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Washington State Institute for Public Policy
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Families and Schools Together (FAST)

Public Health & Prevention: Community-based
Benefit-cost methods last updated December 2024.  Literature review updated December 2024.
Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a multi-family after-school program intended to increase parents’ involvement in school and their child’s education, increase parent-child bonding and communication, and enhance parents’ self-efficacy. Groups of 8 to 12 families meet weekly for eight consecutive weeks. Sessions last about 2½ hours and take place after school or early in the evening. Trained facilitators conduct the meetings following an established routine that involves experiential learning, parent-child play, and a shared meal. Within that routine, activities can be adapted for cultural relevance.

FASTWORKS is an optional continuation of FAST involving two years of monthly parent-led meetings. However, for studies included in this analysis, FASTWORKS was not implemented or was implemented inconsistently, so results reflect the effects of the eight-week FAST program only.
 
ALL
BENEFIT-COST
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS
For an overview of WSIPP's Benefit-Cost Model, please see this guide. The estimates shown are present value, life cycle benefits and costs. All dollars are expressed in the base year chosen for this analysis (2023).  The chance the benefits exceed the costs are derived from a Monte Carlo risk analysis. The details on this, as well as the economic discount rates and other relevant parameters are described in our Technical Documentation.
Benefit-Cost Summary Statistics Per Participant
Benefits to:
Taxpayers $19,076 Benefits minus costs $20,059
Participants ($5,639) Benefit to cost ratio $23.55
Others ($2,787) Chance the program will produce
Indirect $10,299 benefits greater than the costs 63%
Total benefits $20,949
Net program cost ($889)
Benefits minus cost $20,059

^WSIPP’s benefit-cost model does not monetize this outcome.

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured Treatment age No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) used in the benefit-cost analysis Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
First time ES is estimated Second time ES is estimated
ES SE Age ES SE Age ES p-value
K-12 grade repetition
Repeating a grade. This is sometimes called "grade retention."
 7 3 1623 0.069 0.472 7 0.069 0.472 7 0.069 0.884
K-12 special education
Placement into special education services.
7 1 67 -0.863 0.930 7 -0.863 0.930 7 -0.863 0.353
Test scores
Standardized, validated tests of academic achievement.
7 1 188 -0.092 0.111 8 -0.050 0.122 17 -0.092 0.406
School attendance^
Number or percentage of school days present in a given enrollment period.
 7 1 140 -0.182 0.197 8 n/a n/a n/a -0.182 0.355
Externalizing behavior symptoms
Symptoms of externalizing behavior (e.g., aggressive, hostile, or disruptive behavior) measured on a validated scale.
 7 5 1965 -0.067 0.060 7 -0.037 0.039 10 -0.067 0.261
Internalizing symptoms
Symptoms of internalizing behavior (e.g., sadness, anxiety, or withdrawal) measured on a validated scale.
 7 5 1965 -0.044 0.033 7 -0.044 0.033 9 -0.044 0.179
Social and emotional development^
A broad range of skills relevant to self, emotion, and relationships. These skills are typically measured through validated assessments that measure self-awareness, social competence, and self-control.
7 4 549 0.073 0.065 7 n/a n/a n/a 0.073 0.260
1In addition to the outcomes measured in the meta-analysis table, WSIPP measures benefits and costs estimated from other outcomes associated with those reported in the evaluation literature. For example, empirical research demonstrates that high school graduation leads to reduced crime. These associated measures provide a more complete picture of the detailed costs and benefits of the program.

2“Others” includes benefits to people other than taxpayers and participants. Depending on the program, it could include reductions in crime victimization, the economic benefits from a more educated workforce, and the benefits from employer-paid health insurance.

3“Indirect benefits” includes estimates of the net changes in the value of a statistical life and net changes in the deadweight costs of taxation.
Detailed Monetary Benefit Estimates Per Participant
Affected outcome: Resulting benefits:1 Benefits accrue to:
Taxpayers Participants Others2 Indirect3 Total
Test scores Labor market earnings associated with test scores ($2,411) ($5,680) ($2,994) $0 ($11,085)
K-12 grade repetition K-12 grade repetition ($120) $0 $0 ($60) ($180)
K-12 special education K-12 special education $21,438 $0 $0 $10,719 $32,157
Externalizing behavior symptoms Criminal justice system $24 $0 $58 $12 $94
Health care associated with externalizing behavior symptoms $144 $41 $149 $72 $407
Program cost Adjustment for deadweight cost of program $0 $0 $0 ($445) ($445)
Totals $19,076 ($5,639) ($2,787) $10,299 $20,949
Click here to see populations selected
Detailed Annual Cost Estimates Per Participant
Annual cost Year dollars Summary
Program costs $754 2018 Present value of net program costs (in 2023 dollars) ($889)
Comparison costs $0 2018 Cost range (+ or -) 50%
Program cost includes staff time to facilitate one weekly session for eight weeks (one FAST cycle), as well as funds for family meals and door prizes. The average per cycle cost is estimated using information provided in April 2018 by Molly McGowan, a representative of the program developer. The developer’s estimates reflect a higher cost for the first FAST cycle due to training (average $1350 per family), and lower costs for subsequent cycles (average $700 per family). Our estimate assumes that trained facilitators complete 12 FAST cycles. The developer’s estimates reflect per-family average cost. We assume one student per family; average per-student costs would be lower if families have multiple students in FAST.
The figures shown are estimates of the costs to implement programs in Washington. The comparison group costs reflect either no treatment or treatment as usual, depending on how effect sizes were calculated in the meta-analysis. The cost range reported above reflects potential variation or uncertainty in the cost estimate; more detail can be found in our Technical Documentation.
Benefits Minus Costs
Benefits by Perspective
Taxpayer Benefits by Source of Value
Benefits Minus Costs Over Time (Cumulative Discounted Dollars)
The graph above illustrates the estimated cumulative net benefits per-participant for the first fifty years beyond the initial investment in the program. We present these cash flows in discounted dollars. If the dollars are negative (bars below $0 line), the cumulative benefits do not outweigh the cost of the program up to that point in time. The program breaks even when the dollars reach $0. At this point, the total benefits to participants, taxpayers, and others, are equal to the cost of the program. If the dollars are above $0, the benefits of the program exceed the initial investment.

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Fiel, J., Shoji, M., & Gamoran, A. (2015). "An intervention approach to building social capital: effects on grade retention". In Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Social Capital. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9780857935854.00019

Kratochwill, T.R., McDonald, L., Levin, J.R., Scalia, P.A., & Coover, G. (2009). Families and Schools Together: An experimental study of multi-family support groups for children at risk. Journal of School Psychology, 47(4), 245-265.

Kratochwill, T.R., McDonald, L., Levin, J.R., Young Bear-Tibbetts, H., & Demaray, M.K. (2004). Families and Schools Together: An experimental analysis of a parent-mediated multi-family group program for American Indian children. Journal of School Psychology, 42(5), 359-383.

Layzer, J.I., & Webb, M.B. (2001). National evaluation of family support programs. Volume B: Research studies (Final report). Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates.

Moberg, D.P., McDonald, L., Posner, J.K., Burke, M.L., & Brown, R.L. (2007). Randomized Trial of Families and Schools Together (FAST): Final Report on NIDA Grant R01-10067. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Madison.

Turley, R.N.L., Gamoran, A., McCarty, A.T., & Fish, R. (2017). Reducing children’s behavior problems through social capital: A causal assessment. Social Science Research, 61, 206-217.