Classroom processes dealing with both cognitive and socioemotional factors are studied to investigate the relationship of teacher threat behaviors to the academic achievement of educationally disadvantaged children. The specific objective is to supply evidence relating academic achievement to a positive socioemotional climate. It is hypothesized that classes with low threat socioemotional climates will achieve more than classes with high threat climates. A systematic observational instrument is developed to identify classroom behaviors on a bidimensional scale; that of threat (teacher aversive stimuli) and content (on-task activities). Initial results indicate no support for the hypothesis that threat is detrimental to learning; however, subsequent testing using a clearer distinction of high and low threat classroom indicates a significant relationship. A negative relationship between amount of content presentation and quality of teacher threat behavior is found. A teacher threat behavior increases, the quantity of content presentation decreases. Further research to determine the extent of the effect of various levels of threat on educationally disadvantaged minorities is suggested. Implications for the classroom suggests a need for greater awareness on the teacher's part that disadvantaged children can only achieve at a satisfactory academic level if they are provided sufficient opportunity to learn the materials at hand. (Author/AM)