New insights into how early educational interventions shape school achievement and intelligence

Virginia TechOct 22 2024

More than 50 years ago, Craig Ramey, professor and Distinguished Research Scholar at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, began a landmark study to investigate the long-term impacts of early childhood education on children from deeply impoverished, predominantly Black families. 

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 school achievement and intelligence -; and how the benefits are not equal in adulthood for boys and girls.

Tracking 104 participants from infancy to age 45, Ramey and his team found that while boys and girls initially showed significant gains in IQ and academic skills from the early childhood program, long-term outcomes diverged sharply. While Black females continued to build on their early gains into middle adulthood, Black males showed diminishing progress over time.

"Our interventions gave both boys and girls from disadvantaged families a solid start, but these results point to broader societal factors that may undermine the lasting benefits of early education, particularly for Black boys," said Ramey, who also holds academic appointments in Virginia Tech's departments of psychology, neuroscience, human development, and pediatrics. 

The promise and limitations of early education

The Abecedarian Project was designed in 1971 to test whether high-quality early education could close achievement gaps by providing half the participants five years of full-day, year-round, center-based education. All families enrolled in the study received individualized social services, pediatric health care, nutrition, and other supports.

"We carefully designed the randomized controlled trial to test how best to give children born into multi-risk poverty settings a strong opportunity to succeed in school and life," Ramey said.

Their intervention had a profound impact. By kindergarten, children who received early education demonstrated higher IQs and better reading and math skills than those in the control group who only received social and health services. 

Decades later, the treatment group has gone on to achieve higher levels of college education, better employment outcomes, and stronger familial relationships. Recent neuroeconomic and MRI studies have revealed that the treatment group has sounder decision-making skills and even brain differences.

Newly published data reveals gender gap

The researchers noticed a pattern once the children reached high school.

"Despite being well prepared and academically successful throughout elementary and middle school, boys in the treatment group from age 15 onward started declining in their test scores," Ramey said. 

By the time the participants reached their mid-40s, the differences in cognitive outcomes between males and females were stark. Whereas the IQ, reading, and math skills of Black females continued to improve into adulthood, Black males who were in the early education program wound up scoring the same as control group males.

"We didn't see this sex difference during the early years," Ramey said. "Both boys and girls benefited from the program at that stage. But as they moved through the school system and into adulthood, it became clear that the societal environment was treating them very differently."

The societal toll on Black males

For Ramey, the new study points to unique societal pressures Black boys face in school and community settings.

"Black males face an extraordinarily high toll on their success as they approach maturity," Ramey said. "It's not that they've lost their earlier skills -; they still have them. But when your environment sends a negative signal to you that your success isn't valued in the same way, that takes a heavy toll and impacts performance."

Numerous studies have shown that Black boys face harsher discipline, lower expectations from teachers, and frequent racial profiling in academic environments compared with Black females and white peers, Ramey said. These challenges, highlighted by data referenced in the paper's discussion section, may contribute to early academic disengagement and help explain why the educational gains made through early childhood programs often fade more quickly for Black males than females.

"You may be great at math, but if you get the impression that an employer or teacher does not value you or believe you will excel, that's a daily reminder that the world is not fair. These kinds of experiences can shape a person's confidence, performance, and career trajectory," Ramey said.

The researchers carefully noted the study's limitations, including a small sample size that makes it harder to spot sex differences. Unique features of the original program – like well-trained and paid teachers, free transportation, and daily monitoring – aren't typical in most of today's early childhood education programs. 

Some critics of the Abecedarian Project have argued that the results may not fully apply today, as the education system has changed since the 1970s. Schools in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, were desegregated just shortly before the study began. According to firsthand accounts from community members at the time, many Black teachers lost their jobs, leaving predominantly white female teachers and administrators. These factors may have influenced the learning environment and student experiences.

"Human development is extraordinarily complex, and much has changed since we started this study. But, to me, these findings still represent a strong demonstration of how marginalized people of color and low-income are negatively affected," Ramey said.

How early education can help

Ramey remains a staunch advocate for high-quality early childhood education and parent supports as critical in mitigating racial disparities -; by addressing systemic issues undermining the success of Black children.

"We've proven that early education starting in the first year of life makes a profound difference," Ramey said. "But if we don't address the societal context in which children grow up, we will continue seeing the same patterns across race and gender lines."

For Ramey, the policy implications are clear: Society must take a dual approach, ensuring that children have access to high-quality early education while also addressing the later barriers that limit their performance. This includes rethinking how schools discipline students, how teachers set expectations, and how workplaces value Black employees.

A call for conversation

As the study enters its 53rd year, the researchers hope the new findings will help to inform educational practices and help society eliminate the harsh realities of systemic racism. 

Ramey acknowledges that the conversation is difficult, especially in a polarized political climate. But he also believes that the stakes are too high to ignore.

"We cannot be the society we aspire to be if we allow systemic racism to persist," Ramey said. "I hope this research will help people see that these issues are real and ongoing, and we must act on them."

Ramey collaborated on the study with first author Margaret Burchinal from the University of Virginia; Tiffany Foster from Ohio State University; Kylie Garber, Iheoma Iruka, and Frances Campbell, who recently died, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Marketa Burnett from the University of Connecticut.