title: Examining the Black-White achievement gap among low-income children using the NICHD study of early child care and youth development.
abstract: The Black-White achievement gap in children's reading and mathematics school performance from 4½ years of age through fifth grade was examined in a sample of 314 lower income American youth followed from birth. Differences in family, child care, and schooling experiences largely explained Black-White differences in achievement, and instructional quality was a stronger predictor for Black than White children. In addition, the achievement gap was detected as young as 3 years of age. Taken together, the findings suggest that reducing the Black-White achievement gap may require early intervention to reduce race gaps in home and school experiences during the infant and toddler years as well as during the preschool and school years.
authors.affiliation: FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185, USA. burchinal@unc.edu
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burchinal
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCartney
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crosnoe
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Vonnie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: McLoyd
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pianta
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D054582:National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.); D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011932:Reading; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American