Some African American students may perform poorly on standardized tests because they fear their performance may reflect badly on their group. One explanation for this is

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The phenomenon where individuals perform poorly on a task due to the fear that their performance may confirm negative stereotypes about their group is called stereotype threat. This can impact students' performance on standardized tests, including African American students who may fear that their individual performance could reflect poorly on their racial group's general abilities.

Some African American Students May Perform Poorly on Standardized Tests