Noting that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of West Indian immigrants to the United States, this paper discusses factors affecting the acculturation of Jamaican immigrant children in the American educational system, highlighting factors relating to poor performance of these immigrant children. The paper first provides an overview of the Jamaican educational system and reports data on the immigration of Jamaican families; the cultural background of the West Indies is also explored. The paper next compares the educational environment of schools in New York City and those in Jamaica, and discusses the culture shock Jamaican students experience in U.S. schools. The paper then describes a survey of ten teachers and several young adults who migrated from Jamaica to the United States as young children and are now successful in their chosen field. Subjects were surveyed about how they view the transition between cultures and what recommendations they would make. Survey respondents described how Jamaican students interact with teachers, compared these students with American peers, and considered difficulties in adjustment of Jamaican children. The paper concludes by noting that not enough is being done to address the needs of English-speaking Caribbean students and that transition services for both students and their parents would be beneficial. (JPB)