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The Coleman Report, 50 Years On: What Do We Know about the Role of Schools in Academic Inequality?

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  • Heather C. Hill

Abstract

Achievement outcomes for U.S. children are overwhelmingly unequal along racial, ethnic, and class lines. Whether and how schools contribute to educational inequality, however, has long been the subject of debate. This article traces the debate to the Coleman Report’s publication in 1966, describing the report’s production and impact on educational research. The article then considers the field’s major findings—that schools equalize along class lines but likely stratify along racial and ethnic lines—in light of current policy debates.

Suggested Citation

  • Heather C. Hill, 2017. "The Coleman Report, 50 Years On: What Do We Know about the Role of Schools in Academic Inequality?," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 674(1), pages 9-26, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:674:y:2017:i:1:p:9-26
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716217727510
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elizabeth Pelletier & Paul Manna, 2017. "Learning in Harm’s Way: Neighborhood Violence, Inequality, and American Schools," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 674(1), pages 217-239, November.
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    7. Roland G. Fryer & Steven D. Levitt, 2004. "Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(2), pages 447-464, May.
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    9. Carolyn Riehl & Melissa A. Lyon, 2017. "Counting on Context: Cross-Sector Collaborations for Education and the Legacy of James Coleman’s Sociological Vision," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 674(1), pages 262-280, November.
    10. Margot I. Jackson & Kathleen Kiernan & Sara McLanahan, 2017. "Maternal Education, Changing Family Circumstances, and Children’s Skill Development in the United States and UK," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 674(1), pages 59-84, November.
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