KIPP (school)

KIPP (school)
Name	KIPP
Caption	KIPP school building
Established	1994
Type	Charter school network
Founder	David Levin, Mike Feinberg
Country	United States

KIPP (school) is a national network of public charter schools operating primarily in urban areas of the United States. Founded in 1994, the network emphasizes extended instructional time, rigorous academic expectations, and a college-preparatory culture aimed at increasing college matriculation for students from underserved communities. KIPP schools operate across multiple states and partner with local districts, philanthropies, and higher education institutions to scale their model.

History

KIPP traces its origins to two former Teach For America corps members, David Levin and Mike Feinberg, who opened the first school in Houston in 1994 with inspiration drawn from Teach For America, Edmund Burke School, Hunter College High School, and community organizations in Houston, Texas. Early expansion involved pilots in New York City, San Francisco, and Baltimore, leveraging support from philanthropists associated with The Walton Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Robin Hood Foundation. In the 2000s, KIPP joined networks of charter operators alongside Success Academy Charter Schools, Uncommon Schools, and Achievement First as charter advocacy accelerated through policy shifts influenced by legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act and discussions at venues such as the Bill Clinton Presidential Center. KIPP’s growth included the formation of KIPP Foundation and regional KIPP schools in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C..

Organization and Governance

KIPP operates as a federation of independently governed charter schools coordinated by the KIPP Foundation, which provides training, oversight, and network services. Governance structures vary: individual schools are chartered by local authorizers such as New York State Education Department, Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, or independent charter boards like San Francisco Unified School District authorizers. The KIPP Foundation sets network standards and professional development through regional offices and leadership academies influenced by management practices from organizations like Teach For America and NewSchools Venture Fund. KIPP’s board includes leaders from philanthropy, higher education institutions like Harvard University and Yale University, and the private sector, alongside former officials from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education.

Curriculum and Educational Model

KIPP schools adopt a core model emphasizing extended school days, longer academic years, a college-preparatory curriculum, and a character-development framework known as "KIPP Essentials." Instructional materials often draw from vendors and partners including SRA/McGraw-Hill, Saxon Math, Core Knowledge, and resources influenced by practices at High Tech High and Success Academy. KIPP promotes teacher collaboration through professional learning communities and coaching inspired by models from Uncommon Schools and Relay Graduate School of Education. Social-emotional learning, college counseling, and extracurricular programming link to partnerships with institutions such as College Advising Corps and local universities including University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University.

Admissions and Enrollment

KIPP enrollment uses an open lottery process to allocate seats in compliance with charter laws overseen by state authorizers like Texas Education Agency, California Charter Schools Association, and local school boards including New York City Department of Education. The lottery aims to provide access for students from communities served by schools in neighborhoods such as Bronx, Brooklyn, Oakland, Compton, and South Los Angeles. KIPP typically targets low-income communities and historically underrepresented groups, coordinating outreach with community organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America and faith-based groups including local Catholic Charities and United Way chapters.

Performance and Outcomes

KIPP reports outcomes including standardized test gains, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment metrics evaluated by external researchers at institutions like Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and research centers including RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. Independent studies have found mixed effects across regions: some evaluations show significant gains in reading and mathematics and higher college matriculation rates comparable to findings in analyses from Princeton University researchers, while other studies note variable impacts dependent on local implementation, authorizer oversight, and student mobility patterns documented by scholars at University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University.

Funding and Partnerships

KIPP schools receive public funding through per-pupil allocations under state charter finance systems and supplement revenue with philanthropic grants from entities such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, Goldman Sachs, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Partnerships with local universities, corporations, and nonprofit organizations support teacher recruitment, professional development, and college advising; collaborators have included Teach For America, NewSchools Venture Fund, AmeriCorps, and major employers in metropolitan areas like Google, Bank of America, and Microsoft. Real estate and facilities financing have involved municipal incentives and loans from community development financial institutions related to projects in cities like Houston, Denver, and New Orleans.

Criticisms and Controversies

KIPP has faced criticism and controversy over issues including student attrition, disciplinary practices, labor disputes with teacher unions such as United Federation of Teachers and Chicago Teachers Union, and debates over charter accountability raised in forums including U.S. Senate hearings and local school board meetings. Investigations and reporting by media outlets and academic critics at institutions like Columbia University and University of California, Los Angeles have examined topics such as equity, special education services, and transparency in contracting with vendors. Legal and policy challenges have arisen in jurisdictions including New York State, California, and Texas concerning charter renewals, facility leases, and compliance with state education statutes.

Category:Charter schools in the United States