Why are there so many ninth graders who make it to high school yet cannot read?

This is a real and widely discussed issue, and there isn’t just one cause; it’s usually a combination of factors that build up over the years. By the time students reach 9th grade, reading gaps can become very visible. Here are the main reasons:

Early gaps that never got fixed. Reading is cumulative. If a student struggles with basics like phonics or comprehension in elementary school and doesn’t get enough support, they can keep getting passed along without fully catching up. Each grade adds more complex reading, so the gap widens.