About KIPP

History.

KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) began in 1994 when two teachers, Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg, launched a fifth-grade public school program in inner-city Houston, Texas, after completing their commitment to Teach For America. While only half of the students passed their fourth-grade tests before enrolling in KIPP, that year more than 90 percent passed the Texas fifth-grade exams in English and mathematics.

In 1995, Feinberg remained in Houston to lead KIPP Academy Middle School, and Levin returned home to New York 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.

Today, there are 82 KIPP schools serving over 20,000 students in 19 states and Washington, DC. KIPP schools are open to all students regardless of prior academic record, behavioral conduct, or socioeconomic background. Over 80 percent of KIPP students are from low-income communities, and more than 95 percent of KIPP students are African American or Latino.

The Five Pillars.

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

High Expectations. Students, parents, teachers, and staff create a culture of achievement and support, an environment in which students are prepared for the rigors of high school and college.

Choice & Commitment. Everyone at KIPP makes a commitment to his or her school and to one another to put in the time and effort required to achieve success.

More Time. With an extended school day, week, and year, students spend more time in school learning and have more opportunities to engage in diverse extracurricular experiences.

Power To Lead. The principals of KIPP schools are effective academic and organizational leaders. They are free to innovate, make staffing changes, and swiftly move dollars, allowing them maximum effectiveness in helping students learn.

Focus On Results. KIPP schools relentlessly focus on high student performance on standardized tests and other objective measures, as well as emphasize continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

The KIPP Foundation.

In 2000, Doris and Don Fisher, co-founders of Gap Inc., formed a partnership with Feinberg and Levin to replicate the success of the original KIPP Academies, establishing the non-profit KIPP Foundation to recruit and train outstanding school leaders to open KIPP schools across the country. More than 80 KIPP school leaders have benefited from the KIPP School Leadership Program, opening new KIPP schools and succeeding founding school leaders.

The KIPP Foundation provides support well beyond leadership development – it supports and monitors quality, aids effective sharing of best practices, and is responsible for managing the growth of the network. The Foundation has facilitated this growth through a range of customized services. Schools and regions benefit from support with real estate, legal issues, technology, finance, corporate governance, operations, communications, marketing, and development.

The KIPP Foundation does not manage KIPP schools. Each KIPP school is run by a KIPP-trained school leader and a board of directors.

To learn more about KIPP, please visit www.kipp.org.