Israeli children of Jewish parents from Europe and America had higher average achievement test scores than did the children of Jewish fathers from Africa and Asia outside of Israel. The difference in means between the two groups did not increase between grade four and grade six. (CTM)

The relationship of educational achievement to measures of acculturation was explored for 190 high school seniors from American Samoa using canonical variate analysis. Educational achievement was found to be related mainly to the 'modern man' approach to acculturation, the only approach to cross-validate. (Author/JM)

Presents a series of articles on the sociology of education in China. The articles address such topics as the establishment and directions of the field in China, the socialization and social aspects of learning in secondary schools, the social influences on achievement scores, adjusting the structure of the educational system, and the social…

Investigated academic achievement of Mexican-American students and conflict in values with Anglo-American culture. Mexican and Anglo-American students, their parents, and teachers reported their adherence to traditional school values and evaluated the importance of field independent behaviors to success in school. Attitudinal differences were…

Most Americans oppose establishing a set of universally required texts--not because creating a core curriculum is inherently undemocratic, but because it's an un-American idea. The Chall curve shows graphically what is at stake in teaching literate culture to everyone. (MLW)

There are discrepancies between the school performance of mainstream students and ethnic minority students. In educational anthropology there have been two explanations, cultural difference and cultural discontinuity. The articles in this special issue explore the relationships between these two schools of thought. (VM)

Describes cultural factors negatively affecting black students' abilities to achieve success in school according to prevailing standards, and suggests using the differences between black culture and "school culture" positively to develop new means of educating black students that will enhance the students' chances of success. (PGD)

The achievement gap between low-income African American students and their White counterparts remains substantial. To address this, researchers have begun to examine the impact of culture on cognitive performance among African American students (Lee, 2001; Foster, Lewis, & Onafowora, 2003). The findings from this work suggest that when aspects of…

Analyzes the interrelation of ethnicity, sex role, peer group, and social class, and discusses the effect of these variables on school performance. Drawing upon fieldwork in St. Croix (Virgin Islands), examines the value of a cultural compatibility-incompatibility framework for explaining school success. (Author/GC)

Examines two aspects of adolescence that are components of an explanation of delinquency other than social class; school status and delinquent subcultural involvement. Analysis of data from a longitudinal panel study of males in the Pacific Northwest indicates that both components are related to delinquency. (Author/JM)

This address discusses educational attainment rates among Latinas and notes factors that affect their educational and professional achievement. Examines the roles of family, community, and discrimination, and looks at strategies to counteract discrimination. Describes psychology's response to this issue. Offers a tribute to a Latina pioneer in…

Describes a study that examined sociocultural influences on the attributions for success and failure among four distance learners in Turkey. The influences of patronage and oral tradition are discussed, and implications for applying Western-based attribution theory to distance learners in developing countries with more traditional cultures are…

Epistemological beliefs of 146 male and 252 female university students were examined as a function of their educational level and field of study. Epistemological beliefs can be represented in terms of five factors. Students' beliefs about learning are a product of the activity, the culture, and the context. (SLD)

Summarizes empirical literature on the prediction and correlates of school dropout relative to Mexican Americans. Presents theoretical views on factors believed to cause school failure for Mexican-American youths. Discusses a social identity theoretical framework that relates ethnic identity and minority status to the adaptation of…

Presents results of ethnographic research into sociocultural influences on the academic performance of black students at a correspondence education university in South Africa. A contextual and individualistic/holistic approach was used in the case studies. Performance was influenced by various factors based on circumstances and attitudes. (MMU)