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Evaluation of the Networks for School Improvement (NSI) Initiative
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Evaluation of the Networks for School Improvement (NSI) Initiative

NSI Impacts on Students and the Aspects of NSI Implementation Related to Impacts: Final Report
Published: Apr 22, 2026
Publisher: Gates Foundation
Human Services Education College and Career Readiness Employment Labor: Strengthening and Disseminating Research Training and Re-employment Foundations Research & Evaluation Policy Analysis

Authors

Matthew Johnson

Naihobe Gonzalez

Jeffrey Max

Tareena Musaddiq

Sophia Seifert

Michelle Bennett

Ren Schlosser

Key Findings

  • The 8th-grade on-track NSI had a positive impact on math test scores equivalent to moving a student from the 37th to the 40th percentile. The 8th-grade on-track NSI did not improve English language arts (ELA) test scores, attendance, or suspension rates.
  • The 9th-grade on-track NSI had positive impacts on course-related outcomes. The NSI improved students’ grade point average (GPA) by about 0.11 points on a 4-point scale, and improved course pass rates by 3 to 4 percentage points. These NSI did not reduce suspension rates.
  • The college-ready on-track NSI did not impact the student outcomes prioritized by the foundation: GPA, advanced course taking, math and ELA test scores, high school graduation, or college enrollment.
  • The well-matched postsecondary enrollment NSI increased the proportion of students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by 3 to 5 percentage points but did not increase college enrollment rates.
The use of network-based continuous improvement (CI) in education has grown substantially in recent years. The approach involves a network of schools using CI to iteratively test and refine strategies that address a common challenge while learning from one another. The Gates Foundation invested in networked-based CI from 2018 to 2025 by awarding more than $300 million to intermediary organizations that led 34 Networks for School Improvement (NSI) across the country. This report describes the effect of the NSI initiative on student outcomes through schools’ fourth year of participation and explores the aspects of implementation that may have contributed to its effects by comparing outcomes for students in NSI schools to similar students in comparable schools that did not participate in the initiative.

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