those who are low achieving still have high levels of self-esteem due to their increased peer connections and developing other mechanisms to maintain their self-esteem other than school performance. 

New York University

there seems to not be a significant discrepancy between those who are high achievers and those who are not. This is due to low achievers tending to devote their attention to things that boost their self-esteem (i.e. sports, hanging with peers) rather than school which threatens their self-esteem.

achievement levels and self-esteem 

Alves-Martins, M., Peixoto , F., Gouveia-Pereira, M., Amaral & I. Pedro, V. (2002). Self-esteem and Academic Achievement Among Adolescents. Educational Psychology, 22(1,) 51-62.

Self-esteem and Academic Achievement Among Adolescents

those with higher self-esteem tend to perform better in their academics due to a higher self-confidence  and efficacy in their academic abilities 

impact of self-esteem on academic performance

low achievement level students and self-esteem

y axis: self-esteem level
x axis: grade level

those in 7th grade tend to have larger discrepancies in the self-esteem levels between those who are high achievers and low achievers.However once students enter 9th grade, the levels of self-esteem in low and high achievers tend to converge. 

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