ABSTRACT
The underachievement of students of color, African-American students in particular, has a long history and continues to give credence to a great deal of research. While few researchers have conducted investigations that report what African-American students and parents think about the achievement gap, former teacher, administrator, and executive of two large urban school districts Kay Lovelace Taylor presented a thoughtful treatise on the national achievement gap. African-American students identified lack of motivation, lack of focus, poor study habits, and simply not applying themselves as factors that contributed to their underachievement. D. B. Martin conducted a qualitative study on African-American students’ achievement and persistence in mathematics in Oakland, California. The chapter synthesizes data and findings from two research studies that examine the perspectives of students and parents on underachievement in general. It aims to follow by data and findings from another research study on the perspectives of parents and students on underachievement in mathematics.
