The authors and their associates demonstrate convincingly that the differences in achievement produced in private and public schools for similar types of students is actually very small.

In the debate over how best to reform public education, private schools are often cited as exemplary models of how privatization works to correct the perceived failings of the public school system. All Else Equal, however, examines 15 years of studies and finds that there is no difference in achievement between students at public and private schools. The authors conclude that rather than looking at the sources of school funding, reformers ought to concentrate on the community in which schools operate as the more useful indicator of scholastic performance and the basis of school reform.

Preface 1. Recasting Public and Private Education in Post-Industrial America 2. Should We Expect Private and Public Schooling To Be Organized Differently? 3. Student Achievement and Client Orientation in Public and Private Schools 4. The Organization of Schooling in Public and Private Schools 5. How Different are Public Schools From Private References