Studied whether the immigrant cultural model of social status and mobility (M. A. Gibson and J. U. Ogbu, 1991) is supported by the educational experiences of Laotian Hmong adolescents in St. Paul, Minnesota, public schools. As part of an ongoing longitudinal study of youth development, high school students (Hmong and non-Hmong) were surveyed each year in high school and parents were surveyed in the 1st and last waves of the study. Data show that Hmong compare favorably with the general population in social adjustment and academic achievement. Questionnaire responses of parents indicate a strong Hmong emphasis on educating children as a way of improving the status of the entire family. When interpreted in the context of recent Hmong history, the survey data support the cultural model explanation of why immigrants generally perform well in school. Modifications of cultural model characteristics are suggested to fit the Hmong case. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)