ABSTRACT  
For decades, research has pointed to significant gaps between African American 
and White student academic achievement. In this article, I critically discuss the 
literature on African American student academic achievement from pedagogical, 
cultural, and sociolinguistic perspectives. I then argue for a stronger linguistic 
and pedagogical approach to bridge the gap and propose a curriculum idea that 
teachers may find useful should they decide to adopt this approach. 

		Academic Exchange Quarterly  Spring 2009: Volume 13, Issue 1  
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