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School Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education Identification

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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 over-identified in schools with relatively small shares of minorities and substantially under-identified 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, 2019. "School Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education Identification," NBER Working Papers 25829, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25829
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Bacic, Ryan & Zheng, Angela, 2023. "Race and the income-achievement gap," CLEF Working Paper Series 55, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo.
    3. Rademakers, Robbert & van Hoorn, André, 2022. "How Racial Measures Affect the Estimation of Racial Inequality," MPRA Paper 121770, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Stock, Wendy & Schultz, Gunnar, 2025. "Public health insurance and special education enrollment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    5. 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.
    6. Bacic, Ryan & Zheng, Angela, 2023. "Race and the Income-Achievement Gap," IZA Discussion Papers 16419, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. 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).
    8. 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).
    9. Ryan Bacic & Angela Zheng, 2024. "Race and the Income‐Achievement Gap," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 5-23, January.
    10. 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.

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    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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