Out-of-School Time Cost Study
Very little is known about what resources are required to operate high-quality Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. The last comprehensive study of OST program costs was published in 2009 and although this landmark effort provided the first-available resource-based estimates of OST program costs, the data underlying the estimates are dated and may not reflect advances in the field with respect to quality programming. A need exists for more targeted information about the cost of building quality programs and how costs vary according to program model, participant populations, program location, and staffing structures.
The purpose of this study is to develop timely and relevant estimates of OST program costs and the funding necessary to support high-quality OST programs. AIR will use state-of-the-field methods for determining education program costs to develop timely cost estimates for model and existing OST programs and the funding needed to operate these programs. The study will also consider the cost of building quality programs and how costs vary according to program model, participant populations, program location, and staffing structures.
The three-year project is funded by the Wallace Foundation. As part of the study, AIR will produce the following deliverables:
- Policy brief summarizing OST program quality, outcomes, and costs (early 2024)
- Program vignettes (early 2024)
- Policy brief summarizing program costs (late 2025)
- Updated cost calculator (late 2025)
