Is Gifted Education a Bright Idea? Assessing the Impact of Gifted and Talented Programs on Students

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bui, Sa A.; Craig, Steven G.; Imberman, Scott A.
• 署名单位: Cornell University; University of Houston System; University of Houston; Michigan State University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.6.3.30
• 发表日期: 2014
• 页码: 30-62
• 关键词: regression-discontinuity design; Ability tracking; school choice; UNITED-STATES; achievement; ACCOUNTABILITY

摘要

We evaluate the impact of Gifted and Talented (GT) programs on students through a regression discontinuity (RD) design, and by analyzing a randomized lottery for elite magnet GT schools. We show that GT students in each analysis are exposed to higher achieving peers and, in the RD sample, a more advanced curriculum. We find that achievement for marginal students neither improves nor worsens from GT services in the short run. We also find that lottery winners only perform better in science. Using a bounding analysis we cannot rule out zero, though we do not find any significant negative effects.