| Perhaps the most important problem in education concerns how to narrow the achievement gap that results from the generally lower academic performance of children of color and children raised in poverty. Many lawsuits have attempted to remedy these inequities, including the famous Brown v. Board of Education case. The lawsuits have met with mixed results in terms of student outcomes.;The latest strategy that seeks to narrow the achievement gap is school finance litigation, in which litigants seek more resources for schools. The parties bringing these lawsuits assume that the increased resources to the schools will lead to better student outcomes.;This study examines whether school finance adequacy litigation has a positive relationship with student performance. National data are examined to determine the relationship between legal variables and student achievement. The results of the study show a significant and positive, but small, relationship between successful litigation and student achievement. African American students in particular appear to benefit from successful litigation. |
