The Problem
Serious behavior problems are often found in children who are struggling with literacy. They begin to experience failure, and with it a potentially devastating cascade of related negative effects on their development. Studies show a causal relationship between reading difficulties and serious behavior problems. High school graduation and later incarceration can be predicted as early as the 3rd grade based upon a child's reading ability. Statistics show that the road to prison begins as early as kindergarten. Working with the schools in early intervention efforts, Making It Better endeavors to stop the "School to Prison Pipeline."
According to the Children's Defense Fund Cradle to Prison Pipeline
- An African American boy born in 2001 has a 1 in 3 chance of going to prison in his lifetime; a Latino boy has a 1 in 6 chance; and a White boy, a 1 in 17 chance.
- An African American girl born in 2001 has a 1 in 17 chance of going to prison in her lifetime: a Latino girl has a 1 in 45 chance; and a White girl, a 1 in 111 chance.
A study conducted by Texas A & M concluded that "the greatest predictor of future involvement in the criminal justice system is a history of having been disciplined in school."
How do these problems manifest themselves?
