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School Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education Identification

Author

Listed:
  • Todd E. Elder
  • David N. Figlio
  • Scott A. Imberman
  • Claudia L. Persico

Abstract

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 and Hispanic students are overidentified in schools with relatively small shares of minorities and substantially underidentified in schools with large minority shares. Our 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd E. Elder & David N. Figlio & Scott A. Imberman & Claudia L. Persico, 2021. "School Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education Identification," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(S1), pages 151-197.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/711421
    DOI: 10.1086/711421
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    Cited by:

    1. Bacic, Ryan & Zheng, Angela, 2023. "Race and the income-achievement gap," CLEF Working Paper Series 55, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo.
    2. Rademakers, Robbert & van Hoorn, André, 2022. "How Racial Measures Affect the Estimation of Racial Inequality," MPRA Paper 121770, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Stock, Wendy & Schultz, Gunnar, 2025. "Public health insurance and special education enrollment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    4. Beatrix Eugster & Kelli Marquardt & Aurélien Sallin, 2026. "Missing Stars? Quantifying the Gender Gap in the Assessment of Gifted Students," CESifo Working Paper Series 12382, CESifo.
    5. Bacic, Ryan & Zheng, Angela, 2023. "Race and the Income-Achievement Gap," IZA Discussion Papers 16419, IZA Network @ LISER.
    6. Levere, Michael & Hemmeter, Jeffrey & Wittenburg, David, 2024. "The importance of schools in driving children’s applications for disability benefits," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    7. Chin, Mark J., 2024. "JUE Insight: Desegregated but still separated? The impact of school integration on student suspensions and special education classification," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    8. Ryan Bacic & Angela Zheng, 2024. "Race and the Income‐Achievement Gap," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 5-23, January.
    9. Seth Freedman & Kelli Marquardt & Dario Salcedo & Kosali Simon & Coady Wing, 2023. "Societal Disruptions and Child Mental Health: Evidence from ADHD Diagnosis During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Working Paper Series WP 2023-04, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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