Why Are More Black and Brown Kids Being Labeled Instead of Being Taught to Read?

For decades, the racial disparities in literacy instruction have been glaring. The data continues to show that Black and Brown students are disproportionately placed in special education programs, often labeled with learning disabilities when, in reality, they have never been given proper literacy instruction. Instead of addressing the systemic failures in reading instruction, too many schools are quick to diagnose deficits rather than provide solutions.

The Systemic Literacy Crisis

Across the country, reading proficiency rates among Black and Brown students remain alarmingly low. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 18% of Black fourth graders and 23% of Hispanic fourth graders scored at or above proficient in reading in 2022, compared to 45% of White students. But what happens next? Instead of intervention grounded in the science of reading, these students are often funneled into special education programs under the assumption that they have cognitive deficiencies rather than instructional deficiencies.

The overrepresentation of Black and Brown students in special education is not new. A U.S. Department of Education report found that Black students are nearly twice as likely to be identified with learning disabilities as their White peers. Black boys, in particular, are far more likely to be labeled with disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, or cognitive impairments—often based on subjective assessments rather than comprehensive, culturally responsive evaluations.

Why Are They Being Labeled?

1. Deficient Reading Instruction

The issue is not that Black and Brown children cannot learn to read—it is that they are not being taught effectively. Many students are in classrooms where whole-group instruction dominates, differentiation is absent, and teachers lack the training to provide explicit phonics and decoding instruction. Instead of recognizing that these students have not received structured literacy approaches, schools assume that they simply cannot learn at the same pace as their peers.

Take the story of Xavier, a third grader who was labeled with a reading disability when, in reality, he had never been explicitly taught how to decode words. Instead of receiving structured literacy intervention, he was placed in special education—where expectations for his reading growth plummeted. Xavier’s story is not unique; it is part of a widespread problem where the system fails students, then blames them for struggling.

2. Implicit Bias in the Classroom

Educators, often unconsciously, have lower expectations for Black and Brown students. When a child struggles with reading, rather than assuming the instruction needs to change, many assume the child has a cognitive deficiency. This deficit thinking leads to more referrals to special education rather than targeted intervention. A 2017 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that Black students were 50% more likely to be placed in special education than White students, even when exhibiting the same reading difficulties.

3. Lack of Early Literacy Interventions

Early intervention is the key to preventing reading struggles. However, Black and Brown students are often the last to receive quality interventions. Schools serving predominantly Black and Brown communities are underfunded and often lack reading specialists, intervention programs, and teacher training in research-based literacy instruction. By the time these students are in third or fourth grade and still struggling, the system labels them rather than supports them.

4. Misuse of Special Education as a Catch-All Solution

When schools don’t know how to help struggling readers, special education becomes the fallback. But special education should be for students with genuine cognitive disabilities—not for students who were never taught to decode words, understand phonemic awareness, or apply reading comprehension strategies. The misplacement of Black and Brown students in special education reinforces cycles of educational disadvantage and limits future opportunities.

Shifting the Focus: Teach Before You Label

1. Ensure Teachers Are Trained in Structured Literacy

All teachers, particularly those in schools serving Black and Brown students, must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach reading based on the science of reading. Structured literacy approaches that focus on phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension must become the standard—not the exception.

2. Address Implicit Bias in Literacy Instruction

Educators must reflect on their expectations and interactions with Black and Brown students. Schools need anti-bias training that specifically addresses literacy instruction and how deficit thinking contributes to racial disparities in reading achievement.

3. Provide Targeted, Early Interventions

Instead of waiting for students to fail, schools must implement evidence-based interventions early. This means regular reading assessments, small-group instruction, and literacy interventions that support struggling readers before they fall too far behind.

4. Rethink Special Education Placement

Special education should not be the first response to reading struggles. Schools must be required to show documented evidence of explicit, systematic reading instruction and interventions before placing a child in special education. If instruction—not cognition—is the issue, then literacy interventions, not labeling, must be the solution.

The Call to Action: Stop Labeling, Start Teaching

The crisis in literacy education for Black and Brown students is not a mystery. We know what works. We know that structured literacy, early intervention, and high expectations lead to reading proficiency. The real question is: How many more Black and Brown children will be mislabeled before we stop blaming the child and start fixing the system?

It is time to stop mislabeling our children and start equipping them with the tools they need to read, succeed, and thrive. Because literacy is not just about education—it is about justice.

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