What Have We Learned about the Benefits of Private Schooling?

[...]This report and subsequent publications by Colemanand his associates ignited a heated and often acrimoniousdebate among social scientists concerning the relativeeducational performance of public and private schools.For example, Coleman, Kilgore, and Hoffer (1981) foundthat, in a population of students from similar backgrounds,private school students exhibit higher achievement andattainment. Critics, however, claimed that this resultsimply reflected inadequate controls for the individual traitsand family background characteristics that foster academicsuccess. Put simply, even if one knows a considerableamount about a student’s background and academicaptitude, the fact that her parents are willing to spend their time and resources to send her to a private school mayprovide additional information about the student’sacademic ability and family environment.[...]