KIPP Schools, USA

KIPP is a national network of 82 public charter schools in underserved communities, serving more than 21,000 students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. More than 80 percent of KIPP students are from low-income communities, and more than 90 percent are African American or Latino.  Nationally, over 85 percent of KIPP alumni who have completed eighth grade at KIPP have enrolled in college.  KIPP’s goals extend beyond imparting knowledge and raising achievement levels; they include helping students develop the skills and character traits needed to succeed in high school, college, and life.

All KIPP schools share a core set of operating principles known as the Five Pillars:

High Expectations — KIPP schools set clearly defined and measurable high expectations for academic achievement and character that make no excuses based on the students’ backgrounds.

Choice & Commitment — Each member of the KIPP school community — parents, students, and teachers — signs a ‘commitment to excellence form’ pledging the effort necessary for success.

Results — KIPP schools focus on high student performance on standardized tests and other objective measures, and emphasize continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

Power to Lead — KIPP school leaders have the freedom to innovate in the way they manage and organize, allowing them maximum effectiveness in helping students learn.

More time — KIPP schools are typically in session from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, every other Saturday, and for three weeks in the summer.

As a teacher in a KIPP school, you can look forward to:

Support of Team & Family – Teaching at a KIPP school is a unique opportunity to work alongside like-minded educators who are united by the belief that every student can and will achieve at high levels if they are taught at high levels. This belief builds a team environment where teachers constantly challenge each other, stopping at nothing to ensure that they fulfill the promises they have made to students and their families–which takes personal commitment, responsibility and sacrifice.

High Quality, Innovative Instruction – KIPP teachers have the freedom to design and adapt instruction to meet the needs of all their students. Customized lessons allow teachers to be creative and innovative, becoming catalysts for student success. KIPP teachers can learn and share techniques with colleagues at their own schools and across the network. Using KIPP’s Five Pillars as the driving educational philosophy, KIPP teachers balance a rigorous curriculum with joy in learning.

Commitment to Excellence -Students, parents, and staff members are all at KIPP by choice. When choosing KIPP, they are asked to sign what is known as the Commitment to Excellence. By signing this contract, each person playing a role in an individual student’s future (parent, student, and staff member) makes a promise to do whatever it will take to see that student to and through college.

Extended Learning Time – KIPP schools provide students more learning time than do traditional schools. How each school adds extra time varies, but usually includes some Saturdays and summer school. Additional time means teachers can catch students up and also dive further into content so students achieve at higher levels. Schools can also provide activities such as music, chess, and sports. At most KIPP schools, the school year culminates with high-quality experiential field lessons to places such as national parks, historically significant regions, and college campuses.

The Origins of KIPP

The original KIPP academies grew out of a fifth grade public school program in inner-city Houston launched in 1994 by two Teach For America alumni, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin. In 1995, Feinberg remained in Houston to lead KIPP Academy Middle School, and Levin returned home to New York City to establish KIPP Academy in the South Bronx. These two original KIPP Academies became the starting place for a growing network of schools that are transforming the lives of students in underserved communities and redefining the notion of what is possible in public education.

For more information on KIPP go to: http://www.kipp.org/

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