Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Educational Alternatives

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis of educational interventions by using existing effectiveness data from studies approved by the What Works Clearinghouse and combining this with cost data being collected retrospectively by the research team. Interventions that have been successful in reducing high school dropout rates are being studied for one analysis. Interventions that improve early childhood literacy are a second area of focus.

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Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis of City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP) intervention

Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis of City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP) intervention. ASAP was launched by CUNY in 2007, and its goal is to graduate at least 50% of the students enrolled in associate programs within 3 years, through the provision of services such as financial incentives; a consolidated full-time schedule; cohort and faculty support; regular advisement; career preparation; and extra academic assistance. It is expected that these comprehensive services will reduce the number of years spent in school and subsequently lead to higher rates of graduation.

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Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis of interventions to improve higher education completion rates.

The interventions were student-level developmental education programs to help students orient to college and progress through college in their first year.

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Costs of Adolescent Literacy Programs

The project investigated the costs of implementing three different adolescent literacy programs in U.S. schools: Read 180, Questioning the Author, and Reading Apprenticeship. For each of the three programs, costs were compared for several sites in order to ascertain how variability in implementation affects costs. In addition, implementation at each site was compared with the program developer’s recommendations to identify how divergence from the recommendations impacted costs.

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Costs of School Failure

The project reviewed the ‘costs of school failure’ across 8 countries. This report examined how low educational attainment is associated with significant gross economic costs for private individuals, for taxpayers, and for society. It reviewed the research literature showing that higher education levels are associated with higher earnings, increased labor market participation, better health status (including lower prevalence of epidemic disease), and improvements in family decision-making. In addition, education is also associated with lower rates of poverty and intra-household benefits such as improved family nutrition.

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