NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
ERIC Number: ED598839
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-May
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
School Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education Identification. NBER Working Paper No. 25829
Elder, Todd E.; Figlio, David N.; Imberman, Scott A.; Persico, Claudia L.
National Bureau of Economic Research
We use linked birth and education records from Florida to investigate how the identification of childhood disabilities varies by race and school racial composition. Using a series of decompositions, we find that black and Hispanic students are identified with disabilities at lower rates than are observationally similar white students. Black students are over-identified in schools with relatively small shares of minorities and substantially under-identified in schools with large minority shares. We find similar gradients among Hispanic students but opposite patterns among white students. We provide suggestive evidence that these findings are unlikely to stem from differential resource allocations, economic characteristics of students, or achievement differences. Instead, we argue that the results are consistent with a heightened awareness among school officials of disabilities in students who are racially and ethnically distinct from the majority race in the school.
National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education (ED); Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Authoring Institution: National Bureau of Economic Research
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A