Enriching Students Pays Off: Evidence from an Individualized Gifted and Talented Program in Secondary Education

37 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2016

See all articles by Adam S. Booij

Adam S. Booij

Amsterdam School of Economics

Ferry Haan

University of Amsterdam

Erik Plug

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE); Tinbergen Institute; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

We examine the effect of a gifted and talented program in academic secondary education. Students are assigned based on a cutoff score in a cognitive aptitude test, which we exploit in a fuzzy regression discontinuity framework to identify program effects. We find that assigned students obtain higher grades, follow a more science intensive curriculum (most notably for girls), and report stronger beliefs about their academic abilities. We also find that these positive effects persist in university, where students choose more challenging fields of study with, on average, higher returns. Together, these findings are consistent with a human capital interpretation.

Keywords: gifted and talented education, enrichment program, secondary education, regression discontinuity

JEL Classification: I22, I28

Suggested Citation

Booij, Adam S. and Haan, Ferry and Plug, Erik, Enriching Students Pays Off: Evidence from an Individualized Gifted and Talented Program in Secondary Education. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9757, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2742545 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2742545

Adam S. Booij (Contact Author)

Amsterdam School of Economics ( email )

Roetersstraat 11
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

Ferry Haan

University of Amsterdam

Spui 21
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

Erik Plug

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE) ( email )

Roetersstraat 11
1018 WB Amsterdam
Netherlands
+31 20 5254311 (Phone)
+31 20 5254310 (Fax)

Tinbergen Institute

Burg. Oudlaan 50
Rotterdam, 3062 PA
Netherlands

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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