Asserts that the real message of the 1981 Coleman report is the importance of school social climate, whether the school is public or private. Urges Catholic schools not to imitate public schools, but to retain their "private school" climate. One of three theme articles: "Reflections on the 1981 Coleman study". (SJL)

Given the paucity of evidence accurately characterizing private education, this paper synthesizes and interprets available research on private school enrollments, religious affiliations, tuition levels, characteristics of patrons, and common features of operation. The organization of data on church-affiliated schools is found to be faulty, with…