It is clear from federal statistics, published in the Nation's Report Card, that by the end of the fourth grade, more than half of African-American, Hispanic and American Indian students are performing below basic level on national exams. More than half of the students entering urban high schools read at or below the sixth-grade level. It is almost impossible for these ninth graders to deal with high school content. It isn't that they can't read -- they can. But they cannot read and understand. Okay, so you can read the words. But do you understand the implications? | 
