A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas
National Research Council

Competency-based education: A study of four new models and their implications for bending the higher education cost curve
Donna M. Desrochers; Richard L. Staisloff
In this report the authors assess CBE programs at four institutions by considering business models, costs, etc. and what is required from institutions to 'get to breakeven'. The four institutions anticipate breaking even with their programs by the fifth year, and they project that by the sixth year these programs will be operating at half the cost of the traditional academic programs. The article describes how an evaluation of the competency- based education business model must include considerations regarding price, efficiency (academic delivery structure, staff ratios, and compensation), and scale (student recruitment, enrollment, and retention).

How UT-Austin's Bold Plan for Reinvention Went Belly Up
Lindsay Ellis
This article provides a cautionary tale about large institutional efforts to redesign undergraduate education and the challenges of measuring what works. In 2016, UT Austin pledged to revamp undergraduate education, adding state-of-the-art online classes, redesigned curricula, and short courses, among others, to produce less expensive degrees, teach practical skills and expand access via technology. Dubbed "Project 2021" it also committed to measure what worked and adjust accordingly. By 2019, the project was deemed too ambitious and lacked support to continue. Several lessons about the impact of changes in undergraduate teaching are useful. For example, implementing regular quizzes in large classes narrowed grade disparities between students from different socioeconomic groups. Massive online classes modeled after late-nighttalk shows were hailed as a national model for using technology to deliver remote instruction and billed as next-generation undergraduate programs. Yet, while students rated the online courses highly, evaluations of student learning showed no advantage to the course delivering mode, and the cost for the heavily produced studio quality courses was high. Key conclusions from the project evaluation is that it was very complicated and lacked direction, got caught in bureaucratic processes, and was expensive.

Institutional commitment to teaching excellence: Assessing the impacts and outcomes of faculty development
Catherine Haras; Steven C. Taylor; Mary Deane Sorcinelli; Linda von Hoene

New York State Open Educational Resources Funds: CUNY Year Two Report
CUNY Report
As of Fall 2019, the growth of CUNY's OER programs, courses, and enrollments has skyrocketed as illustrated by the following numbers: 23,661 sections across CUNY have converted from expensive proprietary materials to open educational resources. IMPACT: 469,000 students have enrolled in courses with zero textbook cost. Students saved an estimated .9 million from Fall 2017 - Fall 2019. BENEFITS ANALYSIS: .86 in savings for every of NYS Funding.

Evaluating the Return on Investment in Higher Education: An Assessment of Individual- and State-Level Returns
Kristin Blagg; Erica Blom

Instructional quality, student outcomes, and institutional finances
Jessie Brown; Martin Kurzweil
A report from the American Council on Education exploring the question of whether improving instructional quality can increase an institution's revenue. Principal Conclusions (p.22): As the cost of college grows and sources of funding of decline, college and university leaders face mounting pressure to find effective and efficient ways to improve their core business: educating and graduating students. Numerous studies show that research-based pedagogical practices and participation in faculty development can help institutions achieve these goals by increasing student learning, engagement, persistence, and degree completion. There is also evidence that improvements in retention increase revenue and have a positive return on investment. Other interventions—including remedial course redesign, increased course-taking in the first year, and more comprehensive first-year curricular and co-curricular reforms—have been shown to improve cost per degree.

Ranking ROI Of 4,500 US Colleges And Universities
Anthony P. Carnevale; Ban Cheah; Martin Van Der Werf
Principal findings: Community colleges and many certificate programs have the highest ROI in the short term. Colleges that primarily award bachelor's degrees have the highest ROI in the long term. Public colleges have higher ROI than private colleges in the short term. Degrees from private nonprofit colleges generally have a higher ROI in the long term than public universities.

Estimating the Return on Investment (ROI) for Instructional Improvement Efforts
Daniel Rossman; Rayane Alamuddin; Martin Kurzweil
A Tool for Estimating ROI

Cost analysis study
Cost analysis study Cost analysis study that shows the program leads to savings in per graduate costs Suggested Citation Metro Academies Lowers Cost per Graduate at a University and a Community College (Rep.). ...