African-American youth within the United States have an academic performance level that is in need of attention. Research reveals that learning conditions that involve communalism, and learning conditions that involve verve, have each aided in increasing performance for elementary age African-American youth. Yet, there is no research that has combined these elements into one learning condition.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if combining variables of communalism and verve will confound or produce a stronger effect than the effect that each one separately has on academic performance. This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) As past studies have shown, will the variable of communalism positively impact the academic performance of African-American 4^th grade students? (2) As past studies have shown, will the variable of verve positively impact the academic performance of African-American 4^th grade students? (3) Will combining the strategies of communalism and verve significantly compound the positive impact they individually have on the academic performance of African-American 4^th grade students? (4) Will there be a positive relationship between students' preference for communalism and verve themes and the academic performance in the communalism and verve conditions?

Sixty four African-American fourth graders were selected from the elementary public school district of Washington, DC for this study. There were thirty two males and thirty two females used within this study.

A between and within subjects 2x2x2 ANOVA was run to examine the possible effects of communalism and verve on the academic performance of African-American youth. Results indicated significant main effects for communalism and verve, and a significant interaction between verve and communalism at the .01 level. A Tukey Post Hoc analysis revealed that student's performance was significantly highest, at the .01 level, among conditions in which communalism and verve were combined. No relationship was found between preference for communalism and verve themes and academic performance within communal and verve conditions.

These results are consistent with past research and also reveal that combining communalism and verve does not confound their independent effects, and instead amplifies their effects.