1 in 5 Students

Studies show a peer culture that does not esteem or reward academic achievement as much as it does other achievements is a powerful force that sustains the achievement gap.

• Nearly one-fifth of all students say they do not try as hard as they can in school because they are worried about what their friends might think.
• In a survey that asked youth about the school crowds to which they belong, the fewest students classified themselves as belonging to the “brains” group. Nearly 50 percent of these students wished they were in a different crowd, such as the “populars” or the “jocks.”
• One out of every six students hides her intelligence and interest in academic achievement because she is worried about what her peers think.
• One in five students says he doesn’t try as hard as he can in school because he is worried about what others will say.
• One in every five students says their friends make fun of people who try to do well in school.