To be fair “barely read” is not the same as “below grade level.” First, grade level is defined in California as being the median as of 1998 (I think). The figures in here indicate these students are close to but under the median. This is not nearly as dire as “can barely read.” I’m not apologizing for the stark demographic different which is indicative of terrible social ills breaking along racial lines. But to address a problem you need to honest about it, and it’s not the case that black high school students are illiterate or close to it. They’re just generally below the median, which is unsurprising given the related metrics for other larger demographics.