The Missouri Reader Vol. 35, Issue 2 | Page 24

Frankenberg,  &  Lee,  2002/2003).  Students  of  color  and  those  living  in  poverty  are  most  likely  to  be  behind  in   reading   and   other   subject   areas.   Therefore,   they   are   also   most   likely   to   be   in   low-­‐level   classes   that   are   designed  to  remediate  students’  deficits  (Oakes  &  Lipton,  2003),  including  reading  classes  designed  to  improve   their  reading  skills.       We  see  some  of  the  impact  of  these  conditions  in  the  most  current  national  comparisons:  12th  graders’   2009  reading  performance  on  the  National  Assessment  of  Educational  Progress  (NAEP)  increased  slightly  from   2006   but   was   lower   than   in   1992   (National   Center   for   Education   Statistics,   2010).   And,   the   gap   in   scores   between   whites   and   blacks   and   whites   and   Latinos   remained   statistically   the   same   as   in   1992.   Eighth-­‐graders’   scores  were  similar.       Let’s  connect  the  dots.  Students  of  color  and  those  living  in  poverty  have  lower  reading  achievement   than   their   white   or   economically   stable   counterparts;   low-­‐achieving   students,   who   tend   to   be   students   of   color   and/or   living   in   poverty,   do   not   demonstrate   adequate   content-­‐area   literacy   skills;   low-­‐achieving   students  receive  skill  and  strategy-­‐based  reading  instruction.       And  –  this  is  the  kicker  –  low-­‐achieving  students  who  receive  remedial  reading  classes  rarely  transfer   what   they   learn   to   their   content   classes   (Allington,   2007).   In   other   words,   even   though   we   think   we   are   doing   the   right   thing   by   identifying   the   skills   and   strategies   struggling/striving   readers   lack   and   teaching   these   to   them,   this   rarely   makes   a   difference   in   their   academic   success   (Lloyd,   2002).   The   outcome   is   that   lots   of   adolescents,  particularly   those  of   color   and   who   live   in   poverty,   do   not   succeed   in   courses   that   heavily   rely   on   understanding  and  producing  (i.e.,  composing)  texts.  When  students  do  not  succeed  in  algebra  or  biology  or   world  history  or  language  arts  or  other  content-­‐area  courses,  their  choices  in  life  are  limited.     In   contrast   to   looking   for   and   remediating   students’   reading   deficits,   I   describe   the   intersections   between   content   area   literacy   and   social   justice.   In   other   words,   I   focus   on   how   we   can   connect   content-­‐area   literacy  strategies  to  adolescent  learners  such  that  they  will  have  the  tools  to  succeed  in  their  courses  and  thus   be   able   to   have   expanded   and   expansive   choices   about   their   futures.   Similarly,   I   ask   how   we   can   provide   equitable  educational  opportunities  for  all  students  so  they