This article examines two critical questions related to equality of educational opportunity. First, does the academic advantage that was observed in Catholic high schools more than two decades ago continue to hold for contemporary students in Catholic middle schools? Second, how closely do different school sectors adhere to the common school…

This article reexamines the conjecture of James S. Coleman that intergenerational social closure promotes student achievement in high schools, analyzing the best national data on academic achievement and social networks: the 2002 and 2004 waves of the Education Longitudinal Study. The results show that within the Catholic school sector, schools…

The authors examine whether standards based accountability reforms of the past two decades have closed the achievement gap among public and private high school students. They analyzed data from the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) to examine sector differences in high school achievement in the era of standards based reforms. The authors found…

Research has shown that students who like school have higher academic achievement and a lower incidence of disciplinary problems, absenteeism, truancy, and dropping out of school than do those who dislike school. Thus, one way to improve academic outcomes is to increase students' attraction to school. This study focused on the role of teachers in…

Reanalyzes the impact of Catholic school attendance on the reading and mathematics achievement of senior and sophomore pupils using the same data employed by Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore in their report "Public and Private Schools." The significance of four additional variables, not controlled in the original study, are discussed. (AM)

Discusses objections to her research raised by Alexander and Pallas, and defends her results. Educational researchers have been persistently trivializing the importance of schooling effects. The research community should attempt to specify how schools do make a difference. (CS)

Assesses the impact of different types and amounts of Jewish schooling in producing adult religiosity. Results show that the relationship between amount of Jewish schooling and adult religious involvement is not wholly linear. Implications for Jewish, Catholic, and public schools are discussed. (Author)

The study showed little support for the notion that cognitive development in Catholic schools significantly outpaces that in public schools between the sophomore and senior years. In addition, it was found that student background characteristics relate to test performance in similar fashion in public and Catholic schools. (RM)

Discusses Kilgore's criticism of the authors' contention that there is little reason to think Catholic schools superior in promoting high levels of cognitive performance. After discussing Kilgore's different predictor variables, measurement strategies, and criteria, the authors stand by their conclusion. Indeed, public schools do somewhat better…

Reexamines data from a national study which supported the hypothesis that traditional underrepresentation of Catholics and overrepresentation of Jews in academic professions may be ending. Data analysis using logic regression techniques indicates that modified conclusions are more warranted. (Author/AV)

Discusses the conclusion reached by Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore in their report "Public and Private Schools" that tuition tax credits would increase minority and low-income family participation in private, secondary schools. The implications of estimates of enrollment changes from tuition tax credits are analyzed. (AM)

Criticizes the report "Public and Private Schools" by Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore for failing to consider alternative explanations of school effectiveness and for drawing narrow policy implications. Student body composition and school admissions practices need to be considered in evaluating educational policy alternatives. (RM)

Examines whether U.S. Catholic schooling was a part of mass schooling as opposed to being labeled as private-elite. Explores how urbanization and industrialization increased mass schooling, public and Catholic combined, after the Civil War to the 1930s. Discusses the findings in detail. (Contains 80 references.) (CMK)

Catholic schools have a positive effect on verbal and mathematics achievement growth from the sophomore to senior year of high school. Catholic schools produce higher-achieving students in academic programs, require more semesters of academic coursework, and assign more homework. (Author/RM)

Demonstrates an approach that places regression modeling strategies within a specific and well-developed framework for thinking about causality. Focuses on the Catholic school effect on learning. Provides propensity-score matching estimates of the Catholic school effect for the Catholic schooled to supplement estimates obtained by regression…