Another Look at the Achievement Gap

Learning From the Experiences of Gifted Black Students

Bibliographic Data

ID10856442
AuthorsDonna Y Ford (0000-0002-5853-7463, Vanderbilt University), Tarek C Grantham (0000-0002-2098-5981, University of Georgia), Gilman W Whiting (0000-0002-6556-4734, Vanderbilt University)
Year2008
Volume43
Issue2
Pages216-239
Publication date2008-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0042-0859 • E-ISSN: 1552-8340
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0042085907312344
OpenAlexW2147622150
LanguageEN
Citations received34
References cited18

Many studies have been conducted on the achievement gap, with most findings pointing to how school and family variables affect Black students' achievement. Another body of work focuses on how social variables (i.e., peers) impact Black students' achievement, including how accusations of “acting White” affect the performance of Black students and contribute to the achievement gap. The current descriptive and exploratory study extends this work by examining peer pressure among Black students identified as gifted ( n = 166). As part of a larger study, gifted Black 5th through 12th graders were surveyed regarding their achievement-related attitudes and behaviors and perceptions of “acting White” and “acting Black.” Many of the gifted Black students demonstrate an attitude-behavior discrepancy, face negative peer pressures, and attribute acting White to school achievement, intelligence, and positive school behaviors and attitudes; most attribute acting Black to negative school achievement, low intelligence, and poor behaviors and attitudes. Recommendations are provided

Academic achievement · Affect (linguistics) · Developmental psychology · Exploratory research · Perception · White (mutation) · Early Childhood Education and Development · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · School Choice and Performance · Social Psychology

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