Previous studies have found that African American students exhibit lower academic achievement than their white counterparts. Many factors have been identified as significant in this difference of achievement. However, little attention has been given to the factors associated with academic achievement among the black student population. Using the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) 2002, this research examined factors associated with the black/white academic achievement gap to determine if those factors are equally associated with academic achievement among African American students. The sample population consisted of 2,027 tenth grade students from approximately 750 schools across the United States.

African American students who spent more time in extracurricular activities and who had higher socioeconomic status also had higher academic achievement, whereas, those who lived with a female parent or guardian only and who had a best friend who was black had lower academic achievement. The results suggested that some of the factors associated with the black/white achievement gap are also associated with differences in academic achievement among African American students.