Disabled or Young? Relative Age and Special Education Diagnoses in Schools

This study extends recent findings of a relationship between the relative age of students among their peers and their probability of disability classification. Using three nationally representative surveys spanning 1988-2004 and grades K-10, we find that an additional month of relative age decreases the likelihood of receiving special education services by 2-5 percent. Relative age effects are strong for learning disabilities but not for other disabilities. We measure them for boys starting in kindergarten but not for girls until 3rd grade. We also measure them for white and Hispanic students but not for black students or differentially by socioeconomic quartiles. Results are consistent with the interpretation that disability assessments do not screen for the possibility that relatively young students are over-referred for evaluation. Lastly, we present suggestive evidence that math achievement gains due to disability classification may differentially benefit relatively young students.Education, Relative Age, Special Education

How Important are School Principals in the Production of Student Achievement?

As school leaders, principals can influence student achievement in a number of ways, such as: hiring and firing teachers, monitoring instruction, and maintaining student discipline, among others. We measure the effect of individual principals on gains in student math and reading achievement between grades four and seven. We estimate that a one standard deviation improvement in principal quality can boost student performance by approximately 0.2 standard deviations in both math and reading. We also show that principal experience does not exert a significant influence on student performance. Our results imply that isolating the most effective principals and allocating them accordingly between schools can have a significant positive effect on reducing achievement gaps.Economics of education, principals, education

The persistence of early childhood maturity: International evidence of longrun age effects,”

Abstract A continuum of ages exists at school entry due to the use of a single school cut-off date -making the "oldest" children approximately twenty percent older than the "youngest" children. We provide substantial evidence that these initial maturity differences have long lasting effects on student performance across OECD countries. In particular, the youngest members of each cohort score 4-12 percentiles lower than the oldest members in grade four and 2-9 percentiles lower in grade eight. In fact, data from Canada and the United States shows that the youngest members of each cohort are even less likely to attend university

RAEs in Education

Most jurisdictions worldwide have a single specific cut-off date which determines when a student can enter primary school. For example, in Ontario, a child is eligible to enter kindergarten if s/he turns four years old by January 1st of the relevant school year. These cut off dates create a distribution of ages of children within each cohort at school entry, where the oldest child will be approximately one year older than the youngest child. Studies have found that children who are relatively older than their classmates at the beginning of primary school have a variety of short- and medium-run advantages such as scoring higher on standardized exams through primary and secondary school, having higher development of non-cognitive skills, and being less likely to commit a crime as a teenager or an adult. These findings suggest that early differences in maturity can propagate through the human capital accumulation process into later life and may have important implications for adult outcomes and productivity. This presentation will explore the effects of school entry age on children\u27s outcomes and provide evidence on the optimal age to enter primary education

Worth the Trip? Assessing the Returns to Foreign Education

Canada’s pursuit of skilled foreign workers is complicated—immigrants, and especially those with credentials from non-English source countries are not being utilized as much as they could be. As this report demonstrates, there is a worrying disconnect between the capabilities of immigrants and the likelihood of their skills and credentials being accurately recognized by potential employers in Canada. In addition to breaking down earnings and employment data for newcomers by length of time in Canada, regional sources of acquired education/training, and proficiency in Canada’s official languages, this report also provides clear policy recommendations to ensure better transferability of immigrants qualifications and skills.Government of Canada’s Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program Canadian Research Data Centre Network from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Statistics Canada

Disabled or young? Relative age and special education diagnoses in schools

This study extends recent findings of a relationship between the relative age of students among their peers and their probability of disability classification. Using three nationally representative surveys spanning 1988-2004 and grades K-10, we find that an additional month of relative age decreases the likelihood of receiving special education services by 2-5 percent. Relative age effects are strong for learning disabilities but not for other disabilities. We measure them for boys starting in kindergarten but not for girls until 3rd grade. We also measure them for white and Hispanic students but not for black students or differentially by socioeconomic quartiles. Results are consistent with the interpretation that disability assessments do not screen for the possibility that relatively young students are over-referred for evaluation. Lastly, we present suggestive evidence that math achievement gains due to disability classification may differentially benefit relatively young students.Relative age Special education

Skilling Up for the Knowledge Economy Assessing the Returns to STEM Skills and Bilingualism Using the 2018 National Graduates Survey

Although the increasing importance of "soft skills" would suggest stronger labour market returns for BHASE* fields, our findings show that STEM jobs still pay more. As well, being bilingual in Canada’s official languages is associated with higher earnings in BHASE fields—and that this earnings advantage holds for both non-technical and technical BHASE jobs. Considering the clear advantage that STEM-related skills can have on improving career prospects for early graduates, our report supports the opinions of many education experts pushing for STEM programming to be introduced earlier in education cycle. Similarly, the employment advantage that non-STEM graduates have by being bilingual in Canada’s two official languages (particularly if they wish to work in the public sector) could explain why second language immersion programs have grown increasingly popular. Our report’s findings have far-reaching implications for policy makers interested in future-proofing Canada’s labour force, and it discusses the possibility of retooling existing education system—for both youths and adult learners—to ensure the best returns to public education.Government of Canada’s Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program Canadian Research Data Centre Network from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Statistics Canada

Navigating Choppy Waters: Assessing the Outcomes of Distance-Educated Graduates

As COVID-19 complicates planning and budgeting, revenues from virtual learning can provide a lifeline as universities and colleges prepare for post-pandemic education. The widespread shift to virtual learning due to COVID-19 has garnered an equally widespread backlash, with many decrying the drawbacks of non–face-to-face learning. Yet given the expanded options distance education offers for learners facing time and physical constraints, the virtual learning infrastructure put in place to respond to the pandemic offers an opportunity to reconsider the very nature of postsecondary credentialling. To that end, the data examined in our report indicates that earnings outcomes for distance-educated graduates is no different from that of graduates educated in traditional in-person degree programs. They are also no more likely to suffer from underemployment than their in-person schooled counterparts. Though preliminary, these findings should give policymakers more confidence about continuing to make higher education more flexible, modular, and accessible.Government of Canada’s Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program Canadian Research Data Centre Network from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Statistics Canada