Use Facts, Not Courts, to Fix Affirmative Action

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to announce its decision in the biggest affirmative action case in years: Fisher v. University of Texas. Before it does, let's consider two important findings about the real world of higher education.

The most recent one is a Brookings Institution study published this month showing that several long-standing federal programs intended to prepare low-income students for college don't work. These programs send funds to colleges and universities, which run summer schools, counseling programs and other initiatives to help disadvantaged high schoolers get ready for college. Despit the billion-dollar-a-year investment, they make no apparent difference.