Research Interests and Expertise

Effective instructional practices for adolescent English learners and adolescent literacy interventions

Research Projects and Grants

  • Investigator, Preventing Dropout Among At-Risk Youth: A Study of Project Goal With English Learners, 2015–2019
  • Investigator, Scale Up of Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text, 2016–2021
  • Project Director, Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform, 2013–2018
  • Project Director, Reading for Understanding: Understanding Malleable Cognitive Processes and Integrated Comprehension Interventions for Grades 7–12, 2010–2016
  • Project Director, Center for Research on the Educational Achievement of English Language Learners (CREATE), 2005–2010

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Williams, K., & Martinez, L. (in press). Designing and implementing intensive reading interventions for adolescent English learners. Intervention in School and Clinic.
  • Vaughn, S., Martinez, L. R., Williams, K. J., Miciak, J., Fall, A.-M., & Roberts, G. (2018). Efficacy of a high school extensive reading intervention for English learners with reading difficulties. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(1), 22–34. doi:10.1037/edu0000069
  • Kent, S., Wanzek, J., & Martinez, L. R. (2017). The application of empirically supported practices in middle school social studies classrooms. Remedial and Special Education. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0741932517744662
  • Vaughn, S., Fall, A.-M., Roberts, G., Wanzek, J., Swanson, E., & Martinez, L. R. (2018). The effects of the class percentage of middle school students with reading comprehension difficulties and student content knowledge acquisition and comprehension. Journal of Learning Disabilities. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0022219418775117
  • Wanzek, J., Martinez, L. R., Fall, A.-M., Roberts, G., Stillman-Spisak, S., & Kent, S. (2018). Text reading in social studies content instruction and its relationship to student knowledge acquisition. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 34(4), 349–360. doi:10.1080/10573569.2018.1446858
  • Vaughn, S., Martinez, L. R., Wanzek, J., Roberts, G., Swanson, E., & Fall, A.-M. (2017). Improving content knowledge and comprehension for English language learners: Findings from a randomized control trial. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(1), 22–34. doi:10.1037/edu0000069
  • Barth, A. E., Vaughn, S., Capin, P., Cho, E., Stillman-Spisak, S. J., Martinez, L. R., & Kincaid, H. (2016). The effects of a text-processing reading comprehension intervention on struggling middle school readers. Topics in Language Disorders, 36(4), 368–389. doi:10.1097/TLD.0000000000000101
  • Vaughn, S., Martinez, L., Linan-Thompson, S., Reutebuch, C., Carlson, C., & Francis, D. (2009). Enhancing social studies vocabulary and comprehension for seventh-grade English language learners: Findings from two experimental studies. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2, 297–324.