This report constructs a profile of the 225,000 eighth graders attending Catholic schools in the United States in 1988 and compares them to eighth graders attending public schools. The analysis focused on themes of excellence and equity. Study data were taken from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. The study design incorporated a clustered, stratified national probability sample of approximately 1,000 schools (approximately 800 public schools and 200 private schools), with an average of 25 students in each school participating. Following an introduction, chapter 1, "Catholic Schools and Their Eighth Grade Students," provides an overview of Catholic schools with eighth grades; compares them to public schools, with particular attention to urban areas; and notes that with respect to achievement, urban Catholic students clearly outperform their public school counterparts. Chapter 2, "Experiences of Eighth Graders in Catholic Schools," focuses on subjects that students take, extracurricular activities, perceptions of teachers, and parent participation. Chapter 3, "Academic Performance of Eighth Graders in Catholic Schools," reports reading and mathematics test scores by behaviorally anchored proficiency scores, and reports history/social studies and science test scores by quartile. Included are 10 tables, 7 graphs, an appendix of methodological and technical notes, and 27 references. (JB)