The Long-Term Effects and Cost-Effectiveness of Success for All

Abstract

Several renowned early interventions have compelling evidence of enduring achievement effects for at-risk children: Perry Preschool; the Abecedarian Project; and the Tennessee Class-Size Experiment. The costs and potential for national dissemination of such model programs, though, represent key practical concerns. This article examines the long-term outcomes and costs of another popular early intervention: Success for All. Relative to controls, Success for All students completed 8th grade at a younger age, with better achievement outcomes, fewer special education placements, fewer retentions, and at the same educational expense. Further cost-effectiveness comparisons to the three prominent interventions suggest that Success for All is deserving of similar recognition as a sound educational investment that provides strong and lasting educational benefits. None of these exemplary programs, though, can be expected to be the “great equalizer.”