Early research into the essential qualities of successful schools emerged in North America as a response to the controversial 1966 Coleman Report, which concluded that family background and socio-economics were the major determinants of student achievement.
Research published by Christopher Jencks in 1972 contributed to Coleman's findings, suggesting that "school quality has little effect on achievement.
[3] The report also stimulated vigorous reaction from educational researchers who believed, to the contrary, that schools could make a significant difference on student achievement.
[4] George Weber, and later Ronald Edmonds, conducted research in inner-city U.S. schools where students of low socio-economic background were able to equal or surpass the national average.
Also, teacher support for, belief in, and commitment to a particular reform tended to follow months or years of successful practice.