Reading comprehension in high school involves students developing knowledge, skills, and experiences to understand, retain, and apply concepts of English as a written language. For ninth grade students to gain mastery in reading comprehension, ninth grade teachers implemented scaffolding teaching techniques to support their students. This study addressed how English language arts (ELA) teachers support ninth grade students' reading comprehension and retention through instructor-led scaffolding in high schools in the Happy Valley Independent School District (HVISD). The purpose of this narrative analysis qualitative study was to investigate how ELA teachers support ninth-grade students' reading comprehension and retention through instruction using the theory of scaffolding. This theory emerged as part of the social constructivist approach by Vygotsky. Open-ended questions were used to collect data from the district's 15 ninth grade ELA teachers. Data analysis involved open coding and categorization to identify patterns and themes. Results of this study revealed that ninth grade teachers employed practical scaffolding techniques in their classrooms to improve student learning. Further, results indicated that it would be useful to conduct more studies to explore teachers' support for ninth-grade students' reading comprehension and retention through instruction using the theory of scaffolding. This study contributes to social change by providing instructors, and educational leaders with a deeper understanding of the pedagogy teachers employ in the classroom to support ninth-grade students' reading comprehension and retention through instruction using the theory of scaffolding. [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.]