The NAIS Student Outcomes Project is a bold new research initiative made possible by a generous grant from The Edward E. Ford Foundation.
Goals
The NAIS Student Outcomes Project will help us better understand and articulate the impact of independent schools. One specific and important goal of the project is to examine outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds who graduate from independent schools and the degree to which our schools serve as effective springboards for their college and future aspirations.
Through this multi-year project, we aim to:
- Better tell the story of independent schools. What we discover about the impact of our schools on students’ college outcomes will help inform and inspire not only college admission professionals but also prospective families, teachers, and funders—and the public at large.
- Strengthen the case for investing in access and affordability initiatives at independent schools. Understanding the impact—and potential impact—of an independent school education on students from low-income backgrounds will deepen independent schools’ strong commitment to access and affordability. We also hope to uncover best practices that we can share with all schools.
What Comes Next
In Spring 2026, as a first phase of this multi-year initiative, we will work with NAIS member schools to collect data related to students’ college search process, specifically. Independent schools aim to prepare students for success in ways other than and beyond finding success in college; however, how a student fares in accessing college is one important measure that we aim to better understand in this project.
Members: Look for more information to come about this data collection process. If you have any questions or feedback, please send an email to studentoutcomes@nais.org.
Thank You to the Student Outcomes College Counselors Cohort
The following schools have graciously participated in the Student Outcomes College Counselors Cohort. We are grateful to the professionals listed below for providing input and advice to assist us in envisioning and scoping the project.
We also extend our thanks to the additional team members from schools on this list who elected to provide foundational data that will help us shape the future direction of this work.
- Castilleja School (CA), Gabrielle McColgan
- Dunn School (CA), Terri Devine
- Duchesne School (TX), Katie Frink
- Emma Willard School (NY), Ashley Bennett
- The Field School (DC), Forbes Mann
- Harpeth Hall (TN), Janet Weller
- John Burroughs School (MO), Darryl Calkins
- Marlborough School (CA), Brian K. Smith
- Nueva School (CA), Gavin Bradley
- Park Tudor School (IN), Shari Sutton
- Pinewood School (CA), Alyson Tom
- Posnack School (FL), Aleny Garcia
- St. Anne’s Belfield School (VA), Sandra Sohne-Johnston
- University School Nashville (TN), Aaron Fulk
- North Shore Country Day School (IL), Kristin Kaczynski