Indian Prairie School District 204 soon could have a way to determine its “Academic Return on Investment.”
The district may hire a consultant to conduct an inventory of initiatives, which would determine the costs and benefits of each one in terms of student outcomes.
Report could show ‘unified view’ of costs, outcomes
The inventory could help leaders choose which programs to expand, keep as-is. or scale back, and leaders said it could bring critical data as the district heads into the fifth year of its five-year strategic plan.
“It answers what works, for whom and at what cost,” Deputy Superintendent Louis Lee said about an Academic Return on Investment report, known as A-ROI, which would represent a new way of analyzing purchases and programs.
Instead of measuring academics and spending separately — through metrics such as standardized test scores, student behavior data, yearly budgets and financial audits — the A-ROI model would help unite the two, Lee said.
“The goal is, we want a unified view that tells us exactly what students learned and how that occurs relative to every dollar spent,” Lee said. “Ultimately, it’s about student outcomes.”
Analysis could come through $175,000 contract
Massachusetts-based educational consulting firm District Management Group could conduct the initiatives audit and A-ROI report under a proposed $175,000 contract, which is awaiting a school board vote. Board members at Monday’s school board meeting voiced some concerns and asked several questions, but most indicated support for beginning the A-ROI process.
“This has the potential for more informed decision-making, improved student outcomes and also helping us manage our budget in a more robust way,” school board President Laurie Donahue said.
Indian Prairie likely has hundreds of initiatives that fall under the purview to be studied by District Management Group, Lee said. The process could begin as soon as April if school board members approve the proposal at their next meeting on March 23.
Studying ‘fully loaded’ costs versus benefits
The A-ROI process would include an analysis of student learning outcomes divided by the “fully loaded cost” of each initiative, which considers factors including staff time, professional development and substitute teacher pay to cover when teachers are in meetings. Lee said it does not include the cost of facilities or maintenance.
“I’m concerned about the quality of the data and the subjective nature of some of this,” school board member Justin Karubas said. “If we’re not including buildings or maintenance, we are intentionally limiting the scope of our data. So that’s going to impact the outcomes.”
If the district does pursue an A-ROI report, Lee said it also could help evaluate a system that’s been in place for a few years to manage student behavior and learning, called the integrated multi-tiered system of support, or IMTSS.
“As we prepare to enter the final year of our current strategic plan this fall, we’re at a key juncture. We’ve made significant investments in our students, especially through our IMTSS framework,” Lee said. “As we look out for our next multiyear plan, we must move from assuming impact to measuring in a more objective manner.”
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