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District presents CHAMPS/Start on Time AROI study after McIntosh reports gains in attendance and achievement
Summary
Rockford Public Schools staff presented early results from CHAMPS and Start on Time pilot sites and outlined a multi‑year AROI study: pilot elementary schools showed attendance improvements, declines in incidents and a 14‑point jump in teacher retention at some sites; the district set targets for attendance and discipline and plans to return with data in March.
District staff told the Committee of the Whole that CHAMPS classroom‑management practices and the Start on Time initiative are showing early positive signals in pilot schools and outlined the Academic Return on Investment (AROI) design used to evaluate the programs.
“Those pilot schools saw a large jump in their attendance…and we are seeing the results continue to improve every year,” said Blake Hand, executive director of schools for the Southwest quadrant, describing early attendance and behavior trends. The presentation showed pilot schools moved from lower baselines toward stated targets and included teacher‑retention improvements (one pilot group’s retention rose from 67% to 81%).
Sarah Brenner, Executive Director of Schools and Special Programs, described Start on Time for high schools as a building‑level strategy to reduce tardies by creating supervision structures and consistent responses when students are late. She said implementation teams at each secondary building set reduction goals and protocols.
The AROI team presented measurable targets: for the pilot elementary group, attendance is targeted at 90% (from 86%); discipline rates are targeted to decline; teacher retention goals align to district or state averages depending on group. Staff said the study will be multi‑year, will use internal quantitative data and qualitative feedback from school teams, and will return to the board with a data update in March.
Trustees asked about data definitions and tracking differences at high schools (e.g., how tardies are coded). Staff said they will standardize tracking for AROI comparisons and warned that initial implementation often produces an uptick in behavior reporting as schools begin measuring previously untracked incidents. The board did not vote; staff requested time to collect additional data and prepare March follow‑up.
