State and national reading improvements for early grades have not translated into stronger middle- and high-school literacy: a new analysis shows reforms that boosted K–3 outcomes often leave older students behind, creating downstream challenges for college readiness. Researchers and state leaders say secondary literacy support is under-resourced compared with early-grade investments. A separate Stanford study found that limits on formal exclusionary discipline have prompted some teachers to adopt informal removal practices—sending students out of class or pressuring parents to transfer—practices that are rarely documented and raise equity concerns. Administrators are weighing how to pair disciplinary reform with resources for restorative and behavioral supports.