The purpose of this study was to determine if special education and at-risk students educated exclusively in a school-within-a-school setting showed improved high-stakes standardized reading test scores after learning the strategic instruction model (SIM) inference strategy. This study was focused on four groups of eighth-grade students attending a Central Florida Title I public middle school during the 2008-2009 and the 2009-2010 school years. Groups 1 (2008-09) and 3 (2009-10) received the SIM treatment in a school-within-a-school setting. These students were instructed by the same team of teachers. The school-within-a-school teachers were general educators who received professional development training in the SIM inference strategy. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading scale scores from the student's 7th grade spring assessment was compared to the FCAT reading scale scores from their 8th grade spring assessment. Groups 2 (2008-09) and 4 (2009-10) received instruction in general education classrooms by a variety of middle school general education instructors. Because groups 2 and 4 did not participate in the school-within-a-school program, they were not introduced to the SIM treatment. The 8th grade FCAT reading scale scores from group 2 were compared to the 8 th grade FCAT reading scale scores from group 1. Similarly, the 8 th grade FCAT reading scale scores from group 3 were compared to the 8th grade FCAT reading scale scores from group 4. Archival data from the FCAT reading developmental scale scores were used in this study. The results of this study indicated improved high-stakes standardized reading test scores for the school school-within-a-school students. The research also revealed no statistically significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 or between Groups 3 and 4, those who received the treatment compared with those who did not receive the SIM inference strategy treatment. The school-within-a-school program was eliminated from the school that was the focus in this study. As a result, only two years of data were available. Further research, carried out over a longer span of time and including pre and post assessment data from all groups, is needed to support or refute the results of this study. [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.]