Debate about the relative influence of class and of race on the condition of blacks in the United States is relevant to the issue of the educational achievement of black youth. Neither race nor class, but culture is most likely to affect black children's behavior in schools and, as well, the school's response to black children. The emphasis blacks place on emotional expression, their orientation toward people rather than objects, reliance on interpersonal relationships, proficiency in nonverbal communication, utilization of a relational cognitive style as opposed to an analytic cognitive style, and encouragement of expressiveness, spontaneity and assertiveness all contrast with typical behavior of whites and contradict standard expectations for conduct in educational settings. Additionally, the speech of blacks differs in many ways from the speech of whites and the language practices of the schools. Black children are more active and have more physical energy to expend than white children. Finally, the black home environment, one that provides abundant, intense and varied stimulation that may lead to a chronic, higher activation level, differs markedly from the typical classroom environment. More research is needed in order to facilitate coordination of the culture of the black home and the culture of the school. (Author/RH)