Walsemann KM, et al. - Researchers investigated the associations of school context, educational content, and academic ability, with trajectories of cognitive functioning. They also determined the role of educational attainment with respect to this association. For this purpose, they used prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Specifically, they analyzed data on respondents’ early educational experiences gathered in the 2015 and 2017 HRS Life History Mail Survey (HRS-LHMS). A significant association of school context, educational content, and academic ability, with the level of cognitive functioning—but not to rate of cognitive decline—was revealed in estimates from linear mixed models. From 9% to 55% of the link between these early educational experiences and level of cognitive functioning was explained by educational attainment; however, all links remained statistically significant. Overall, findings were indicative of an independent link of educational experiences, that span childhood and adolescence, with levels of cognitive functioning decades later.