This research is based on a casual-comparative design which determined the effect classroom structure had on the Black males' reading achievement. The quantitative study investigated potential differences between self-contained and departmentalized classroom organization on Black males' Grade 4 language scores on the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). To compare the two groups, archival data was obtained from elementary schools within a rural Mississippi school district for the 2012-2013 MCT2 statewide assessment. The data included language scores for Black Males who were in Grade 4. An independent Mest (two-tailed) was used to calculate statistical significance between mean scale scores of the Black Males in the self-contained classroom and the departmentalized classroom. Based on the magnitude of the effect size effect size (Cohen's d= 0.84), this research provides evidence that instructional setting was significant for this population of learners. Otherwise stated, the analysis of the current study revealed that Black males in Grade 4 scored significantly higher on the state language assessment when receiving instruction in the self-contained classroom. These results should encourage administrators to do necessary research to better understand if utilizing teachers as self-contained elementary teachers rather than content reading specialists would benefit their students' achievement. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]