The athlete, we discover, is relegated to dead - end remedial courses and is allowed to persist in his delusion that his athletic prowess will win him a full ride through college; his experience prompts Maran to explore in some detail how
academic tracking and other more subtle differences in teachers» expectations contribute to a situation where 60 percent of white Berkeley High graduates attend a four - year college, while only 14 percent of black students earn
enough credits to do so.