MEMBERS OF THE NEGRO POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES WHO HAD DEMONSTRATED "UNUSUAL ACADEMIC TALENT" BY RECEIVING AN ACADEMIC DOCTORAL DEGREE WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT WOULD SERVE TO IDENTIFY ACADEMIC PROMISE AMONG UNDERPRIVILEGED GROUPS. FACTORS STUDIED INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF (1) THE FAMILY, (2) THE EDUCATION AND…

Results of this study which attempted to determine the main forces which strengthen or weaken college aspirations of students from disadvantaged backgrounds showed that the parents, guidance counselor and teacher were the strongest personal influences. Circumstances more than people tend to lessen the aspirations of the teenagers studied, who were…

Tests the prevalent hypotheses that the matriarchal character of black families is associated principally with father absence from the home and that a matriarchal family structure has detrimental educational consequences for black males. Concludes that the lower educational attainment of blacks must be sought in other factors which make it…

Describes a cooperative program between two-year San Francisco City College (California) and 35 historically black colleges and universities to encourage more of the community college's black students to transfer to four-year schools. Also describes initial steps in Georgia toward closer relationships between two-year community colleges and…

This study investigated the impact of behavioral and affective factors on 688 African American high school students' academic performance, examining the relationship between school engagement, educational expectations, self-esteem, and school achievement; noting differences between males and females; and discussing whether behavioral and affective…

Explored relationship between trust of Whites and academic and occupational expectations of African-American high school students (n=132). Students completed Two-Factor Index of Social Position and Cultural Mistrust Inventory. Found no differences between educational expectations and level of mistrust. Students with lower occupational expectations…

Discusses the increasing numbers of African Americans who are both attending graduate school and planning on academic careers. Suggests that academia will profit in many ways from this trend, noting that African American scholars are resisting labeling, finding arenas of research that resist racial categories, and desire a mandate for…

This longitudinal study of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders builds on the research of Solorzano, who examined Ogbu's caste theory of educational attainment. When gender, socioeconomic status, locus of control, parental college aspirations, and academic achievement were controlled, this study found that African American youths' level of educational…

Discusses a survey conducted in 1974 to determine students' perceptions of themselves and their academic environments, with the purpose of refuting 'deficit' theories of low performance of blacks in schools, arguing that the school system is encouraging black students to develop unrealistic academic self concepts, which act as barriers to reaching…

Areas such as major fields of study, occupational plans, and highest degree plans are analyzed in light of the trends among and differences between black freshmen in traditionally black institutions and those in all institutions. (Author/AM)

Research on a sample of urban black adolescents sought to discover Protestant-Catholic differences in attitudes toward achievement and black identity; the results are interpreted as suggesting that a distinctive secular orientation exists among black Catholics, combining higher educational and occupational aspirations and an attenuation of black…

Brief citations to the Educational Testing Service study "Disadvantaged Children and their First School Experience", the Marx and Winne study of self-concept and achievement and psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint's comments. (Author/AM)