Cost-Effectiveness of Early Childhood Interventions That Enhance Head Start in Texas: Evidence From a Randomized Experiment

• In Event: 69.056 - Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: 69.056-1 - Financing Early Childhood Education and Estimating Its Effects

Abstract

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of instructional coaching and family coaching models in Head Start using a randomized trial. The study design allowed us to compare the individual effects of each coaching model as well as their combined effect on student outcomes. The combination of both models produced the largest impact, while the family coaching model was generally more effective than instructional coaching, particularly for non-cognitive outcomes. However, given the high cost of the family coaching model, we found that instructional coaching was the most cost-effective. Based on estimates of overall costs and short-term impacts of Head Start, implementing both coaching models together would increase overall cost-effectiveness of Head Start by 64 percent.

Authors

• David S. Knight, University of Texas at El Paso

• Susan Landry, The University of Texas

• Tricia A. Zucker, McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center Houston

• Jeffrey M Williams, University of South Florida

• Emily C. Merz, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

• Cathy L. Guttentag, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

• Heather B. Taylor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston