The Cowen Institute: About Us
Who We Are | Mission & Vision | History
Hurricane Katrina brought an opportunity to reinvent public education in New Orleans, and the education reform model that has emerged in the city is fundamentally different than that of the former New Orleans public school system. This transition has immersed Tulane University’s leadership in the effort to transform public education. In December 2006, the Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives (“Cowen Institute”) was established to lead the systemic reformation and transformation of the public education system.
The Cowen Institute takes Tulane University beyond the typical framework in which higher education institutions traditionally interact with preK-12 public education systems. Traditional involvement includes programs that focus on teacher preparation, leadership development, and policy research. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the Cowen Institute aspires to pioneer a new model for the role of higher education institutions in public schooling systems.
The institute’s key roles are:
- a bridge between education research, policy, and practice;
- a voice for the entire system of public schools;
- an incubator of programs that impact student achievement;
- a platform for collaboration and communication between communities, schools, experts, and non-profits, to share learnings and resources.
The Cowen Institute’s initiatives, priorities, and programs are guided by research, accountability to the community we seek to serve, and a desire to foster sustained long-term positive change. In order to achieve our goals for the public education system, we situate our efforts in the context of larger social policy, encourage grassroots advocacy, and collaborate with partner organizations, particularly Tulane entities, to draw on our collective strengths.
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