Turning off all the interior and exterior lighting when school buildings are closed saves money. In a small Illinois school district, nearly $14,000 were saved in electrical expenditures for six buildings. Another Illinois district currently has 19 of its 32 buildings blacked out at night and saves over $150,000 annually. Vandalism and loitering…

Subsidized employment had substantial and long-lived effects on earnings and welfare benefits in a study of more than 9,000 welfare recipients 3 years after program entry. Although not always cost effective for taxpayers, subsidized employment had positive net benefits for participants and society. (SK)

After compulsory schooling, nearly two-thirds of Swiss youth undertake apprenticeships. Although it has been an efficient and effective system, young people are losing interest and businesses are questioning the time and costs involved in changing economic conditions. (SK)

Examines the University of Michigan's (Ann Arbor) success with a six-year energy conservation program (The Energy Star Program) offered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Describes the program's components and areas of savings the university has achieved. (GR)

Presents a method for quantifying the costs and benefits of research to teach undergraduate psychology students research ethics and the statistical concepts of central tendency and variability. Outlines how students rate the costs and benefits of well-known psychology experiments, and learn how to analyze and interpret their findings. (DSK)

College counseling centers can provide excellent training programs for graduate students. Given declining budgets and increased demands for services, counseling centers must examine the cost-effectiveness of training. Based on the experience of one center, the number of service hours provided by trainees is substantially greater than the number of…

Discussion of the management of information resources in organizations focuses on the use of portal technologies to update intranet capabilities. Considers application outsourcing decisions, reviews benefits (including reducing costs) as well as concerns, and describes application service providers (ASPs). (LRW)

Summarizes relatively simple and inexpensive methods for collecting data from agricultural field studies. Describes methods involving on-farm testing, crop yield measurement, quality evaluations, weed control effectiveness, plant nutrient status, and other measures. Contains 29 references illustrating how these methods were used to conduct…

Explains a process for identifying, locating, examining, and adapting instructional materials for training. Presents key considerations for evaluating, testing, and revising materials to ensure the attainment of learning objectives. (SK)

Discusses needs assessment and evaluation as strategic processes within the human performance technology framework and explains how practitioners can coordinate these two steps to save time and money in performance improvement interventions. Describes a performance improvement framework and how needs assessment and evaluation relate to the…

Training centers are now developing and marketing profitable external learning initiatives. Training programs are strengthening customer satisfaction, contributing to partnership development, enhancing research and development activities, and bolstering the bottom line. (JOW)

Looks at the pros and cons of measuring return on investment in training and describes four methods: (1) existing hard data; (2) estimates by trainees and managers; (3) action plans; and (4) cost-benefit analysis. Provides a cost-benefit analysis worksheet. (SK)

Empirically estimates a multiple-product fixed total cost function and output relationship for 295 U.S. private liberal-arts colleges. Statistical results suggest that there are economies of scale and scope in higher education. Research at such colleges is not cost-effective. (Contains 31 references.) (MLH)

Monolithic domes are less costly to build than traditional structures and can cost as much as 50 percent less to heat and cool. Districts across the country that have opted for monolithic-dome school facilities say their decision was a cost-effective alternative to conventional construction. (MLH)

Five case studies compared output-related funding (ORF) in Britain's Training for Work program with input-based funding used by the European Social Fund. The nature of incentives in ORF led to creaming and encouraged curtailed training for immediate employment. These perverse incentives make cost-effectiveness data misleading. (SK)