Book Description

Why are so many Black students prematurely leaving school? What factors can be attributed toward academic achievement of Black students? Should teachers be less concerned with curriculum content and more sensitive to the social and psychological needs during child development? The authors argue that academic achievement for Black students is influenced not only by circumstances found in the individual or family and school settings, but by a whole host of factors. Social and economic environments, the development of the self-concept, peer pressure, personal attributes such as resources, skills and motivation--these are a few of the many factors contributing towards a person's ability to achieve academically. Black Students brings together current research to address these factors from a variety of perspectives and covers the full educational cycle from kindergarten through the college years. The majority of past research on academic achievement of Black students has placed blame on the individual or credited failure toward an incapability to succeed. Berry and Asamen's mission is to shift away from this narrow perspective and to look more holistically at the issues. In addition the book provides some specific programmatic directions for enhancing the academic experiences of Black students. "The editors conceptualized and produced an important, informative, issue-oriented book with contributions by prestigious, involved scholars in education, the social sciences, and mental health. . . . Recommendations for policy and programmatic changes are included, along with directions for future research." --Choice "All in all, this book was well conceived and succeeds in its high ideals of offering a useful, womanlike contribution to the riddle of the causes of under achievement of black Americans and ultimately of all black people of the diaspora; intuitively understood by all who know anything of the history of their experience, but yet to be coherently deciphered." --Education Today "Informative and thought provoking. Berry and Asamen make the reader painfully aware of the many casualties and losses of black youth, particularly low income black youth within today's educational system. . . . [It] explores the societal factors that inhibit or can enhance the academic achievement of low income black students. Black Students affirmed some of my own beliefs and provided new information." --Association for Women in Psychology Newsletter "A book written by people who obviously care about Black education. Moreover, it is difficult to take exception to Berry's conclusion that Blacks need an educational system which offers equity and excellence." --British Educational Research Journal.