Today's students are disengaged, disenfranchised, and dropping out in record numbers. If this trend continues, educators and academic institutions everywhere are in jeopardy of exacerbating the wide chasm that separates students from learning. This was a quasi-experimental, causal-comparative, action-research study. The researcher implemented a triangulation of teaching pedagogies, known as the Competitive Teaching Model (CTM). The CTM's purpose was to foster and cultivate a student's perceived sense of belonging and, in turn, improve a student's academic achievement. The treatment and control groups then competed against each other on organized writing assessments leading up to the final state-mandated writing assessment. The results of the study showed a significant increase in student achievement for the treatment group compared to the control group. [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.]