In late 2007, Jobs for the Future (JFF), working with the Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability, launched "Investing in Student Success", a one-year pilot program. The pilot, conceived of as part of the "Making Opportunity Affordable" initiative and funded by Walmart Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education,…

This article proposes a methodology for a cost-benefit analysis of quality circles. The proposed system is based on the accountability principle, and it is conducted at three levels: project, circles, and the entire quality circle system. Flowcharts are included. (Author/CT)

The analysis of costs of university activities from a functional or program point of view, rather than an organizational unit basis, is not only an imperative for the planning and management of universities, but also a logical method of examing the costs of university operations. A task force of the Committee of Finance Officers-Universities of…

The article briefly discusses how to calculate the worth of a training course through a detailed cost/benefit analysis. (BP)

Scripts of the three presentations made during Forum 12 of the AACJC conference are presented here. The introductory remarks, made by James O. Hammons, deal with the need for accountability and cost effectiveness and the development of these concepts. Sharon Jaggard presents a comparison of three courses at Bulington County College on the basis of…

A hospital administrator and a nursing school director point out the value of realistic allocation of costs to determine the economics of the diploma program. (Editor)

The article defines the major elements (fundamental questions, basic assumptions, anticipated costs, projected savings, and return on investment) of a cost model, discusses the function and importance of each of these elements, and illustrates the development and construction of a cost model through an analysis of a hypothetical speed reading…

The costing procedures in this manual have been selected to give postsecondary educational institutions a way to determine the full cost of resources used in achieving institutional objectives. The procedures have been tested by a limited number of institutions within a wide range of activities, and are being released in a filed review edition at…

In recognition of the increasing concern for the expenditure of tax dollars and the resulting need for accountability in budgeting, this study provides a model for program budgeting at the collegiate level in industrial education. Course outlines for drafting and woodworking at the University of Northern Colorado were analyzed and activities were…

Outliens some of the conceptual problems encountered in a study analyzing the costs of Michigan secondary vocational education. (SB)

While the demand for increased educational productivity is clear, the methods for achieving it are largely undetermined. Cost effectiveness techniques have proved to be valuable tools for commercial organizations, but the relevance to educational problems is less than clear. Theory suggests that these techniques can be useful for dealing with…

This document consists of an introduction, five sections, and a list of 12 references. The introduction explains why cost-benefit analysis is being applied to training in developing countries--even in those in which the expenditure for education has reached enormous proportions. The first section reviews the main providers and beneficiaries of…

Cost-effectiveness/benefit analysis is an analytical technique for assessing outputs of educational programs in relation to the program objectives and the associated program costs. It combines the two concepts of cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis into a comprehensive model. The cost-effectiveness/benefit analysis model has been…

In most educational literature, the subject of costs has been isolated from curriculum, personnel, and program effectiveness. A dichotomy has existed between fiscal and curricular decision-making. The Resource Cost Model (RCM) was designed to help policymakers measure to what extent differences in the costs of educational services are attributable…