Why Are Economists Evaluating the Impact of Gifted Education?

Abstract

Bui, Craig, and Imberman assessed the impact of gifted and talented programs on student achievement using regression discontinuity and random assignment to gifted magnet schools. In both analyses, they found minimal impact of the gifted and talented programs on student achievement. This commentary addresses two concerns associated with the study. First, the studies provided no description of the gifted students in the analyses, and some evidence suggests that the students in the study may not match typical conceptions of giftedness. Second, the outcome measures (Stanford Achievement Tests) may not have aligned well with the intent of the gifted program in the school district. In addition, this commentary asked why and how economists study the impact of gifted education programs. It is recommended that those who study and practice gifted education seek common ground on the goals and measurable outcomes of gifted education programs in ways satisfying to both the field of gifted education and to policy evaluators.