The authors found that Catholic schools have an independent effect on achievement, especially in reducing disparities between disadvantaged and privileged students. Today's Catholic school, they show, is informed by a Dewey-like vision of the school as a community committed to democratic education and the common good of all students.

The authors examine a broad range of Catholic high schools to determine whether or not students are better educated in these schools than they are in public schools. They find that the Catholic schools do have an independent effect on achievement, especially in reducing disparities between disadvantaged and privileged students. The Catholic school of today, they show, is informed by a vision, similar to that of John Dewey, of the school as a community committed to democratic education and the common good of all students.