Positive Action is a comprehensive program that delivers multiple outcomes, such as character development, mental health support, and academic improvement, within a single framework. In just one cohesive program, Positive Action eliminates the need for separate modules or initiatives, each with its own lessons, training, and costs, and helps schools and organizations save valuable time, money, and resources.

Now delivered and priced flexibly through Pasela, our digital platform, implementation is affordable and scalable for schools and districts of any size. Pasela streamlines access to the complete curriculum online, while recommended starter kits with physical materials are also available to enhance hands-on learning. This flexible approach helps reduce overall program costs and enables schools to select the implementation method that best suits their needs.

Positive Action is also a better overall value, providing more content than any other social and emotional learning program. In Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6, each grade level features 140 lessons. Grades 7 and 8 each include 82 lessons, and each High School product offers 132 lessons. These lessons are flexible and customizable, allowing teachers to choose specific topics to reinforce and address the immediate needs of their students. Many other programs are more expensive per grade level and offer far fewer lessons.

With our transition to the Pasela digital platform, Positive Action continues to offer affordable, predictable pricing for schools and districts. Digital access enables regular program updates and enhancements at no additional cost, allowing educators to stay current and responsive to students' needs. This flexible approach ensures that schools receive exceptional value and can easily implement Positive Action across various settings.

Implementing Positive Action can result in significant cost savings for schools, communities, and government agencies. Three independent analyses have estimated the potential economic benefits of Positive Action. To fully understand these benefits, it's helpful to consider the two main methods used to calculate value: the Cost-Benefit Ratio (CBR) and Return on Investment (ROI).

The Cost-Benefit Ratio is an economic model that includes external, or “societal,” benefits (such as reduced crime and improved academic achievement) when measuring the total value of the program. The ROI is a simpler accounting model that compares the cost of the investment to the financial gains it produces. The independent studies of Positive Action primarily used the CBR approach, assigning value to all affected groups, but also calculated ROI as a familiar reference point for educators and administrators.

Do the math

Washington State Institute for Public Policy

An analysis performed by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) found that Positive Action provided the most economic benefit through cost savings compared to any other educational program.

Findings Per Participant:

WSIPP researchers concluded that Positive Action can provide a cost-benefit ratio of $182.07. This means for every dollar spent teaching Positive Action, local and state governments can save at least $182.07 in other services that would otherwise be dispensed in a reactionary form.

The theoretical ROI for implementing Positive Action, based on this ratio, is 18,134.36%. The report also concluded that implementing Positive Action has a 97% chance of the benefits exceeding the cost.

What is WSIPP?

WSIPP is a nonpartisan research group that provides in-depth analysis to relevant policy questions. The group employs a multidisciplinary team of researchers who provide policy research for lawmakers. It is internationally recognized for the quality of its research, most notably for its cost-benefit analyses. To find out more, click here.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Report

In 2019, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), in collaboration with the Pew-MacArthur “Results First Initiative,” undertook an assessment of the impact of various evidence-based programs. The methodology is based on the WSIPP approach but tailored for Pennsylvania using state-specific data on cost and population. Positive Action was selected for analysis and again achieved the highest CBR out of all the programs reviewed.

The PCCD analysis features three models of sensitivity: low, medium, and high. The medium, or middle-of-the-road, sensitivity reports a CBR of $217.89, or an ROI of 21,689%.

Model Results:

Teachers College, Columbia University

In 2015, a group of researchers at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education conducted a comprehensive analysis on the economics of social and emotional learning. The completed report, “The Economic Value of Social and Emotional Learning,” features a robust statistical approach to cost-benefit analysis that includes the economic concept of opportunity cost and the cost-accounting approach known as the ingredients method. Similar to the PCCD assessment, the group considered five different sensitivity settings in their analysis. The average across each setting indicates a CBR of $10.41, or an ROI of 941.76%.

Analysis Results:

There are several ways to describe the financial benefits outlined in these analyses. For context, juvenile detention in Los Angeles County costs over $233,000 per offender per year¹. By comparison, that same amount could provide every classroom teacher in approximately 29 average-sized K-5 elementary schools with a full year of Positive Action through Pasela's digital licensing (based on an average annual license of $240 and 34 teachers per K-5 school²). For every potential juvenile offender diverted through Positive Action, municipalities and states can realize significant cost savings. At the same time, students develop the social and emotional skills that are shown to support better academic and behavioral outcomes.

When the total cost of reporting, investigating, apprehending, prosecuting, sentencing, transporting, incarcerating, rehabilitating, and monitoring juvenile offenders is considered, it becomes clear that the economic value of effective prevention lies in the implementation of Positive Action.

This is only one dimension of the potential economic benefits associated with implementing Positive Action. Also, consider the costs associated with various health issues that can be prevented. From alcohol use to harmful substances, the direct and indirect costs of substance use are considerable.

While each of these analyses looks at the cost-savings value of prevention, they fail to consider the economic growth that could also be attributable. In one longitudinal study, researchers found that:

Positive Action increased the number of students who pursued higher education after high school by 38%

38%

Positive Action reduced high school dropout rates by 37%

37%

Positive Action increased employment after high school by 18%

18%

According to a study conducted by the Brookings Institution, students who obtain a bachelor's degree will earn twice as much as a student who only completes high school³.

The implementation of a social and emotional learning program is one of the most important curricular decisions a school or district will make. It can affect the culture and climate of a school in ways that cannot be numerated or easily summarized. Not only does Positive Action produce more measurable results across multiple areas than other social and emotional learning programs, but it is also more cost-effective to implement.

¹http://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-probation-sticker-shock-20160223-story.html

²https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_208.10.asp

³https://www.brookings.edu/research/eight-economic-facts-on-higher-education/