development to Elevate teachers over the course of the summer. Even after the summer Elevate [Math] program has concluded, our teachers take the teaching strategies that they learned over the course of the pro-
Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) Champions Learning for Today’s Tech-Savvy World
gram into their classrooms during the regular school year where each teacher impacts, on average, an additional 175 students. We’re proud to say that many of our former Elevate students are now eligible to attend top four-year colleges. Our programs change the life trajectory of young students, showing them that they can succeed in mastering critical subjects and get into a good college. Our drumbeat has always been “College Begins in Middle School.” BANP: How has SVEF made a difference and what impact do you still wish to see the foundation make? MC: WestEd, the regional laboratory of the U.S. Department of Education,
An Interview With
MUHAMMED CHAUDHRY, President and CEO
Muhammed Chaudhry sits in on an Elevate (Math) class to help students solve a math problem.
recently published an independent study that confirmed the effective-
people help make a difference?
ness of our flagship program, Elevate [Math]. The year-long, randomized
MC: The Silicon Valley Education Foundation is one of the Valley’s most
controlled trial showed that Elevate [Math] increased the algebra readi-
prominent voices in education, particularly in underserved communi-
ness level of students by 2.4 times compared to the control group. The
ties. We believe that the best way to close the racial, socio-economic,
study also concluded that the effect of our program is more than twice
and gender achievement gaps is through education. We are a strong
the typical effect found among similar summer intervention programs.
voice for innovation, especially championing STEM education and im-
We are also making a difference with our policy advocacy. Two years ago,
plementation of education technology in the classroom. SVEF’s strategy
we created the East Side Alliance. This partnership brings the East Side
is to partner with corporations and other organizations that understand
Union High School District and its elementary feeder districts together
the need to prepare our next generation of students for skilled profes-
to provide a seamless learning experience for students and boost aca-
sional jobs in the global marketplace.
demic achievement across the district. In addition, SVEF has advocated
With generous financial support from organizations such as Applied
for school districts to adopt “A-G” requirements - standards high school
Materials, Flextronics, Chevron, SanDisk, Adobe, Intel, and the 49ers
students must meet to be eligible for California’s UC and CSU systems.
Foundation, SVEF has developed STEM-focused initiatives and math and science intervention programs that have become state and national
BANP: What is Silicon Valley Education Foundation about, and what do
BANP: What do you love most about SVEF and the work that you all do?
The number of students who were enrolled into a default A-G curriculum
you all do?
MC: Changing children’s lives. We love that we are changing the learn-
rose from 12% to almost 70% over the last six years, thanks in large part
models for changing the lives of previously underserved students.
MC: I’ve built SVEF around the belief that a new kind of organization was
ing landscape in Silicon Valley in a significant way. More than 8,000
to SVEF’s policy advocacy efforts.
SVEF also helps teachers fund projects that school budgets are unable
needed – one with a different philosophy and approach to the challeng-
middle school students have gone through our summer Elevate [Math]
Another major impact has been SVEF’s Learning Innovation Hub (iHub),
to support. Through corporate and private fundraising, we have built
es in legacy systems. I saw the need to create a non-profit resource and
program, a 75-hour (four week) intervention course that prepares in-
which has been at the forefront of education technology implementa-
a Teacher Innovation Grant program, which offers teachers funding for
advocate for students and educators. As it stands, only 50% of our high
coming 8th graders for Algebra I (or the Common Core equivalent), a
tion. iHub connects EdTech entrepreneurs with classrooms across Sili-
field trips and innovative classroom projects. Field trips give many stu-
school graduates are eligible to apply to UC or CSU. Here at SVEF, we are
critical gatekeeper to college success. By providing these students with
con Valley, giving students a chance to live test the most cutting-edge
dents from less-advantaged communities unique opportunities to ex-
obsessed with putting all students on track for college and career read-
a strong academic foundation in 8th grade, we ensure that they are both
technology while simultaneously providing feedback to developers to
perience off-campus “learning labs,” such as the California Academy of
iness. By focusing on the critical areas of science, technology, engineer-
prepared for rigorous high school coursework and set up for success in
ensure that their product will best serve students. iHub has elevated
Sciences in San Francisco or the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
ing, and math (STEM), we help students develop skills that will prepare
college. Elevate [Math], which we offer at no cost to students or their
learning for several hundred students by providing them with new tools
SVEF welcomes volunteers to make a difference in the lives of children by
them for the demands of the 21st century workforce.
families, targets students from under-served schools who score at the
that enhance their classroom experience.
helping tutor and mentor students in our Elevate [Math] classes.
To this end, we’re addressing the issues on three fronts: we work directly
“Standard Nearly Met” level on the math portion of their SBAC examina-
A final innovative program is our 49ers STEM Leadership Institute, in con-
with school districts and stakeholders to promote positive policy chang-
tion.
junction with the 49ers Foundation. Now in its second year, the program
BANP: What is it you like to say to potential donors and volunteers? Why
es for all students, provide direct programming for students in subjects
The Elevate [Math] program was designed with the goal of closing the
has enrolled 120 middle school students in a rigorous STEM curriculum
is SVEF so special?
that put them on track to succeed in college, and support innovative ini-
racial “achievement gap” in Silicon Valley – the measured discrepancy in
within the Santa Clara Unified School District. Students are exposed to
MC: We make a difference in children’s lives by placing some of the most
tiatives to bring better technologies into our classrooms.
academic performance between students of color and their white peers.
a high-tech environment with cutting-edge tools, such as laser cutters,
academically and economically-challenged students in our proven pro-
SVEF’s programs and initiatives include math intervention courses
In serving a population of students in which the majority are students of
a 3D printer, and robotics kits to help them strengthen their math and
grams with the goal of providing them support and a pathway to college
called Elevate [Math]; our 49ers STEM Leadership Institute that serves
color, Elevate [Math] works to ensure that all students are afforded the
engineering skills as they aim for admission to top-tier colleges in STEM
and successful careers. We are changing the education landscape by sig-
high-achieving students from underserved schools; the Learning Inno-
educational opportunities necessary to succeed in college and beyond
fields. We’re now building on our early success by expanding the pro-
nificantly improving student achievement in STEM subjects through our
vation Hub (iHub) that connects Bay Area classrooms with EdTech entre-
regardless of their background.
gram into high school.
academic programs and supporting technological innovation that trans-
preneurs; East Side Alliance that joins the East Side Union High School
Over the past two years, the Elevate [Math] program has aligned its cur-
We hope to lead the charge in expanding opportunities for education
form students’ classroom experiences. In partnering with underserved
District and elementary feeder districts to provide seamless learning
riculum to the new Common Core State Standards. In doing so we hope
technology implementation and pushing for computer science educa-
districts that predominantly serve students of color, we are resolved to
and advocates for district adoption of “A-G” standards. We also provide
to acquaint students with the new standards so that they will enter their
tion to become part of all schools’ core curriculum.
ensure that all students in Silicon Valley are given access to educational
Teacher Innovation Grants and community education forums.
8th grade math course more confident in their ability to succeed. We are also excited to provide 35 hours of Common Core-aligned professional
opportunities that pave the way to college so we can develop the next BANP: What would you like the world to know about SVEF and how can
generation of Silicon Valley’s leaders and innovators.