Discrepancy between predicted and actual achievement scores was standardized within China, Japan, and the United States; 85 of 738 fourth-grade students were identified as underachievers. An equal-sized group of students achieving in the expected range was created with a matching procedure. All subjects responded to open-ended questions addressing their beliefs about the reasons for successful and unsuccessful mathematics performance. The students' responses were categorized and analyzed according to Weiner's attributional theory of achievement motivation. Asian students perceived controllable causes, particularly effort, to play a greater role in performance outcomes than did their American peers. Implications are discussed regarding the role causal beliefs and cultural factors may play in the underachievement phenomenon.

Kindergarten plays an important role in a child’s socialization to the school system. Increased academic accountability at upper grades has resulted in an “escalation” of the curriculum in many kindergarten programs. As a result of this policy, many parents are holding children out of school until they are more academically “ready.” Kindergarten retention for children who are not ready for first grade has also become a common practice, despite evidence that many children do not benefit from this intervention. The impact of these policies and practices on Anglo and Latino children was the focus of this study. Differences in the age of entry to kindergarten and the use of kindergarten retention as functions of a child’s sex and ethnicity were assessed in three school districts. The impact of these policies on early school failure and alternative methods for addressing diverse student needs are discussed.

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