IMPACT
We measure impact by strengthening the systems that shape what students experience before, during, and after graduation, so pathways are clearer, supports are aligned, and outcomes improve.
1,000,000+ Students Reached
10,000+ Educators Supported
48 States Connected
25 Years of Systems-Building
Impact is measured through partnership reach, tools adopted, and system improvements over time.
Seven Patterns School Counselors are Seeing Across the Country Today
Across communities nationwide, school counselors are naming the same high-leverage patterns, signals of where postsecondary advising systems break down, and where coordinated action can improve outcomes. These insights guide our focus on data routines, role clarity, coordinated pathways, and continuous improvement.
Averages can look stable
while uneven outcomes persist.
Overall results may appear “fine,” but disaggregated data often reveals meaningful differences by student group, school site, and access to supports. What appears stable in aggregate can hide who is being left out.
FAFSA completion is a universal pressure point and a system health indicator.
FAFSA completion varies widely across schools and years, making it one of the clearest signals of system strength. When completion slips, affordability and access to postsecondary pathways slip with it.
The pipeline leaks after
enrollment because enrollment
isn’t the finish line.
Many systems track graduation and initial enrollment, but fewer track summer melt, first- year momentum, persistence, and completion. Without these measures, students can disappear from view right when support matters most.
Advanced coursework
access functions
like a gate.
Access to AP, dual enrollment, and other rigorous options, and the guidance to navigate them, strongly shapes readiness and postsecondary outcomes. When access is uneven, opportunity becomes uneven.
Data exists, but access and disaggregation are
persistent barriers.
Key data is often scattered across platforms or departments, making it hard to use consistently and longitudinally. Without easy access to disaggregated data, improvement work stalls.
Partner ecosystems are
common, coordinated
systems are not.
Districts frequently have many programs and partners, but uneven integration and unclear handoffs limit impact. Without shared routines and ownership, support can become fragmented for students.
School Counselor capacity shows
up as a root cause
across settings.
High caseloads and competing responsibilities make systems person-dependent and difficult to sustain. When capacity is stretched, even strong programs struggle to scale consistently.
These patterns are why Center NOVA strengthens the infrastructure around students, so guidance is reliable, coordinated, and actionable across the full journey after high school.
What we track
We track indicators that show whether advising systems are working consistently, across student groups, and over time.
Student Pathway
Milestones
Whether students are hitting key milestones on time and where the process breaks down by student group, school, or site.
Advising Access &
Consistency
Who is getting advising, how often, and through which touchpoints, so support isn’t left to chance.
Capacity &
Implementation
Whether teams have time, roles, and simple routines to implement improvements and sustain them past one person.
System Alignment
& Handoffs
Whether students experience a coordinated pathway or get bounced between disconnected supports.