I agree that the problem is everywhere. One tends to speak of the group of underachievers that they are familiar with- in many areas, it is the Hispanic students, in others it is poor whites, or blacks, or aboriginals, or children of Asian immigrants. The problem has to be handled differently, not only just with the groups I have named but regionally. The culture of Hispanics in a south Texas community, for example, cannot be compared to that of Hispanics in a city like Chicago.
It is difficult to fight the group persona that develops. I know teachers who have given up.