In 1966, James Coleman and his associates published a controversial monograph entitled Equality of Educational Opportunity. The two most durable conclusions reported in this still-influential application of the input-output model of school effectiveness were as follows: schooling is ineffective as an agency of social mobility, and one school is about as effective as another in promoting academic achievement. / In 1982, however, Coleman and a new set of colleagues published a comparison of public and private high schools, entitled High School Achievement. In contrast with Coleman's earlier work, Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore concluded that some high schools are able to promote social mobility, and some high schools are superior to others in promoting academic achievement. Generally, Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore concluded, private high schools are superior to public high schools on both counts. / My review of the input-output literature provides the perpective needed for an improved empirical response to both issues, and for reconciling the differences between Equality of Educational Opportunity and High School Achievement. I use Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT) and College Board Achievement (CBAT) data to compare all public and private high schools in Florida in 1982-83 and 1983-84, and in the U.S. in 1983-84. / Using multiple regression analysis, I find that public and private high schools are equally effective in promoting achievement in English and American history. Public schools, however, enjoy a small but consistent advantage in promoting mathematics achievement. / With regard to English, mathematics, and American history achievement, I find no differences between public and private high schools in facilitating social mobility by severing ties between achievement and socially ascribed traits, such as family income and race. / My analyses are superior to previous work by Coleman and others in that I more adequately deal with selectivity bias, regression model specification, curriculum sensitivity of outcome measures, and stability of results from one data set to another. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-03, Section: A, page: 0626. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76057 |
| Contributors | BICKEL, ROBERT NORMAN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 237 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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