How We Calculate ROI and Impact with Alongside

When you receive your Alongside Impact Report, the numbers you see – from estimated ROI to hours of support delivered – are based on real student data and national averages. 

DISCOVER YOUR ROI: Try the Alongside impact calculator

According to the American Educational Research Association, it is estimated that 20%-30% of middle school students receive at least one disciplinary referral each year. With Alongside, schools see close to half of those prevented on average, and in some cases, reductions of 70% or more. Using conservative calculations based on these averages, we are able to provide an estimated return on investment when a school or district implements Alongside. 

To arrive at a total, we add up several areas where schools see cost savings when discipline issues decrease and student supports improve:

• Fewer referrals: Every disciplinary referral takes administrator and staff time. By cutting referrals, schools save an average of $50–$150 per incident.
  
  
• Fewer alternative placements: On average, 1 in 200 students are placed in an alternative school setting, at a cost of about $10,000 per student. Reducing referrals helps avoid many of these placements.
  
  
• Increased attendance (ADA funding): Fewer suspensions mean more days in class, which translates into additional per-day attendance funding (typically $30–$70 per day).
  
  
• Teacher retention: Less disruption means lower turnover. Districts save $30,000–$60,000 per teacher by avoiding replacement and training costs.

Additional Impact Measures

Beyond dollars, your Alongside report also includes an estimate of key student impact metrics such as:

• Support hours delivered
• Skill-building activities completed
• Severe issues identified
• Disciplinary referrals avoided

Why This Matters

Your Impact Report is meant to give you both a financial ROI and a student wellbeing snapshot, showing how reducing discipline issues, improving attendance, and delivering proactive support translates into measurable results for your district.

Every calculation is grounded in conservative national averages so you can be confident the numbers represent a realistic picture of what Alongside can deliver.

👉 Ready to discuss your impact report with our team? Schedule a consultation today!