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Citation:

Okagaki, L. (2001). Triarchic model of minority childrenÕs school achievement. Educational Psychologist, 36(1), 9-20.

Annotation:
This article introduces a theoretical model for understanding the school achievement of children of color. The Triarchic Model of School Achievement focuses on three major factors that contribute to variation in minority childrenÕs achievementÑschool, family, and individual child. First, the school factor addresses how the nature of public education and the perceived function of schooling can either support or undermine studentÕs motivation for school achievement. The mismatch between home and school makes schooling especially difficult for minority children. However, the author argues the more critical issue is whether students and parents perceive that there are relevant benefits to educational attainment. Second, the family component highlights ways familiesÕ cultural norms and educational beliefs contribute to academic performance. The author argues that parentsÕ (1) expectations for their childÕs school achievement and educational goals, (2) beliefs about intelligence, education and what it takes to do well in school, and (3) strategies they use to support childrenÕs education make a difference for minority achievement. Third, the Model considers how childrenÕs own social identitiesÑgenerally within society in general and specifically within the academic settingÑshape their school approach and performance. To achieve in school, children need to develop a positive academic identity while maintaining a positive ethnic identity, a difficult task for many minority students. This article contributes to our understanding about achievement differences among and across minority student groups by providing examples of these differences. The author notes that models focused on only one or two factors fall short in their explanation of minority student achievement. A holistic approach to theory development better addresses minority student achievement. Although the author supports her theory with relevant research, it is unclear whether the Triarchic Model has been tested empirically. More in-depth explanation of how the Model works or a diagram conveying how these three factors may interact would be a helpful addition to this article.