What factors contribute to academic success in students living in poverty?

High-achieving, low-income 12- and 13-year-old students report that several protective factors contribute to their academic success despite the presence of adversity: reciprocal peer relationships, teachers who care, family and community assets, and multiple sources of motivation.

The study's findings on how students are able to succeed in school despite adversity can be used to in the design of programs, practices, and services that provide support to students who are failing or at risk of academic failure due to poverty.

"In the national discussion about how to promote academic success among poor students at risk of school failure, one voice has gone unheard: the students them,selves," said Dr. Joseph Williams, lead author of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development study. "While many studies have collected the opinions of parents, educators, and school administrators, few have explored students' perceptions of what they need to succeed academically despite exposure to adversity. This is a serious oversight."