Accounting for native/non-native differences in IQ scores

Verbal and Performance WISC-R subscale scores were collected from 691 Nativ e and 234 non-Native children in Grades 2 and 4. Samples were drawn from ea ch of four sites in North America: Northern Woodlands, Plains. Northwest co ast, and Southwest Desert. Native children had substantially lower IQ score s than non-Native, the difference especially pronounced for the Verbal subs cale. Biopsychosocial variables including maternal and child health, socioe conomic status, parental attitudes toward school and toward cultural separa tion. and children's English-language skills accounted for 67% of the Nativ e/non-Native difference on the Performance subscale and 57% of the Verbal s ubscale score difference. Implications for understanding Native/non-Native IQ score differences and for interventions to promote Native children's aca demic success are discussed. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.