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Citation:

Ramey, C. T., Campbell, F. A., Burchinal, M., Skinner, M. L., Gardner, D. M., & Ramey, S. L. (2000). Persistent effects of early childhood education on high-risk children and their mothers. Applied Developmental Science, 4(1), 2-14.

Annotation:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the Abecedarian Project, which is an early childhood education, pediatric healthcare and family support program for high-risk children and mothers. The program had four conditions, one control condition, and three intervention conditions. The control group received social services, low-cost or free pediatric care & child nutritional supplements. Intervention conditions included a) preschool and K-2 support, b) preschool only, and c) K-2 support program only. The study found that Pre-K and Pre-K combined with K-2 interventions lead to positive cognitive and academic achievement differences in children. Pre-K education was also associated with greater maternal educational advancement and higher levels of employment for mothers (especially for teenage mothers). Up to at least 10 years after intervention ended, children with preschool intervention significantly outscored those in the control group on standardized measures of academic achievement and were less likely to be retained or placed in special education. This was particularly true when the preschool intervention was followed up with the K-2 support. Condition assignment was randomized. The study included 111 children born between 1972-1977 who were predominantly African American. Mothers ages ranged from 13-44. The study included measures of child- cognitive development, academic achievement, grade retention, and special education placements, and of mother- maternal educational gains, employment. The study took place in an area with very low rates of unemployment, a strong school system, a low proportion of disadvantaged children, and local community with many public and private support programs which may limit generalizability.