Substantial gaps in achievement of groups of individuals of varying social status are well documented, but there are no conclusive explanations for them. The author integrated psychological and educational perspectives to scrutinize the effects of 4 protective factors believed to promote academic resilience of students at risk because of low socioeconomic status, minority status, or gender. The analysis was based on data collected from national samples of students in Grades 4, 8, and 12 as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress 1996 science main assessment. The hierarchical linear models used in this study provided reliable estimates of the sources of achievement gaps and the conditions that contributed to resilience of individuals with high statistical probabilities of academic risk.Key words: National Assessment of Educational Progress; science achievement; students at risk due to low socioeconomic status, minority status, and gender