The Cost of Increasing In-School Time: Evidence from the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative

ABSTRACT

A growing number of public schools have adopted reforms that increase the amount of time students spend in school. However, the potential costs of such reforms are not well understood. In this article, we report findings from a resource-cost study conducted in four schools that participated in the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative. We find large differences in per-pupil costs among schools. Cost differences were associated with how schools used and staffed the additional time. Findings raise questions about the cost feasibility of expanded time reforms in public schools based on existing federal, state, and private funding initiatives.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Notes

^1. The MA ELT Initiative is authorized (and funded) through a line item in the state budget. The authorizing language requires that grantees incorporate a minimum of an additional 300 hours for all children attending that school.

^2. As noted above, in our initial cost estimates (shown in Figure 1) all personnel time, including that of volunteers and outside consultants working in the schools, was valued using statewide averages for salaries and hourly wages.

^3. We used the CWI school-district file that includes an adjustment for each local education agency (LEA) in the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD database) (Taylor & Fowler, 2006). District-level adjustments were then indexed against the aggregate CWI for the State of Massachusetts. The resulting adjustments control for systematic differences across localities in education personnel general wage levels that are outside the control of district and school administrators, notably variations in the cost of living across localities.

Additional information

Funding

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts