Benefits and Costs of Michigan's State-Funded Preschool Expansion 2013–2015

• In Event: Crown Plaza Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Early Childhood Impacts Roundtable

Abstract

The objective of the proposed paper is to examine the benefits and costs of the expansion of the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Michigan’s state-funded preschool program for at-risk four-year-olds. The $130 million expansion across two years (FY2014 and FY2015) was one of the largest preschool expansion efforts experienced by a state in recent years. Preliminary benefit-cost analysis using GSRP’s high school graduation results translates to a benefit-cost ratio comparable to recent benefit-cost analysis of other state-funded preschools. The benefit-cost ratios were even greater for female and African-American students. Preliminary results are currently under review by the Michigan Department of Education, and will be approved by fall of 2017, prior to AERA 2018.

Authors

• Tomoko Wakabayashi, Oakland University

• Beth Hardin, HighScope Educational Research Foundation

• Jill Claxton, HighScope Educational Research Foundation

• Richard Lower, Michigan Department of Education