To make the research findings and investment principles more concrete, we have provided here some examples of successful programs shown to be cost-effective by providing a positive return on public investment. It is important to note that these interventions are not “silver bullets.” They achieve their long-term effects within the context of the entire continuum and other academic, social, and financial supports.
We do not mean to endorse individual programs here. These interventions are highlighted to represent those which showed impact and were validated by studies that met our rigorous research criteria. There are no doubt other worthy programs that exemplify our smart investment principles whose results have not been thoroughly studied, and there are similar programs that may not deliver the same results because they lack key elements. More outcomes-based research and analysis are needed to expand the menu of promising interventions we identified.
Cost Effective Programs
Prenatal to Age 4
Age 4 to Grade 3
Elementary School
Middle to High School
High School
Out-of-School Time
Transition to Higher Education
Promising Inverventions
Prenatal to Age 4
Elementary School
Middle to High School
High School
Out-of-School Time
Transition to Higher Education
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