Declining enrollment is reducing funding in many districts. ESSER dollars are no longer available. Uncertainty about funding abounds. Now more than ever, it is essential to understand the district’s investments—are the programs you are investing in working? For which students? And at what cost? This insight empowers districts to use their limited resources most effectively and strategically — identifying those programs that drive impact and should be maintained or expanded, those programs might be adjusted for better results, and those programs that likely should be discontinued due to inefficiency.
In this interview, DMGroup director Simone Carpenter, lead instructor at the Academic-ROI Institute, explains how an Academic Return on Investment (A-ROI)-focused approach helps navigate resource constraints while striving to deliver the best student outcomes.
What challenges prompt schools and districts to join the Academic-ROI Institute?
Schools and districts typically join the Academic ROI Institute for a few key reasons, all centered around understanding the impact of their spending.
Board and Community Demand for Fiscal Accountability
Many school boards and communities are demanding greater transparency in how education dollars are spent and what outcomes they generate. In business, ROI is clearly defined, but schools often face challenges quantifying results. The Academic-ROI Institute provides a structured approach to evaluating the effectiveness of programs and demonstrating fiscal responsibility.Lack of Clarity on Program Effectiveness
Some districts invest in multiple programs but lack clarity on which ones are delivering meaningful results. They seek a structured framework to assess their spending and identify the most effective investments.Evaluating a High-Cost Program
In some cases, a district is particularly concerned about one major investment. They use the Academic-ROI Institute as an opportunity to conduct a deep dive into that specific program, applying the evaluation process to assess its impact and justify future funding decisions.
By joining the Academic-ROI Institute, districts gain the tools and methodologies to make informed, data-driven financial decisions centered on student outcomes.
How do districts typically evaluate programs?
Many school districts have a dedicated department responsible for evaluating programs and initiatives. However, these evaluations are often conducted in isolation from other departments and primarily focus on meeting accountability requirements rather than assessing the real impact of specific initiatives.
What does the learning process at the Academic-ROI Institute look like?
The Academic-ROI Institute is designed as a hands-on learning experience that consists of three in-depth, three-hour sessions where teams engage in collaborative professional learning and three individualized coaching calls during which coaches provide tailored guidance and support to help districts apply the Academic-ROI framework to evaluate a specific set of programs within their district.
Learning by Doing
The Academic-ROI Institute emphasizes experiential learning—districts don’t just learn about Academic-ROI in theory; they actively apply the process to one of their own programs. The kickoff session sets the stage, helping participants think through program selection, ensuring they choose one well-suited for evaluation. Some districts arrive with a clear program in mind, while others start with a list and refine their choice with our guidance.
Session 1: Defining Success
The first session helps teams define success—the foundation of any Academic-ROI study. While many believe they understand their program objectives, they often realize through this process that they lack a clear, shared definition of success. The session combines instruction and hands-on exercises to clarify objectives and set measurable goals. Teams also assess whether issues stem from poor implementation or misalignment with their needs.
The first coaching call is used to refine their success definitions, aiming to finalize a short list of definitions of success, with clear measurements, before the next session.
Session 2: Data Collection & Cost Analysis
With a clear definition of success, Session 2 shifts to data collection and cost analysis:
• Identifying the student groups to study and compare.
• Determining how to analyze program impact across different populations.
• Conducting a cost analysis, which extends beyond budgeted expenses to include staff time and other hidden costs.
• Understanding how to evaluate Academic-ROI—what constitutes a "high" or "low" return on investment.
This session is a turning point, as teams recognize the complexity of data collection and analysis. The second coaching call clarifies what to collect, how, and when. By the end, teams often have a "light bulb" moment, gaining clear insight into their study’s purpose.
Session 3: Drawing Insights & Taking Action
In our third session, we focus on drawing meaningful insights and taking action. The purpose of Academic-ROI isn’t to just study a program; it is to make meaningful changes that improve outcomes for students in a cost-effective way. Teams analyze a case study from another district, using real data to discuss what decisions they would make based on the findings. The session then shifts to sustaining and expanding the Academic-ROI process beyond the initial study, with participants reflecting on how to apply it to other programs and integrate it into district decision-making. We provide examples from other districts that have successfully embedded Academic-ROI practices and resources to support long-term implementation.
The final coaching call helps districts finalize their study, answer key questions on program effectiveness and cost efficiency, and develop a strategy for integrating Academic-ROI into ongoing decision-making.
Who are the typical members of a district team attending the Academic-ROI Institute?
The Institute requires active leadership engagement, ideally including the superintendent or, at minimum, their full commitment. Teams should have around eight members, with essential roles in finance, data, and academics. Additional members, such as school leaders or representatives from Special Education, grants, or operations, can be included based on district needs.
The most successful teams also devote time outside the sessions. Teams often commit to regular meetings—typically bi-weekly—where they continue working on the project between Institute sessions. The coaching calls are part of these meetings, but the real success comes from their work outside of the scheduled sessions.
What changes or initiatives have districts undertaken after completing the Academic-ROI Institute?
We recommend evaluating an essential program first—one that may need adjustments but isn’t at risk of being cut. This ensures the Academic-ROI process is seen as a tool for improvement, not a threat. For example, English learner programming, Tier 3 interventions, or professional learning communities—programs that are critical but may need adjustments rather than elimination.
Here are some examples of impact the A-ROI Institute has had:
Formative Reading Assessments – A district evaluated its reading assessments and found that one long-standing assessment was much better at predicting state test scores. They realized the newer program wasn’t meeting their needs and decided to pause its expansion. They focused on identifying the most valuable elements to keep while discontinuing less effective parts.
Attendance Initiatives – A district that allowed schools to experiment with different attendance strategies discovered, through evaluation, that some initiatives worked well while others yielded no improvement. Based on these insights, they standardized the successful strategies district-wide for greater consistency.
English Learner (EL) Program – A district found that its EL program wasn’t meeting national growth standards and didn’t achieve the desired progress in English proficiency. Though they wouldn’t eliminate the program, they presented a complete redesign to the board, focusing on more targeted goals and a practical approach. The new program will launch next year.
Curriculum Adoption – A district discovered inconsistent implementation of a new curriculum. They used evaluation insights to develop a more effective system to ensure successful, consistent implementation across schools.
These examples highlight how districts use data-driven insights to refine, enhance, and standardize programs for greater impact.
What sets the Academic-ROI methodology apart from other approaches?
One key difference with the Academic-ROI process is its ability to break down silos. In many districts, data, academics, and budget discussions happen in isolation, but this process fosters a more collaborative approach to programming, student support, and goal achievement. This interdisciplinary work sparks candid conversations between school and district leaders, and people often say it greatly improves how they discuss their programs and success, making those conversations more reflective and productive.
Another significant shift is in how districts define success. This process helps them set clear, specific, and measurable goals for their programs, bridging any gaps between central office and schools. Truly defining success is often one of the most significant changes districts make through this work.
Finally, Academic-ROI is focused on both programmatic and system-wide improvement, ensuring that highly effective and efficient practices are preserved, systematized, and expanded, and ineffective and inefficient practices are changed. The goal of Academic-ROI isn’t a report on a program, but a systems-level change to how a district allocates precious and limited resources based on what works and for which students.