The authors studied more than 1 million Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and White seventh graders in a statewide California testing program between 2003 and 2008, examining their reading and math achievement. AAPI student performance is often reported as an aggregate in discussions of the success of schoolchildren and issues of racial and ethnic achievement gaps. The authors disaggregated the performance of 13 AAPI subgroups and found significant achievement gaps between White Americans and their AAPI peers in reading and math. The data refuted the premise of the model minority myth. The evidence indicated that AAPI students are diverse in their achievements and demonstrate a continuum of academic performance.

This paper describes how a university outreach program promotes academic achievement and identity development among culturally diverse tenth-grade students. The primary goal of the outreach program is to advance students' engagement and competency in mathematics and science learning. A secondary goal of the program is to promote the development of students' academic and cultural identities. This paper describes how a university outreach program meets both goals of advancing participants' engagement and competence in mathematics and science while promoting the development of their academic identity and cultural awareness through the implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices. Qualitative data collected through student interviews will be examined to illuminate the program's effectiveness in promoting identity development and achievement in math and science. In addition, outcome data from the program's first four years (1998-2001) are presented to demonstrate its effectiveness at enhancing participants' academic competencies.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The self-concept of Japanese-American and White American fourth- through sixth-grade children was measured using a modification of the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale. This study centered upon comparisons between the two ethnic groups, with special interest in the physical self-concept. Nine items dealing with the physical self-concept that were thought to be especially sensitive to Japanese-American populations were used with the original Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale. Significant results between the two groups were found only on the three physical self-concept scores. The Japanese-American children scored significantly lower than the White American children on all three physical scores. No significant differences were demonstrated on any of the other subscales or the composite score.