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The Reading Crisis: A Gateway to the Justice System

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The statistics are not just alarming—they're a call to action. In Kansas, although 95% of children have the potential to learn to read with proper instruction, only 30% are reading at proficiency levels 3 and 4. This gap leaves thousands of children vulnerable to the "school-to-prison pipeline," a term experts use to describe the trajectory that often leads struggling readers into the criminal justice system. The urgency to address this crisis cannot be overstated, as improving reading instruction could significantly alter these children's futures.



Understanding the levels of reading proficiency helps illustrate the severity of this crisis:

  • Level 1: Students at this level have a limited ability to understand and use the skills necessary for postsecondary readiness, making it extremely difficult to succeed in further education or employment.

  • Level 2: At this stage, students possess only basic skills, leaving them underprepared for the demands of academic and professional environments.

  • Level 3: These students show an effective ability to understand and use the skills needed for success, but they still represent a minority of Kansas students.

  • Level 4: Students who achieve this level demonstrate excellent comprehension and use of required skills, setting them up for future success.


To quantify the problem, the state of Kansas had 487,753 elementary school students in 2022. Of these, 156,568 performed at levels 3 and 4, while 331,184 were at levels 1 and 2. This disparity in reading achievement underscores the need for targeted intervention, ensuring that all children are given the opportunity to reach proficiency and avoid the risks that can lead to incarceration.


Check out your state or Kansas' 2022 NAEP Report card here.

The Devastating Connection

The devastating connection between illiteracy and incarceration is both stark and undeniable. Studies show that 80% of maximum security inmates are functionally illiterate, and 85% of juvenile offenders struggle with reading. Even more concerning is the fact that two-thirds of students who are not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are at risk of future incarceration or welfare dependency, emphasizing the critical need for early literacy intervention.


In Kansas, the incarceration rate is 648 per 100,000 people, with approximately 60,000 individuals being processed through local jails and state prisons each year. Many of these cases may have been preventable through targeted literacy programs and support at a young age. The data paints a clear picture: improving literacy skills is not just an educational issue, but a societal one, with far-reaching implications for reducing crime and incarceration rates.


Early literacy intervention is critical to help breaki the cycle. By providing children with the tools they need to read proficiently, we can help mitigate their chance of entering the criminal justice system later in life, creating a more just and equitable society.


The Cascade of Educational Challenges

Students with IEPs experience chronic absenteeism at a significantly higher rate than their peers without IEPs. Nineteen percent of students with IEPs miss three or more weeks of school each year, compared to 13% of students without IEPs. This absenteeism is often linked to unaddressed learning challenges, such as difficulties with reading or processing information, which can lead to school avoidance and further disengagement from the learning environment.


In addition to absenteeism, students with disabilities face disproportionate disciplinary measures, including higher suspension rates. Students with disabilities are suspended at twice the rate of their non-disabled peers, with 65% of special education disciplinary removals involving students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or Other Health Impairments (OHI). Both of these categories can include students diagnosed with dyslexia, highlighting the need for more effective support and intervention to prevent unnecessary disciplinary actions.


The impact of these challenges is evident in dropout rates, where students with SLD and OHI have dropout rates of 18.1% and 17.6%, respectively. This is in stark contrast to the 6.5% dropout rate among the general student population. Many students with learning disabilities report that dissatisfaction with school, stemming from unmet academic needs and a lack of appropriate accommodations, is the primary reason for leaving school before graduation.


The Solution: Direct Reading Instruction

The National Reading Panel's research provides a clear directive: Over half of all students require direct instruction in reading skills. This isn't just about education—it's about prevention.


Action Steps for Communities:

  1. Implement systematic, explicit reading instruction in all elementary classrooms

  2. Screen early and often for reading difficulties

  3. Provide intensive intervention for struggling readers

  4. Train teachers in evidence-based reading instruction methods

  5. Address attendance issues through family engagement and support



For Policymakers:

  1. Fund comprehensive literacy programs

  2. Support teacher training in structured literacy

  3. Implement early screening and intervention programs

  4. Invest in reading specialists and trained support staff

  5. Create alternatives to suspension and expulsion



Teaching children to read isn't just about education—it's about prevention. Every dollar invested in literacy education is an investment in preventing future incarceration costs. In Kansas, we spend three times the amount to incarcerate a person than to educate them.The choice is simple: we can invest in teaching children to read now, or we can pay the much higher social and financial costs of incarceration later.



Let's break the school-to-prison pipeline by addressing its root cause: illiteracy. The solution starts with teaching every child to read.


 

This post is part of our 31 Days of Dyslexia series, offering practical insights for educators and parents. Subscribe and follow along to learn more strategies that can make a difference in the lives of dyslexic learners!


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