The Hidden Value of Curriculum Reform (cost asymmetry)
Boser, U., Chingos, M., & Straus, C. (CAP) · 2015
grade Dreviewindependentmixed
Sample
6 curriculum price/effect pairs
Population
US elementary.
Design
Cost-effectiveness arithmetic on Agodini-style effect estimates.
Key findings
Curriculum is the one lever where the entire cost is attention: better materials cost no more than worse ones. Spend the evaluation effort, not the money.
Genetic confound
N/A.
Replication notes
The effect numerator is era-dependent (see Blazar); the cost denominator is robust.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of a high-quality elementary math curriculum | $ | ~$36/student; price spread between best and worst only ~$13 | mixed | n/a | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
| Cost-effectiveness of choosing well | ratio | ~40x class-size reduction per SD (when real differences exist) | mixed | n/a | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Curriculum choice as a school-level levermixedconf: highgc: low