Russ Whitehurst and Michelle Croft ask whether students served by the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), which is famous for combining community services with its charter schools, do better academically than similar students who attend charter schools that stand alone. Their new analysis indicates that achievement by students in HCZ schools is unexceptional relative to other charter schools. As a result, they question President Obama’s nationwide Promise Neighborhoods Initiative as the best use of public education dollars.