In a time of scarce resources — when even a penny increase in taxes is hard to come by — how should the state invest to achieve the greatest improvements in economic growth that benefits most Minnesotans?
For Growth & Justice, the answer is education. But more specifically, what types of investment will produce the greatest return? Educators know what works and economists know how to analyze payback, so we brought them together to identify Smart Investments in Minnesota's Students.
 Achieving a High Return on Early Childhood Investment: Evidence Proposal and the Minnesota Pilot
Dr. Arthur J. Rolnick & Rob Grunewald
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
 Cost-Effectiveness of Early Childhood Development Programs from Preschool to Third Grade
Dr. Arthur Reynolds
University of Minnesota
 Investments in K-12 Education for Minnesota: What Works?
Dr. Henry Levin, Teachers College, Columbia University
Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York
 Current Generation Out-of-School Time Programs: What Works, What Doesn’t, and at What Cost?
Dr. Megan K. Beckett
The Rand Corporation
 Improving the Transition from High School to College in Minnesota: Recommendations Based on a Review of Effective Programs
Laura W. Perna
Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
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