High School Credit Recovery: Comparing the Costs of Implementing an Online Versus Teacher-Directed Course

• In Event: The Use of Online Courses for High School Credit Recovery: Implementation, Initial Outcomes, and Costs

Abstract

Objectives
This presentation discusses the costs associated with implementing online classes compared to more traditional teacher-directed classes.

Perspective
Online learning has the potential to alter the costs of delivering instruction (Bakia, Shear, Toyama, & Lasseter, 2012), and without accurate information on costs, educational leaders cannot make informed choices between educational interventions (Levin et al, 2018). When comparing online and teacher-directed instruction, the relative emphasis on different cost factors (e.g., labor vs. capital costs) may also help contextualize implementation and outcome findings.

Methods
We used the ingredients approach to costing-out educational interventions (Levin et al, 2018) by developing a comprehensive list of “ingredients”—personnel and nonpersonnel resources such as instructor time, computers, and textbooks—associated with providing credit recovery courses. Using quantities and unit prices of ingredients, we identified the cost of each type of resource and calculated an average cost per student across all online and teacher-directed classes.

Data Sources
Our analysis was based on three main data sources: (1) periodic teacher logs about the amount of time spent on various activities; (2) an end-of-course teacher survey about personnel and non-personnel resources used during the course; and (3) a school administrator interview about the costs associated with course setup and preparation.

Results
On average, the total per pupil cost was estimated to be $340 for the teacher-directed classes and $303 for the online classes (see Figure 3.1). But the overall difference masks larger differences in types of resources used across the two types of courses. In particular, teachers of the teacher-directed classes devoted more hours to lesson planning, grading, and developing curricular materials than teachers of the online classes (see Figure 3.2). In contrast, the online classes had higher costs than the teacher-directed classes for computers, software licenses, and training and support.

Because teachers are not typically compensated for their non-instructional time, the additional time teachers devote to lesson planning, grading, and materials development in the teacher-directed classes is an opportunity cost to those teachers and does not impact the district budget. When splitting costs into those paid out by the district versus those incurred by the teacher, we find that the online classes cost the district $44 more per student, while “saving” teachers $81 per student in uncompensated time (see Figure 3.3).

Significance
This cost analysis highlights key differences in the types of resources used in online versus teacher-directed courses. These differences have implications for how school and district leaders decide which types of courses to offer and also raise questions about the role and compensation of teachers of online courses.

Authors

• Drew Atchison, American Institutes for Research

• Jordan Rickles, American Institutes for Research

• Iliana Brodziak de los Reyes, American Institutes for Research

• Emma Nyhof, American Institutes for Research

• Jessica Heppen, American Institutes for Research