The Short Version
Extensive research confirms that labeling students as low-ability based on test scores is associated with reduced teacher expectations and fewer rigorous learning opportunities, while higher-scoring students tend to receive enriched environments. Multiple peer-reviewed studies and literature reviews support this pattern. The claim's hedged language ("tend to") is appropriate, though the strongest direct evidence comes from diagnostic-label and tracking contexts rather than all forms of test-score labeling, and targeted interventions can mitigate these effects.