Background/Context: There is much current interest in the impact of early childhood education programs on preschoolers and, in particular, on the magnitude of cognitive and affective gains. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Because this new segment of public education requires significant funding, accurate descriptions are…

A comparison of half-day and full-day intervention programs for handicapped preschoolers evaluated students' scores on a developmental inventory and cost data. Results indicated no differences in the educational outcomes associated with length of day and showed that half-day programs served 60 percent more children than full-day programs with the…

In the last two decades, at least 20 economic analyses of early education intervention have been conducted and their results widely distributed. A critical review of this literature indicates that few studies provide credible evidence for the cost-effectiveness of early intervention for disadvantaged children. (TJH)

The empirical research on the economics of early educational intervention for handicapped children is reviewed and critically assessed. Analysis of 16 research reports shows that few methodologically sound economic studies have been conducted, and statements that early intervention is cost effective cannot be empirically substantiated. (Author/JDD)

In a time of declining earnings and increased economic inequality, special education could be an important source of equalizing funding for low-income children. Evidence regarding school resource allocation is used to evaluate the potential effects of increased spending on educational outcomes, required funding levels to meet various goals, and…

Although economic analysis is complicated and has limitations, it is a workable method capable of producing a great deal of information about the value of early interventions. Procedures for conducting a cost analysis, cost-benefit analysis, or cost-effectiveness analysis are outlined, along with a review of the approach's advantages and…

Review of 22 studies and cost-benefit analysis of the Perry Preschool Project (Ypsilanti, MI) determined that compensatory preschool education can produce long-term gains in school success through contributions to cognitive abilities. This success is accompanied by improvements in employment, teen pregnancy, and welfare assistance. (SK)

Reviews important factors relevant to measuring the costs and outcomes of home visiting programs and examines six cost-benefit studies of such programs. Concludes that these studies demonstrate the feasibility of economic evaluation of home visiting and the importance of the insights it can produce. (MDM)

This monograph presents a follow-up cost-benefit analysis of the High/Scope Perry Preschool program, conducted when the program participants were 27 years old. Chapter 1 introduces the study, outlining the basis for the cost-benefit analysis, and describing the methodology. Chapter 2 details estimated program costs, addresses the issue of how much…

The article reviews the current situation in preschool special education: who is served, how they are served, and program costs; predicted is program expansion under Public Law 99-457. A strategy is recommended for developing state preschool special education policies that take into account costs as well as benefits. (Author/DB)

Benefit-cost analysis is applied to the Perry Preschool Program and its long-term follow-up in order to examine preschool education as a social investment. The net present value of benefits and costs is positive, indicating that the program was a profitable social investment. (Author/LMO)

The economic efficiency of alternative types of intervention was investigated with language-impaired preschool children. Forty children were assigned to one of four groups: home-based intervention, center-based intervention, both center- and home-based intervention, and no treatment. The home-based program was more economically efficient based on…

Provides an overview of economic evaluation, focusing on goals, limitations and methods. Reviews three of the best-known examples of such programs. (Author/NH)

Although the benefits to academic achievement and cognitive development experienced by children participating in the Carolina Abecedarian Project have been well documented, there is little information available on the cost effectiveness of programs based on the Abecedarian preschool model. This study involved a benefit-cost analysis of the…

This article derives an updated cost-benefit ratio for the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program, an intensive preschool intervention delivered during the 1960s to at-risk children in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Because children were randomly assigned to the program or a control group, differences in outcomes are probably attributable to program status.…