Economics of Education Research Centre

1
Economics of Education Research Centre

• PURPOSEto provide a high quality service to
  policy makers and policy implementors in
  educational organisations through activities
  which make available research-based knowledge

2
Main stakeholders

• policy makers in central government
• government agencies and local government
• educational managers (head teachers, principals,
  governors of schools and colleges)
• teachers and lecturers, GTC
• researchers and academics in this and related
  fields
• education media.

3
Key activities

• evaluation and dissemination of existing research
  findings in a variety of ways
• undertaking research
• promoting cost-effectiveness thinking and
  practice within educational organisations

4
The field of economics of education

• Human capital theory and empirical evidence on
  private and social rates of return to education
  and its contribution to economic growth
• Cost-effectiveness analysis and application to
  educational interventions and within educational
  institutions

5
Main users
Human capital
Policy makers
Cost effectiveness
Policy makers and practitioners
6
Current bias of research activity

• (information on number of articles from
  literature search of UK journals of human
  capital/rates of return and cost-effectiveness
• to be added)

7
Research Programme

• Existing DfEE initiatives
• Future initiatives
• Cost-effectiveness practice

8
(No Transcript)
9
Existing initiativesexamples

• Cost-effectiveness study of a DfEE initiative
  (e.g. specialist schools)
• Labour market for teachers
• PRP cost-effectiveness study

10
Future initiatives

• Literature reviews on human capital
• contribution of education to economic growth
• rates of return to education

11

• Presentation at this point by John on labour
  market for teachers project and on literature
  review on contribution of education to economic
  growth.

12
Future initiatives example

• A randomised controlled experiment
• additional resources in primary schools project

13
Cost-effectiveness practice

• Cost effectiveness for school improvement
  self-review
• Cost effectiveness framework for Standards Fund
  review

14
Educational input

• Focus on cost-effectiveness studies of
  educational interventions and hence study of
  educational processes
• Educational background of key staff and doctorate
  students
• Emphasis on working with practitioners and
  education evaluators in systematising
  cost-effectiveness thinking
• Employment of a range of methodologies

15
Obtaining flexibility within programme

• Opportunity cost of flexibility
• Implementing longer term projects in phases
  timing of which can be adjusted
• Existing outline programme has short term
  projects which finish within 12 -18 months
• Moving resources into a larger commissioning
  budget

16
Programme planningproject 1.A
17

• Involvement presentation by Linda and Steve at
  this point

18
Choice of vision for Centre

• Cost-effectiveness or human capital research?
• Cost-effectiveness best serves needs of
  practitioners as well as policy makers
• C-E bridges divide between education and
  economics
• C-E in education in greater need of additional
  funding than human capital research
• Evidence-informed practice and policy example of
  health economics