Despite many school reform initiatives designed to ensure reading proficiency for all students, recent reports from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveal that only 37 percent of fourth grade students and only 34 percent of eight grade students performed at or above the proficiency levels measured in reading (NAEP, 2017). This quantitative study used a non-equivalent control group design to examine the impact of direct instruction of the Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy on standardized reading test scores of third grade students. It also specifically examined the impact of direct instruction of the QAR strategy on minority students’ standardized test scores. A two-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted. Adjusted marginal mean post-test scores in the group receiving treatment of the QAR strategy (64.580) was higher than mean post-test scores of students who did not receive QAR instruction (56.382). Adjusted marginal mean post-test scores of minority students showed no significant differences (60.05 and 60.90respectively). In addition, adjusted marginal mean post-test scores of minority and non-minority students who received QAR instruction showed no significant differences (54.48 and 58.29 respectively).