Lower school achievement of minority children is usually explained by projecting "deficits" upon the children -- deficits that are attributed to genetic or environmental causes. In contrast with tradition, the contributors to this book demonstrate how group differences in academic accomplishment and test scores are affected by cultural factors and standard educational practices as well.

Working mothers, broken homes, poverty, racial or ethnic background, poorly educated parents—these are the usual reasons given for the academic problems of poor urban children. Reginald M. Clark contends, however, that such structural characteristics of families neither predict nor explain the wide variation in academic achievement among children. He emphasizes instead the total family life, stating that the most important indicators of academic potential are embedded in family culture. To support his contentions, Clark offers ten intimate portraits of Black families in Chicago. Visiting the homes of poor one- and two-parent families of high and low achievers, Clark made detailed observations on the quality of home life, noting how family habits and interactions affect school success and what characteristics of family life provide children with "school survival skills," a complex of behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge that are the essential elements in academic success. Clark's conclusions lead to exciting implications for educational policy. If school achievement is not dependent on family structure or income, parents can learn to inculcate school survival skills in their children. Clark offers specific suggestions and strategies for use by teachers, parents, school administrators, and social service policy makers, but his work will also find an audience in urban anthropology, family studies, and Black studies.

First published in 2001. A major contributor to the increased diversity of America's schoolchildren is immigration. The United States is a nation of immigrants, but rates of immigration have varied considerably over different periods of its history. Currently, the United States is experiencing a period of high immigration, which began in the 1960. Numerous reports indicate that schools are ill prepared for the increased diversity of America's school population. This aim of this edition is to provide a set of stimulating articles that highlight the current challenges associated with the schooling of ethnic minority children and to describe some potential directions for educational researchers, both in the direction of ''pure theory development and testing and in more applied areas of intervention studies and school reform.

This book provides effective strategies that can be used to improve academic achievement and well-being of minority students. It examines, collectively, three cultural groups on themes related to diverse families, immigration issues, and teaching and learning. The book conceptualizes opportunities and challenges in working with minority children in the context of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It is a must-have reference for anyone who works with children.

This book provides effective strategies that can be used to improve academic achievement and well-being of minority students. It examines, collectively, three cultural groups on themes related to diverse families, immigration issues, and teaching and learning. The book conceptualizes opportunities and challenges in working with minority children in the context of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It is a must-have reference for anyone who works with children.

Lower school achievement of minority children is usually explained by projecting "deficits" upon the children -- deficits that are attributed to genetic or environmental causes. In contrast with tradition, the contributors to this book demonstrate how group differences in academic accomplishment and test scores are affected by cultural factors and standard educational practices as well.