For decades, research has documented notable and persistent gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students. From funding to teacher quality to external school support, many of these gaps continue to pose complex challenges for schools, districts, and policymakers.

Those issues drive the May 2019 issue of Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, and this month we partner with Kappan to discuss their causes, impacts, and potential solutions.

This week we welcome Harvard University researcher Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell, whose new article explores how external school partnerships can perpetuate and even grow inequalities between advantaged and disadvantaged schools. She joins Rand Quinn, senior researcher with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, to discuss her findings and their potential implications for school leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Featured research: Bridwell-Mitchell, E.N. (2019). Them that’s got? How school partnerships can perpetuate inequalities. Phi Delta Kappan, 100 (8), 32-36.