An Investigation of Psychosocial Variables Related to Academic Success for Rural Black Adolescents

Extensive analysis of the contemporary educational concerns of Black youth in rural America is limited, in spite of the fact that 1980 census data indicates that approximately 15 percent of the Black population lives in rural areas.1 Significantly, rural Black Americans lag behind all other groups in educational characteristics such as school enrollment, enrollment in preprimary programs, high school graduation, college completion, adult education, and have more functional illiteracy.2 A crucial aspect of such findings is that rural Black Americans have experienced special education problems resulting from traditions of segregation, discrimination, and social isolation.3 The persistence of such findings raises important questions concerning education of adolescents in rural Black America. One such question is, Are there psychological, social, or environmental variables related to academic success for Black youth in rural educational settings with traditions of limited educational accomplishment? To answer this and other questions concerning the educa-