More than 50 years ago, Craig Ramey, professor and fellow at VTC’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, pioneered a groundbreaking study examining the long-term effects of early childhood education on children from extremely poor, predominantly black families. research has begun.
The latest findings from the Abecedarian Project, published in the November-December issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, reveal new insights into how early educational interventions shape academic performance and intelligence. And how unequal are the benefits that boys and girls receive in adulthood?
Ramey and his team followed 104 participants from infancy to age 45, and found that although the boys and girls initially showed significant gains in IQ and academic performance from the early childhood program, long-term outcomes were I discovered something very different. Black women continued their early growth into mid-adulthood, whereas Black men’s progress decreased over time.
“Although our intervention gave both boys and girls from disadvantaged families a solid start, these results have implications for broader outcomes that may undermine the lasting benefits of early education, especially for Black boys.” It shows a lot of social factors,” said Ramey, who also holds an academic appointment at Virginia Tech. Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, Human Development, and Pediatrics.
The promise and limits of early education
The Abecedarian Project began in 1971 to test whether high-quality early education could close the achievement gap by providing five years of full-time, year-round center-based education to half of the participants. It was designed to. All families in the study received individualized social services, pediatric medical care, nutrition, and other support.
“We carefully designed a randomized controlled trial to test how best to give children born into multi-risk poverty a strong chance to succeed in school and life.” Ramey he said.
Their intervention had a huge impact. By kindergarten, children who received early education had higher IQs and better reading and math skills than children in the control group who received only social and health services.
Decades later, the treatment group continued to receive higher levels of college education, achieve better employment outcomes, and develop stronger family relationships. Recent neuroeconomic and MRI studies have revealed that treatment groups have healthier decision-making skills and even brain differences.
Newly released data reveals gender disparity
Researchers noticed a pattern when children reached high school.
“Despite being well-prepared and academically successful throughout elementary and middle school, the boys in the treatment group began to see their test scores decline after age 15,” Ramey said.
By the time participants reached their mid-40s, the differences in cognitive outcomes between men and women were significant. While black women’s IQ, reading comprehension, and math skills continued to improve into adulthood, black men who were in early education programs ended up scoring the same as men in the control group.
“Early on, we didn’t see these gender differences,” Ramey said. “At that stage, both boys and girls benefited from the program, but as they progressed through the school system and into adulthood, it became clear that their social environments were treating them very differently. .”
Social burden on black men
For Ramey, the new research points to the unique social pressures black boys face in school and community settings.
“As black men approach adulthood, they pay a very high price for success,” Ramey said. “It’s not that they’ve lost their previous skills; they still have them. But when the environment sends you negative signals that your success isn’t valued in the same way, it takes a huge toll. , which affects performance.”
Ramey said black boys have been found to face harsher discipline, lower expectations from teachers and more frequent racial profiling in academic settings than black women and white boys. These challenges, highlighted by the data referenced in the paper’s discussion section, may contribute to early academic disengagement and explain why educational gains achieved through early childhood programs are more likely than women’s That could help explain why black men disappear faster.
“You may be good at math, but when you get the impression that your employer or teacher doesn’t value you or don’t believe you’re good, it’s a daily reminder that the world is unfair. “It’s a reminder that experiences like this can shape a person’s confidence in their performance and career trajectory,” Ramey said.
The researchers were careful to point out limitations of the study, including the small sample size, which made it difficult to discern gender differences. The original program’s unique features, such as well-trained paid teachers, free transportation, and daily supervision, are not common in most early childhood education programs today.
Some critics of the Abecedarian project argue that the educational system has changed since the 1970s, so its results may not fully apply today. Schools in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, were desegregated just before the study began. According to first-hand accounts from area residents at the time, many black teachers lost their jobs, leaving primarily white female teachers and administrators. These factors may have influenced the learning environment and student experience.
“Human development is very complex, and a lot has changed since I started this research. But for me, these findings still mean that marginalized people of color and low-income people “This is strong evidence of how negatively affected we are,” Ramey said.
How early education can help
Ramey is a strong supporter of high-quality early childhood education and says parental support is essential to reducing racial disparities. By addressing the systemic issues that undermine the success of Black children.
“We have proven that early education starting in the first year of life makes a huge difference,” Ramey said. “But if we don’t address the social context in which children grow up, we will continue to see the same patterns across race and gender.”
For Ramey, the policy implications are clear. Society needs to take a two-pronged approach: ensuring children have access to high-quality early education, while also addressing later barriers that limit children’s achievement. This includes rethinking how schools discipline students, how teachers set expectations, and how workplaces value Black employees.
call for conversation
As the study enters its 53rd year, researchers hope new findings will inform educational practices and help society eliminate the harsh reality of systemic racism.
Ramey acknowledged that dialogue is difficult, especially in a polarized political climate. But he also believes the risks are too high to ignore.
“We cannot become the society we want to be if we allow systemic racism to persist,” Ramey said. “I hope this research helps people understand that these problems are real and ongoing, and that we must act.”
Ramey collaborated on the study with lead author Margaret Burchinal of the University of Virginia. Tiffany Foster of Ohio State University. Kylie Gerber, Iheoma Iluka, and the recently deceased Francis Campbell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Marketa Barnett of the University of Connecticut;
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Reference magazines:
Burchinal, M., et al. (2024). Gender differences in early childhood education interventions influence cognitive outcomes. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2024.101712.
