Optimizing NewSchools’ Impact Metrics for Students with Learning Differences

Abstract

NewSchools Venture Fund (NewSchools) is a nonprofit venture philanthropy organization that has greatly invested in early-stage ventures to engender positive change in the K-12 education landscape, especially with students with learning differences. While NewSchools is demonstrating success in moving towards its goals, NewSchools is grappling with how to measure its investments' impact effectively. This study used a mixed methods approach through benchmarking, evidence-based validation, and documentation review and determined that, while NewSchools’ current structures to collect data have informed strategy changes in the organization, they lack ways to measure impact for students with learning differences effectively. Additionally, NewSchools has not named standardized approaches across different investment areas to strategically streamline operational efficiency and name metrics that would provide key information about these investments' impact on students with learning differences. This study outlines key recommendations NewSchools can take to align measurement approaches with industry standards and strengthen current surveying tools in NewSchools’ new strategy.