tools of economics to assess the outcome of efforts to solve education’s equal opportunity problem in a range of countries … high performance standards, for example, and well-designed school choice--but also raises considerable doubts about whether … many current school policies are effective in dramatically altering the opportunity structure. The evidence presented also …

The dominant role played by the state in the financing, regulation, and provision of primary and secondary education … reflects the widely-held belief that education is necessary for personal and societal well-being. The economic organization of … education depends on political as well as market mechanisms to resolve issues that arise because of contrasting views on such …