Comment on "Schools and Inequality: A Multilevel Analysis of Coleman's Equality of Educational Opportunity Data"

Borman and Dowling’s (2010) Schools and Inequality is a re-analysis of reading achievement data originally collected for the Coleman Report (Coleman et al., 1966) using multilevel modeling techniques. In this review, we suggest that there are relatively small differences between Borman and Dowling and the Coleman Report when it comes to how and why schools impact student achievement. However, Borman and Dowling are able to use modern analytic techniques to show a substantial difference in how well schools serve different populations, an important result. We also situate the findings of Borman and Dowling with respect to trends in the racial achievement gap and the literature on school integration.