This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Ross, J. A. Articles by Scott, G. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Evaluations That Consider the Cost of Educational Programs

The Contribution of High-Quality Studies

University of Toronto

Khaled Barkaoui

University of Toronto

Garth Scott

University of Toronto, garthscott{at}hotmail.com

Cost studies are program evaluations that judge program worth by relating program costs to program benefits. There are three sets of strategies: cost—benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analysis, although the last appears infrequently. The authors searched relevant databases to identify 103 cost studies in education and then reduced the set to 31 using criteria focused on rigor in determining program effects and assessment of costs. They found that cost studies provide evidence of the worth of educational spending at the macro and individual program levels, information that is not provided by other evaluation approaches; provide direction for program improvement that differs from recommendations based solely on effect sizes; and contribute to knowledge development by constructing and testing models that link spending to student learning.

Key Words: cost—benefit • cost-effectiveness • cost studies • cost-utility

American Journal of Evaluation, Vol. 28, No. 4, 477-492 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1098214007307942


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?