group of 2,227 students performing below the 20th percentile on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment between one and four evidence-based, research-based, or programmatic reading interventions during the 2008-2009 school year. Quantitative analyses of this reading intervention program provided limited evidence that it was effective at accelerating learning in reading for children in the intermediate grades. However, implications for school- and district-based instructional leadership, policy around allocation of resources, and practical problems attached to the call for data-driven decision making are discussed as well as suggestions for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]