Collaborative for Student Success is an educational advocacy organization that focuses its efforts on advancing policies that support the development of the controversial Common Core State Standards (CCSS). ¹ Collaborative for Student Success is a project of the New Venture Fund, a funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit managed by the left-leaning consulting firm Arabella Advisors. ²

Collaborative for Student Success is a strong supporter of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) ³ and runs a number of campaigns to support the national education legislation, including Check State Plans, Assessment HQ, and Understanding ESSA. ⁴

Collaborative for Student Success is one of a dozen organizations that signed a “Call to Action” in response to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)’s October 2019 testing results. The Call to Action demands raising academic standards and standardizing curriculum. ⁵

Activities

Collaborative for Student Success focuses its efforts on advancing policies that support the development of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). CCSS would institute a standardized curriculum across the United States. ⁶ The organization claims that it works to prepare equally all students for college or a caree, by pushing for higher standards and more rigorous assessments. ⁷

Collaborative for Student Success has also been a strong force behind the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), ⁸ which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015. ⁹ The organization currently has a number of campaigns that support ESSA, namely Check State Plans, Assessment HQ, and Understanding ESSA. ¹⁰

Collaborative for Student Success has several other current campaigns, which include Educators for High Standards, Honesty Gap, Math Resources, and Military Families for High Standards. ¹¹

In response to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)’s October 2019 testing results, Collaborative for Student Success was one of a dozen organizations that signed a “Call to Action” in support of standardized curriculum and raising academic standards. The other organizations involved are: ¹²

• Achieve
• Alliance for Excellent Education
• Education Trust
• Fordham Institute
• Learning Heroes
• Literacy How
• Military Child Education Coalition
• Nation Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
• National Council on Teacher Quality
• National Urban Alliance
• National Urban League

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest funder of Collaborative for Student Success, as Bill Gates is a noted advocate for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the U.S. education system. ¹³ In 2020 alone, the Foundation granted $4 million to the organization. ¹⁴

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation granted Collaborative for Student Success $1.8 million between 2014 and 2018. ¹⁵ Carnegie Corporation of New York granted the organization $1.725 million between 2014 and 2019. ¹⁶

Other notable funders include the Bloomberg Family Foundation (Bloomberg Philanthropies), the ExxonMobil Foundation, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. ¹⁷

People

Jim Cowen is the executive director and formerly worked as deputy director and director for military outreach. ¹⁸

Adam Ezring is the deputy director and former director of policy. Ezring formerly worked as a senior advocacy associate for the Council of Chief State School Officers and as a legislative analyst for the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. ¹⁹

Joshua Parrish is a communications specialist who formerly worked in the public policy and government affairs department of the National LGBTQ Task Force and as a fellow at the ACLU of Idaho and Washington Bus. ²⁰

1. “Our Work.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/our-work.
2. “Project Directory.” New Venture Fund. Accessed March 13, 2020. http://www.newventurefund.org/project-directory/.
3. Freske, Will. “Leadership Profile of Jim Cowen of Collaborative for Student Success.” Social Innovations Journal, January 20, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://socialinnovationsjournal.org/editions/issue-59/73-leadership/3054-leadership-profile-jim-cowen-of-collaborative-for-student-success.
4. “Our Campaigns.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020.  https://forstudentsuccess.org/our-campaigns/.
5. “NAEP Results: Our Urgent Call to Action.” Collaborative for Student Success. Accessed May 9, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/NAEP-Results_Our_Urgent_Call_to_Action.pdf.
6. “Our Work.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/our-work.
7. “About the Collaborative.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/about/.
8. Freske, Will. “Leadership Profile of Jim Cowen of Collaborative for Student Success.” Social Innovations Journal, January 20, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://socialinnovationsjournal.org/editions/issue-59/73-leadership/3054-leadership-profile-jim-cowen-of-collaborative-for-student-success.
9. “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” U.S. Department of Education. Accessed May 24, 2020. https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn.
10. “Our Campaigns.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020.  https://forstudentsuccess.org/our-campaigns/.
11. “Our Campaigns.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020.  https://forstudentsuccess.org/our-campaigns/.
12. “NAEP Results: Our Urgent Call to Action.” Collaborative for Student Success. Accessed May 9, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/NAEP-Results_Our_Urgent_Call_to_Action.pdf.
13. Schneider, Merecedes. “Gates Is at It Again: The Common Core-Centered ‘Collaborative for Student Success.’” Huff Post, December 6, 2017. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gates-is-at-it-again-the-_b_6171056.
14. “Awarded Grants: New Venture Fund.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=new%20venture%20fund.
15. “Grants: Collaborative for Student Success.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/?keyword=collaborative%20for%20student%20success&sort=relevance&current_page=1.
16. “Grants Database: Collaborative for Student Success.” Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/?q=Collaborative+for+student+success&per_page=26.
17. “About.” Collaborative for Student Success, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2020. https://forstudentsuccess.org/about/.
18. “Jim Cowen.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed May 9, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-cowen-1607036/.
19. “Adam Ezring.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed May 9, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ezring-2309aa75/.
20. “Joshua Parrish.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed May 9, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrishjosh/.