Real Cost-Benefit Analysis Is Needed in American Public Education.

Abstract

Public school critics often point to rising expenditures and relatively flat test scores to justify their school reform agendas. The claims are flawed because their analyses fail to account for the difference in data types between dollars (ratio) and test scores (interval). A cost-benefit analysis using dollars as a common metric for both costs and benefits can provide a good estimate of their relationship. It also acknowledges that costs and benefits are both subject to inflation. The National Center for Education Research administers a methods training program for researchers who want to know more about cost-benefit analyses on education policies and programs.