Among blacks of low socioeconomic status, mothers have a particularly important role to play in determining the academic paths of their children in public schools. In research conducted by Dr. Virginia Shipman, key indices for minority student academic achievement have been shown to be (1) the extent of maternal encouragement and involvement with the child in school-related tasks, and (2) the mother's achievement expectations for her child. Shipman's research confirms that poor black children tend to do well in school up to the second or third grade, until their self esteem begins to fade and they begin to engage in self-destructive behavior. Since, as psychologist Na'im Akbar has pointed out, behavior which goes against self preservation is abnormal for any living species, it is wrong to expect that black children will be self-destructive. Rather, they should be expected and encouraged to succeed; their mothers' attitudes are most important in this regard. (Author/GC)