Enriching Students Pays Off: Evidence from An Individualized Gifted and Talented Pull-Out Program In Secondary Education

Abstract

We examine the effect of a gifted and talented pull-out program in academic secondary education. Program eligibility is based on a cognitive test score cutoff, which we exploit in a fuzzy regression discontinuity design to identify program effects. We find that assigned students obtain higher grades, follow a more science-intensive curriculum, and report stronger beliefs about their academic abilities. These positive effects persist in university, where students choose more challenging fields of study with better labor market prospects. Our results suggest that pull-out programs may serve as an effective alternative to programs that assign gifted and talented students to separate classes and schools.

Keywords: gifted and talented education, pull-out programs, enrichment, secondary education, fuzzy regression discontinuity