Expanding the Understanding of School Concentrated Disadvantage Using Free and Reduced-Price Meals Data: Links to College and Labor Market Outcomes in Maryland

School concentrated disadvantage has been linked to poorer academic achievement and psychosocial functioning in prior research. The current study expands upon prior examinations of school concentrated disadvantage by applying a measurement approach first described by Michelmore and Dynarski in 2017, where eligibility for free and reduced-price meals (FRPM) is examined over time and the duration of eligibility serves as the key indicator of student disadvantage. We used data from a linked longitudinal administrative data system in Maryland, and we measured disadvantage using the proportion of years a student was eligible for FRPM between 6^th and 12^th grades (see ref. Michelmore & Dynarski). This measure was aggregated to the school level to measure school concentrated disadvantage. We found that school-level concentrated disadvantage was uniquely, and more strongly related to college enrollment than individual student-level disadvantage. However, early labor market outcomes tended to be more strongly linked to race/ethnicity than experiences with disadvantage. We highlight the need for additional targeted resources for students in schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students.