Amy Hsin and Yu Xie combine data from two nationally representative longitudinal surveys to compare cohorts of Asian American and white students from kindergarten through high school. They find an Asian American educational advantage attributable mainly to Asian students’ greater academic effort rather than their tested cognitive abilities. “Qualities such as attentiveness, self-control, motivation and persistence may be as important as cognitive abilities in positively affecting academic performance,” they say. “Asian American parents may engage in parenting practices that better cultivate these qualities that, in turn, enable their children’s academic success.”

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