Uneven Impact of Maternal Education at Birth on High School Grades of Black and White Students

TL;DR

Higher maternal education is less strongly linked to better high school grades for Black students compared to White students, supporting the MDRs theory.

Contribution

This study provides empirical evidence for the MDRs framework by examining racial differences in the impact of maternal education on academic outcomes.

Findings

Maternal education is positively associated with high school GPA, but the effect is weaker for Black students.

Each additional year of maternal education corresponds to a smaller GPA increase among Black youth compared to White youth.

Findings support the MDRs theory and highlight the need for structural policy changes.

Abstract

The Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory posits that social determinants of health, such as parental education, exert weaker protective effects on health and educational outcomes in racialized and minoritized populations compared to White populations.

This study examines whether higher maternal education is associated with better high school GPA in Black youth and whether this association aligns with the MDRs framework.

Data were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study also known as Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) baseline and 22nd year follow-up (1990–2022). This study included 1873 Black or White participants who were followed from birth to age 22. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between maternal education and high school GPA, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Analyses focused on the differential effects of maternal education across racial groups, particularly among Black youth.

While maternal education was positively associated with high school GPA, this effect was weaker for Black students compared to their White counterparts. Specifically, each additional year of maternal education corresponded to a lower GPA increase in Black students, consistent with the MDRs hypothesis.

Findings support the MDRs theory, indicating that maternal education has a reduced protective effect on high school GPA among Black youth. These results underscore the need for policies that address structural factors beyond education to promote equitable academic achievement.