How do we measure impact? The ROI of ESSER and beyond

As the ESSER deadline looms large, it’s more crucial than ever to invest limited resources to generate the biggest impact for students who need it the most.?

But how do you know which strategies have worked, are working, or will work??

In an ideal world, impact is measured against historical trends or by comparing interventions against a control group. But we can’t always rely on these traditional methods—especially when it comes to measuring the efficacy of ESSER-funded initiatives.?

Strategic leadership for public education requires a nuanced understanding of returns on our investments.??

We’ve been working with districts in Texas on a new way of evaluating whether academic strategies deliver the desired and necessary impact: System Strategy ROI (SSROI). This five-step process expands beyond traditional methods of measuring ROI and provides a platform for school and district leaders to build a shared vision and an understanding of chosen strategies that combine to deliver on that vision.?

The SSROI approach gives leaders a tangible way to measure impact—whether you’re making difficult decisions about the trade-offs necessary to sustain impactful ESSER investments or planning initiatives to support your strategic priorities for years to come.?

Learn how you can take an SSROI approach in your district.?

System Strategy ROI – Leaders to Learn From

Our latest content package provides:?

• NEW video interviews with Texas district leaders in Lubbock ISD, Comal ISD, and Edgewood ISD, on how they took an SSROI approach, engaged other stakeholders, and overcame challenges.?
• An SSROI brief, which details the 5 steps of the process and things to watch out for to maximize its impact.?

See our video interviews and step-by-step guide.

More on ROI and Continuous Improvement?

• ESSER and Continuous Improvement ROI: As we approach the ESSER deadline, it’s critical that school districts make the most of their remaining time by evaluating whether strategies are having the desired impact on student experiences. By assessing the quality of implementation and leading indicators, district leaders can scale or change strategies and lay the foundation for better student outcomes beyond when funding runs out.??
• Getting Real About Continuous Improvement: Dallas ISD made a “big bet” on intersession as an academic-recovery strategy to provide more instructional time for students and more time for teachers to plan targeted support. See how the district took a continuous improvement approach to implement the strategy, measure and communicate it, and adjust along the way as they learned what worked.?
• The Strategic CFO: This resource is one of our most powerful tools. CFOs can use this guide to inform personal reflection and to improve practices for facilitating cross-functional conversations with stakeholders.?

Acknowledgments?

We want to thank the following partners and collaborators for making this happen: the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Impact Network. ?

Stay tuned for more “Every school. Every student.”—a newsletter featuring tools and resources to empower?K-12 leaders to redesign school systems and improve student outcomes.

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