1. Cost & Quality in Massachusetts What is the quality What is the cost? What is the relationship of quality to cost Full-day, year round programs in 2000 Serving children 2.9 to 5 years 90 preschool classrooms

2. Summary of Findings Quality averages close to “good” Quality varies by family income Quality is related to cost, but not linearly Labor cost and teacher education are the most strongly related to quality Space was the most commonly donated cost

3. Average Subscale and Total ECERS-R Scales

4. Percent of Classrooms Meeting Good Benchmark, by Income Group Served

5. Standardized Estimates of Relationships Between Regulatables and Process Quality Measures (N=88) StimulationWarmth Sensitivity EngagementECERS-RProcess Quality Index Child:Staff Ratio -.23^-.17-.15-.27*-.24^ Group Size.14.05-.07.17.05 Teacher Education.31**.23^.32**.26* R2R2.10*.06.10*.08* ^ = p<.10, * = p<.05, ** = p<.01

6. How much did the programs cost? Revenues: $3.71 per hour, $8,681 per year FT Expenditures: $3.41 per hour, $7,979 per year FT Full cost: $4.12 per hour, $9,641per year FT Cost varies by Quality –Little change from poor to good –Substantial increases above good moving toward excel.

7. Revenue Sources

8. Average Expenditures

9. Mean Costs by ECERS-R Score

10. Differences by Family Income Total revenue goes down slightly from low to moderate, but is higher for high income –$3.20, $2.92, $4.38 Government provides most revenue for low income Fees provide most revenue for moderate to high income Total Expenditures follow the same pattern Labor expenditures increase with income and are much higher for high income

11. Expenditures by Income of Families Served

12. Labor Costs by Center’s Average Education Level

13. More Information Nancy Marshall Center for Research on Women Wellesley College