Cost-Effectiveness of Reading Recovery and Alternate Interventions Under the i3 Scale-Up

• In Event: Reading Recovery: Long-Term Effects and Cost-Effectiveness Under the i3 Scale-Up

Abstract

This paper presents results from a cost-effectiveness analysis performed following the ingredients approach described by Levin and McEwan (2001). Data collected through the online surveys were used to identify the specific services and interventions provided to each treatment and control student participating in the RD study. More specifically, we developed a dynamic survey in Qualtrics that included the names and grade levels of each student participating in the RD study in a given school (typically about 10-15 students), and a teacher or teacher leader from that school was responsible for obtaining the test score history and researching the intervention history for each student named. The interventions received by students in this study represent an almost equal mix of third-party, purchased literacy packages, and teacher-designed/led literacy programs. We used the survey data to identify the most common third-party intervention packages (i.e., the 18 with the most participating students). By selecting the top eighteen interventions by prevalence, we were able to produce intervention costs estimates covering 91% of the participating sample of students. For each of these most prevalent interventions within our sample, which includes Fundations, Leveled Literacy Intervention, Lexia Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Reading Plus, SRA Corrective Reading, and 12 others, we contacted program developers and obtained intervention documentation relevant to estimating costs of the services. We investigated each intervention for a wide range of cost parameters, including: licensing and/or subscription fees, delivery type and method (i.e., 1-to-1, small group, student-led), intervention minutes per day, intervention length (i.e., days or weeks per year), personnel requirements, training time, and space and material requirements. Using the Cost-Out Tool Kit (https://www.cbcsecosttoolkit.org/), the costs for Reading Recovery and the 18 most prevalent alternative interventions were aggregated across cost categories (with start-up costs amortized over six years) and divided by the number of students served over a six-year period to estimate a total per-pupil cost for each intervention. Results show that that the relative costs per-pupil varied widely across interventions. Technology-based interventions that are student-led (e.g., delivered via an app on an iPad) had the lowest costs per student on-average, ranging from $27 to $138 per student. Small-group interventions had moderate costs, ranging from $27 to $138 per student. Lastly, one-to-one interventions, typically delivered by a special education interventionist, had the highest costs of up to $13,500 per student. Comparisons of total annual costs for RR students versus comparison students will be included in the presentation to document the relative costs of Reading Recovery in first grade with typical follow-up in second and third grade, versus common classes of alternative interventions provided to comparison group students during first through third grade. Again, as this study is high-profile, details of cost comparisons and relative effectiveness data are not included in this proposal in order to maintain confidentiality of results until the final report completes a peer review process over the next few months.

Authors

• Pragya Shrestha, University of Delaware

• Tara Tracy, University of Delaware

• Mia Mazal, University of Delaware

• Aly Blakeney, University of Delaware

• Nicole Kennedy, University of Delaware

• Henry May, University of Delaware