Why federal spending on disadvantaged students (Title I) doesn’t work

By Mark Dynarski and Kirsten Kainz. Achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their better-off peers are large and have existed for decades. Narrowing these gaps will mean investing more in research to identify effective approaches, or increasing Title I spending by five to eight times more per student, or both. Focusing effective interventions on the neediest students may provide a way forward that is consistent with fiscal realities. More...