ERIC Number: ED610284
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jul
Pages: 71
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Over Diagnosed or Over Looked? The Effect of Age at Time of School Entry on Students Receiving Special Education Services. EdWorkingPaper No. 20-259
Shapiro, Anna
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Much of the literature estimating disproportionality in special education identification rates has focused on socioeconomic status, race, and gender. However, recent evidence suggests that a student's school starting age also impacts the likelihood they receive special education services, particularly in the early grades. I build on the evidence that the youngest students in a grade more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and more likely to be placed in special education by estimating the effect of school starting age on special education identification in Michigan. I also estimate heterogeneity in this effect by student characteristics and across school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design exploiting variation in kindergarten starting age generated by a statewide kindergarten entrance age policy, I find that the youngest students in a kindergarten cohort are 40% more likely (3.3 percentage points, p<0.001) to be placed in special education than are the oldest students, and that this effect persists through eighth grade. Despite little evidence of heterogeneity by gender, race, or socioeconomic status, I find some suggestive evidence that the effect is particularly large for white boys in the early elementary grades and for black girls in the later elementary grades. I find no evidence that these effects vary across school districts. Finally, I find exploratory evidence of variation by school cohort age composition, suggesting these effects are driven moreso by relative age comparisons than absolute age developmental differences. Given the importance of special education services to the academic success of children with disabilities, these findings have implications for schools and for policymakers seeking to improve special education program provision.
Descriptors: School Entrance Age, Special Education, Disproportionate Representation, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Student Characteristics, Age Differences, School Demography, Disability Identification, Students with Disabilities, Kindergarten, Elementary School Students, Middle School Students, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Socioeconomic Status, School Districts
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: AISR_Info@brown.edu; Web site: http://www.annenberginstitute.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Michigan
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A140059