The S.H. Cowell Foundation makes grants to support public elementary and secondary schools (K-12) because we believe that education is one of the most fundamental ways to improve quality of life and create opportunities for children living in poverty. We focus on neighborhood public schools because they are the schools on which most families rely.

At present, efforts to improve public schools are dominated by the push for standards; that is, defining what students should know and be able to do, and then holding schools accountable for student achievement as measured by annual tests. Given the well-documented link between parents’ income and children’s school success, it comes as no surprise that most of the schools that have been identified as “under-performing” are located in high-poverty communities.

Those schools now find themselves under tremendous pressure to raise test scores immediately—and most have done so, to a point. Unfortunately, strategies that quickly raise scores from “poor” to “fair” may not give students the education they need to fully achieve the standards. For example, an intense focus on basic, discrete reading skills may not help students understand and apply ideas from what they read. Similarly, in math, a narrow focus on computational skills may not lead to students who can think mathematically and solve complex problems. Yet, the standards—and real life—require students to do all these things.

Of particular concern are the challenges faced by students whose first language is not English. One in every four students in California is an English Learner. In high-poverty schools, English Learners are often the majority.

Within this environment, Cowell makes grants to help improve the quality of teaching and foster student achievement. A number of recent Cowell grants help teachers develop the special knowledge and skills they need to teach English Learners effectively.

In general, the projects we support are aligned with the standards and accountability goals set by state and federal authorities; however, we do not support “quick fixes” that may lift test scores but leave schools fundamentally unchanged. Rather, we invest in the development of master teachers and high-functioning, purposeful schools where students not only test well, but also learn well.

Education Funding Criteria