Ogbu states that these cultural frames of reference create instances of peer pressure and discourage students from schoolwork. While black students did not necessarily see getting good grades as acting white, they did disengage from academic work because they perceived certain attitudes and behaviors that were conducive to making good grades as acting white.
Ogbu's statement implies that cultural references influence peer pressure and academic engagement. In this context, black students did not necessarily view earning good grades as a way to fit in with white culture, but they distanced themselves from schoolwork because they associated certain behaviors and attitudes with being "white" and therefore unacceptable.