Concerns Raised About Impact of Stimulus on Equity

Studies see structural changes in state funding, as federal officials defend impact.

New York

While the nearly $100 billion in federal economic-stimulus aid set aside for education has challenged school districts to turn one-time money into lasting reform, this historic influx of funding has also set the stage for long-term—and not necessarily positive—consequences.

Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed one year ago by Congress, is causing states to make structural changes in their education aid and in services they provide to disadvantaged students that will have consequences long after the money runs out, according to researchers studying the law’s effects.

The U.S. Department of Education is keenly aware of some of these concerns, discussed at a Feb. 8-9 conference here put on by Teachers College, Columbia University, and by the Campaign for Educational Equity, a research and advocacy organization...