ABSTRACT
The Coleman Report represented a challenge to educational researchers and policymakers, who no doubt found discomforting the idea that what many believed to be indicators of school instructional quality had little or no influence on student learning. And though it received a good deal of methodological criticism, subsequent investigations have tended to support its general pattern of findings. In fact, the Coleman study continues to serve as an important starting point for those interested in examining how schools influence student achievement. Research over the past 30 years has proven this task to be a daunting one. It persists, however, driven by the belief that schools can improve and that equality of educational opportunity can be increased.
