Blacks, Latinos Lag in School Even When Wealthy, Study Finds

Black and Latino students lag behind white and Asian students academically-- even when they come from similarly privileged backgrounds, according to a report released Sunday.

Surveying data going back to the 1960s, the report by the New York-based College Board, which administers the SAT, found that academic underachievement among black and Latino students begins in the earliest grades and persists all the way into higher education.

In seeking answers about why some minorities might not perform as well academically as their white and Asian peers, the report noted that some experts cited racism and peer pressure that disparages intellectual achievement.