Director of Academic Return on Investment (AROI) and Program Effectiveness

Director of Academic Return on Investment (AROI) and Program Effectiveness Job Title: Director of Academic Return on Investment (AROI) & Program Effectiveness Salary Schedule: Local Administrator Salary Under the direction of the Executive Director of Research, Assessment, and Student Information, the Director of Academic Return on Investment (AROI) & Program Effectiveness leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the district's Academic Return on Investment framework. The position serves as an objective and independent resource for program evaluation, investment analysis, strategic research, and continuous improvement by providing accurate, actionable, and evidence-based information that supports district decision‑making, aligns resources with student outcomes and district priorities, and strengthens fiscal stewardship. The Director supports the evaluation of district investments, including programs, technologies, staffing models, professional learning, curriculum resources, grants, and strategic initiatives, through analysis of implementation, outcomes, equity impact, sustainability, and return on investment. The position collaborates with district leaders to ensure investments are evidence-informed, outcome‑driven, and aligned with the district’s mission, strategic priorities, and commitment to equitable outcomes for all students. The Director is responsible for ensuring that programs, technologies, staffing models, and initiatives are consistently adopted, implemented, monitored, and evaluated through a disciplined process that includes implementation planning, evaluation planning, equity review, and analysis of expected return on investment. Through the AROI framework, the position supports district leaders in making evidence‑informed decisions that maximize student impact, organizational effectiveness, and fiscal stewardship. Academic Return on Investment (AROI) Framework Leadership Develop, implement, and continuously refine the district’s AROI framework. Establish evaluation methodologies, review cycles, implementation benchmarks, success criteria, and monitoring systems for district investments and initiatives. Develop processes and tools that support evidence‑informed decision‑making and strategic resource allocation. Create and maintain systems for evaluating implementation, effectiveness, sustainability, equity impact, and return on investment across district initiatives. Collaborate with district leaders to ensure investment decisions are aligned with district priorities, student outcomes, and organizational goals. Research and Strategic Investment Analysis Conduct research and analysis on programs, technologies, staffing models, professional learning, curriculum resources, and strategic initiatives under consideration by the district. Review and synthesize research, industry trends, best practices, and evidence from peer districts and educational organizations to inform decision‑making. Conduct vendor and solution analyses to support selection processes and investment decisions. Develop templates for implementation plans, product adoptions, decisions about new programs, staffing models, and other decisions that will require funding. Assist departments and district leaders in developing implementation plans, evaluation plans, success metrics, timelines, and monitoring benchmarks prior to investment decisions. Identify potential risks, implementation challenges, and opportunities associated with proposed initiatives and investments. Program Effectiveness and Evaluation Conduct districtwide evaluations of academic programs, operational initiatives, staffing models, technology investments, professional learning, curriculum resources, grants, and strategic priorities. Analyze implementation fidelity, participation, resource utilization, outcomes, sustainability, and equity impact to determine program effectiveness. Develop objective reports and findings that communicate strengths, challenges, trends, outcomes, and opportunities for improvement. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data sources, statistical analysis, evaluation methodologies, and performance measures to assess program effectiveness. Collaborate with district leaders, departments, and project teams to gather information necessary for program evaluation and effectiveness reviews. Continuous Improvement and Strategic Review Facilitate structured program review processes that support continuous improvement and strategic decision‑making. Support district leaders in interpreting findings, identifying improvement opportunities, and developing action plans based on evaluation results. Monitor progress toward established implementation benchmarks, success measures, and desired outcomes. Assist departments in evaluating the effectiveness of improvement efforts while maintaining implementation responsibility with program leaders and department staff. Support the development of organizational systems and practices that promote continuous improvement and accountability. Reporting and Organizational Learning Serve as an objective and independent resource for district leaders by providing accurate, actionable, and evidence-based information. Develop dashboards, reports, presentations, and tools that support strategic planning, program review, and investment decisions. Present annual districtwide AROI findings, trends, and recommendations to Cabinet. Provide periodic reports and updates to district leadership teams regarding program effectiveness, investment outcomes, and emerging trends. Support district efforts to build organizational capacity for evaluation, continuous improvement, strategic planning, and evidence-informed decision‑making. Leadership and Organizational Responsibilities Collaborate with district leaders, departments, schools, and external partners to support evaluation, planning, and improvement efforts. Coordinate project teams, consultants, analysts, and stakeholders as needed to support evaluation and investment review processes. Assist with the development of reports, presentations, and communications related to district priorities, strategic initiatives, and investment decisions in collaboration with the Research, Assessment, and Student Information team. Maintain current knowledge of research methodologies, program evaluation practices, educational trends, organizational effectiveness strategies, and return on investment frameworks. Participate in Instructional Services Division meetings, District Leadership Team meetings, and department meetings. Perform related duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Research, Assessment, and Student Information. Maintain compliance with all district policies, procedures, and expectations. Education / Experience Requirements Master’s degree in Research and Evaluation, Data Analytics, Educational Administration, Educational Leadership, or a related field. Three to five years of experience in research, program evaluation, data analytics, strategic planning, organizational improvement, or program management in a school district (preferred). Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data, synthesize research, facilitate collaborative problem‑solving, and communicate findings to diverse audiences. Experience developing evaluation frameworks, implementation plans, performance measures, and continuous improvement processes (preferred). Experience supporting organizational decision‑making through research, analysis, and strategic planning (preferred). Physical Requirements Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards. Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards. Disclaimer: This document provides descriptive information about the above position. Work actually performed by incumbents in this position may vary. Although this document may be used for recruiting, staffing, or career planning, the information contained herein should only be used as a guideline or recommendation for the content of and qualifications for this position. The district reserves the right to make changes to this document as deemed necessary without providing advance written notice. #J-18808-Ljbffr