This policy brief reviews scholarship by members of the Race, Diversity, and Educational Policy Cluster of the Haas Institute to advance a broader and more complex understanding of the persistent failure of U.S. schools for youth from non-dominant communities. This report takes up a critical issue in education: the continuing reproduction of educational inequality in relation to race and social class. In doing so, it highlights several key issues in how we study and attempt to ameliorate disparities through educational policy. It concludes with a set of recommendations for policymakers and advocates.