The position advanced in this paper is that the nature of the confrontation between the institution of school and the children who attend it is different and is experienced differently by the four sex-color groups: white girls, white boys, black girls, and black boys. Data for this study were collected from approximately 475 children at the beginning and end of kindergarten and at the end of third grade. Measures included achievement tests for several subects, a paper-pencil intelligence test, and paper-pencil self-report instruments on aspects of social-emotional state such as self-acceptance, social maturity, and school affiliation. Findings showed that home background, intellect, social-emotional factors and achievement were related to each other in different ways depending upon sex-race group, in addition to differences existing for either sex or race alone. The identification of apparently influential roles played by certain factors other than intellect for the achievement levels attained by the separate sex-race groups was interpreted as indicating that it is simplistic to ascribe critical importance to racial differences in intellectual ability as the Jensen approach does. (JMB)