Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Return on Investment

FLICC has just completed another round of lesson study training institutes across Florida. During these recent institutes, the question about lesson study's return on investment continued to come up. So when we finished, I sat down and looked at some numbers. Here is one example for your consideration and comment.

A. The costs of sending 20 people to a popular five-day national conference for professional development (The numbers are actual quotes from the professional development company offering a national conference, with some estimated additional costs to compete the analysis):

Registration: $575 x 20 = $11,500

Lodging: $239 (plus tax, est.) x 5 Days x 10 (rooms, double occupancy) = $11,950

Transportation: $400 (est.) x 20 = $8,000

Meals & Incidentals: $29 (est. Per Diem) x 5 Days x 20 People = $2,900

Total Estimated Costs for A = $34,350

Loss of instructional days = 5 Days each or 100 Days Total


 

B. Lesson Study implementation for 20 people (Based on actual costs for a sample district with onsite training):

Initial Facilitator Training (for 4 facilitators):

Facilitator Training: $3,100

Substitutes for Attendees: $150 x 4 = $600

Materials: $150 (Facilitator kit) x 4 = $600

Loss of instructional days = 2 Days each or 8 Days Total


 

Lesson Study Cycles (4 Teams of 5 people each meet for 3 times during the year)

Substitutes: $150 x 20 x 3 Cycles = $9,000

Materials (1 grade band kit for Facilitator and Teachers): $150 x 20 = $3,000

Total Estimated Costs for B = $16,300

Loss of instructional days = 4.5 Days each (1.5 Days per Cycle) or 90 Days Total (98 w/ Facilitator Training included)


 

So given this scenario, it appears that lesson study arguably delivers more bang for the buck in terms of less money spent and fewer days of lost instructional time. In short, the return on investment may be higher for lesson study as opposed to other forms of professional development.