If we refuse to accept as inevitable the irresponsibility and educational unconcern of the adolescent culture, then this poses a serious challenge.

Cultural dominance of middle-class norms prevail in middle-class schools with a teacher teaching toward those standards and with students striving to maintain those standards.

Grades are almost completely relative, in effect ranking students relative to others in their class. Thus extra achievement by one student not only raises his position, but in effect lowers the position of others.

In every school, more boys wanted to be remembered as a star athlete than as a brilliant student.

In a high school, the norms act to hold down the achievements of those who are above average, so that the school's demands will be at a level easily maintained by the majority.

The present structure of rewards in high schools produces a response on the part of an adolescent social system which effectively impedes the process of education.

The educational resources provided by a child's fellow students are more important for his achievement than are the resources provided by the school board.