Ariel Tichnor, M.Ed, is working as a research assistant for the Targeted Reading Intervention as she works towards a PhD in the Early Childhood, Special Eduction, and Literary program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's School of Education. Ariel has taught 5th and 6th grade English Language Learners in inner-city Phoenix and received her Masters in Elementary Education at Arizona State University. Her experiences in the classroom have lead to to focus her research interests on interventions and policies that benefit at-risk students.