This issue highlights findings of Marshall S. Smith and Jennifer O'Day's "Educational Equality 1966: Then and Now," a chapter of "The 1990 American Education Finance Association Yearbook: Spheres of Justice in Education," edited by Deborah A. Verstegen and James G. Ward. The "Brief" first focuses on educational trends over the past quarter century, stressing differences between the opportunities provided African-American and White students. Trends and variations among goups in three input categories are examined: (1) out of school resources (family poverty, preschool attendance, and parental education); (2) racial and social class differences among schools; and (3) inequalities in school (fiscal and instructional) resources. Part 2 describes changes in achievement outcomes. Compared to equal opportunity progress since 1966, there is evidence of progress toward equality of educational outcomes such as educational attainment and achievement scores. Part 3 attributes this progress to changes in family resources (despite increasing poverty for both African-Americans and Whites since the mid-1970s), in demography and racial isolation, and in instruction and curriculum. Part 4 discusses policy implications and offers proposals for policy interventions: improving school readiness; developing high quality, coherent school programs; and enriching programs for the educationally needy. (39 references) (MLH)