small logo large logo
LinkedIn Email Twitter

Incubator

The Incubator Team leads the research and evaluation efforts for the NISS. Building on established literature and available data, the Incubator is responsible for curating research and analysis projects that inform student success practices. Often collaborating with scholars and think-tanks across the country, the team oversees cutting-edge projects such as the M.A.A.P.S. project and the recently awarded Postsecondary Student Success Grant from the Department of Education. Moreover, the team is responsible for creating and disseminating the findings from our research projects to encourage adoption and scalability. The Incubator also oversees internal evaluation and process improvement efforts for the NISS. As a hub for innovation, the Incubator supports the NISS’s work to transform student success efforts nationwide.

1

Workforce Outcomes

Thanks to generous funding from Strada Education Foundation, the NISS is launching a new research project in Fall ’24 exploring students’ post-graduation outcomes. Given Georgia State’s success in improving its graduation rates and that the data-driven proactive student success model’s components were initiated almost 15 years ago, it is both timely and feasible now to extend the assessments to include post-graduation outcomes. The goal of this project is to understand whether specific aspects of the student success model lead to measurable differences in career outcomes. The insights obtained from this project will improve our understanding of how various programs impact the achievement of strong and equitable career outcomes, especially for students from underserved backgrounds.

2

TEACH ME

Georgia State University (GSU) was awarded a $7.6 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Postsecondary Student Success Program. This grant supports the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) at GSU and its partners, including Morgan State University and the University of Central Florida in its implementation of the Technology Enhanced Academic Communication to Help in Math & English (TEACH ME) project. The grant will fund a project to study the impact of AI-enhanced chatbots on student outcomes, specifically targeting first-year math and English courses. The chatbots aim to improve grades and retention rates for all students.

3

NISS Evaluation & Assessment

Clients work with NISS coaches to produce recommendations to improve students’ outcomes on their campus. Ongoing assessment of the NISS Diagnostic process and institutions’ uptake of the recommendations provided to them – alongside their outcomes – is key to generating innovative recommendations that improve student outcomes. The NISS regularly surveys all client institutions after the conclusion of their engagement. Every Recommendation, Action, and Step are accounted for in the survey and alignment across responders is considered. Evaluation work is ongoing though initial findings indicate significant progress for our partners, particularly in the Proactive Advising, Academic Design and Support, Data, and Financial Wellness areas.

Short Takes

More Short Takes

Impact Report

The National Institute for Student Success is pleased to present our Inaugural Impact Report. This report details the origin and mission of the NISS, the services we provide, and initial outcomes from our partner institutions. Founded with the goal of enhancing graduation rates and reducing equity gaps, the NISS has worked with over 70 institutions, collectively enrolling one million students, to scale our evidence-based student success programs. Through our open-access educational modules and tailored Diagnostic and Implementation services, client institutions have seen substantial improvements in retention rates, particularly benefiting historically underserved students.  We look forward to the continued success of our partners in the years to come.

Research Reports

KHA Report