A comparison of the educational attainment of white natives and children of white immigrants in the United States for a 90-year period from 1890 to 1980 indicates that the higher achievement of the children of immigrants has been a general phenomenon over several decades. Natives are defined as American-born with American-born parents; children of immigrants have one or more foreign-born parent. Statistical data were analyzed from the United States Census. Due to variations in the collection of census data, only Caucasian students were analyzed. The following findings are reported: (1) the school enrollment of children of immigrants exceeded that of natives, although the separation narrowed between 1900 and 1970; (2) rates of educational attainment for both groups were similar in 1950 but the educational attainment of children of immigrants increased over time and at higher educational levels; and (3) children of immigrants tended to have higher acceleration rates and lower retention rates than natives, suggesting higher proportions of superior-achieving students among immigrants' children. These findings appear to cast doubt on theories of cultural discontinuity, and to suggest that the effects of cultural discontinuity may be more social than academic in nature. Educators and the general public do not appear to be aware of the high levels of educational attainment that have been characteristic of the children of white immigrants, a fact that has resulted in inappropriate educational policies and a research focus on the failures of immigrant children. A list of 45 references and 4 tables of statistical data are appended. (FMW)