Chinese Americans' high levels of educational achievement have earned them attention as a "model minority" to be emulated by underachieving and underrepresented minority groups. However, the model minority analogy does not adequately explain how this achievement is realized, nor how such information can be used to help other groups close the achievement gap. The ability of both White and Chinese American students to weather school transitions and to remain on track for high achievement and attainment can be explained by both social structural and cultural factors. When the effects of social structural factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, family composition, and parent education level are controlled, the relative importance of cultural factors such as parental expectations and involvement becomes clear. (Contains 1 figure, 9 tables, and 4 footnotes.)