Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/172223 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Series/Report no.: 
Upjohn Institute Working Paper No. 16-261
Publisher: 
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Kalamazoo, MI
Abstract: 
In this paper, benefits and costs are estimated for a universal pre-K program, provided by Tulsa Public Schools. Benefits are derived from estimated effects of Tulsa pre-K on retention by grade 9. Retention effects are projected to dollar benefits from future earnings increases and crime reductions. Based on these estimates, Tulsa pre-K has benefits that exceed costs by about 2-to-1. This benefit cost ratio is far less than the much higher benefit-cost ratios (ranging from 8-to-1 to 16-to-1) for more targeted and intensive pre-K programs, such as Perry Preschool and the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) program. Comparing benefit-cost results from different studies suggests that our more modest estimates are due to two factors: 1) smaller percentage effects of pre-K on future earnings and crime in Tulsa than in Perry and CPC, and 2) smaller baseline crime rates in Tulsa than in the Perry and CPC comparison groups.
Subjects: 
Universal pre-K
benefit-cost analysis
grade retention
crime reduction effects of education
increased earnings effects of education
JEL: 
I28
I26
H43
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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