Working Paper: NBER ID: w17089
Authors: S.A. Bui; Steven G. Craig; Scott A. Imberman
Abstract: In this paper we determine how the receipt of gifted and talented (GT) services affects student outcomes. We identify the causal relationship by exploiting a discontinuity in eligibility requirements and find that for students on the margin there is no discernable impact on achievement even though peers improve substantially. We then use randomized lotteries to examine the impact of attending a GT magnet program relative to GT programs in other schools and find that, despite being exposed to higher quality teachers and peers that are one standard deviation higher achieving, only science achievement improves. We argue that these results are consistent with an invidious comparison model of peer effects offsetting other benefits. Evidence of large reductions in course grades and rank relative to peers in both regression discontinuity and lottery models are consistent with this explanation.
Keywords: gifted education; student achievement; regression discontinuity; lottery design
JEL Codes: H75; I21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Peer comparisons (C92) | Individual performance (D29) |
| Receiving GT services (L96) | Achievement for students on the margin of eligibility (I24) |
| Peer achievement (C92) | Achievement for students on the margin of eligibility (I24) |
| Attending a GT magnet program (I23) | Science achievement (Y40) |
| Attending a GT magnet program (I23) | Achievement in other subjects (Y80) |