Chronic HPA Axis Activity in Grades 1-8 in Public Montessori and Conventional Schools

• In Event: Examining the Impact of Montessori Instructional Experiences

Abstract

Stress levels at school may be impacted by students’ educational experiences. We used hair samples to measure cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), two key outputs of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; hair samples reflect levels over the past months. We sampled N=99 students in grades 1-8 in fall (capturing summer levels), winter (capturing fall levels), and spring (capturing winter levels) at two different public charter schools: Montessori, which uses pedagogical methods similar to Indigenous education, and Conventional. The ratio of cortisol:DHEA, indicative of a higher chronic stress profile, was highest in Black students at the Conventional school across the year, whereas in Montessori by April the ratio in Black students was not different from the ratio in other students.

Authors

• Amanda M. Dettmer, Yale University

• Angeline S. Lillard, University of Virginia

• Xin Tong, University of Virginia