I laugh every time I see that phonetic phrase. Phonics is the link from an individual who speaks and understands the language to one who can read it. I learned phonics in the 2nd grade. It has served me well for many languages. I can read and speak Welsh just fine...but I don't understand everything I'm reading. Many children learn phonics and read just fine...but they don't understand what they have read. One must explore the issue of comprehension of the words read. Demonstrate proficiency by correctly using new words in a sentence. Read paragraphs and explain what information was conveyed.
My kids have endured incompetent teachers for years. The teachers come to class and can't answer basic questions on the material. My middle son finally took the bull by the horns and started teaching/tutoring his classmates. It was imperative because the classes were Advanced Placement. The students have to take a standardized test at the end of the school term to earn the AP credits. My son earned scores of 4 or 5 on all his AP exams. The kids he tutored earned scores between 3 and 5 (necessary to get the AP credit). The other kids in the class fell through the cracks.
Summer and Amelia: I appreciate your experiences in identifying why black kids are not performing. A corollary to your experience is the one found in private schools. Parents pay large sums of money to place the children in a private school AND those same parents stay intensely involved. The parent involvement is every bit as important to success as the teacher competency.