Working Paper: NBER ID: w29779
Authors: Victor Lavy; Yoav Goldstein
Abstract: This paper examines the short-run and longer-term effects of studying in gifted classes in high schools. Our results show that GCPs have tiny effects on high school academic achievement but substantially influence university outcomes. This influence is manifested in the choice of field of study, a higher incidence of double majors, and an increased likelihood of pursuing advanced degrees. Interestingly, participation in gifted classes does not affect earnings or employment in knowledge-based sectors, implying that gifted children do well in the labor market regardless of their participation in a special class. Finally, participation in gifted classes does not affect the likelihood of marriage or having children. Still, it positively affects the spouse’s “quality” driven by marriages between gifted students and their classmates. We discuss potential mechanisms by relating our findings to the literature in psychology about gifted children.
Keywords: gifted children; education programs; higher education; labor market outcomes; knowledge economy
JEL Codes: J01; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| GCP (D58) | high school academic achievements (I23) |
| GCP (D58) | average composite scores in math (C12) |
| GCP (D58) | higher education attainment (I23) |
| GCP (D58) | STEM degrees (C89) |
| GCP (D58) | employment rates (J68) |
| GCP (D58) | earnings (J31) |
| GCP (D58) | marriage and family formation patterns (J12) |
| GCP (D58) | quality of spouses (J12) |