The object of the investigations reported here is the perceptions students and teachers have of "actual" classrooms and of their "ideal" classrooms. The data come from 10 junior--level classrooms in each of five high schools. The 10 classrooms were selected as follows: two each in English, mathematics, and social Studies; with the remaining four sampling the range of other courses. The five schools were selected as follows: one middle-class highly academic college preparatory school, one lower class black trade school; one lower class black "general" school; one traditional agricultural-community school; and one innovative "democratic" school oriented to personal interests of students. The data are the responses of students and teachers on the recently developed Authenticity Legitimacy Productivity (ALP)-ETHOS instrument; demographic data on each student; interviews with principals; and teachers' estimates of time devoted in class to various activities. The investigation was confined to two questions. Who succeeds in school? What demographic characteristics distinguish high achievers from lower achievers? The broader question was who benefits from school and, usually unexamined, what are these benefits? The second question was: For whom is the school designed? That is, for whom does it provide educational opportunities and for whom does it not? (Author/JM)