The effect of school climate on student learning was considered important by educators until the late 1960s, was discounted as a result of major research findings during the 1970s, and is now beginning to reemerge as a potentially critical factor suitable for study, according to the author of this paper. Reviewing the literature, the author notes that convictions regarding the effects of school climate prior to the late 1960s were based primarily on assumptions. Research by Coleman, Plowden, Jencks, and others in the late 1960s and early 1970s suggested that educational attainment was largely independent of students' school experiences, but the author questions the range of variables tested in these studies. Despite similar methodological criticisms, the research of Rutter et al. in the late 1970s indicates that school climate may be significant after all. Personal experiences in implementing an experimental curriculum module in two junior high schools suggested to the author that the social climate of the school, reflecting staff interaction and cooperation, has a significant impact on student morale and responsiveness. The author concludes by urging further study of the issue. (PGD)