About KIPP

Across the country, KIPP schools are proving what’s possible in public education.

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 foundation 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 99 KIPP schools serving over 26,000 students in 20 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 95 percent of KIPP students are African American or Latino.

The KIPP Foundation.

In 2000, Doris and Don Fisher created the KIPP Foundation to grow the KIPP network by training outstanding school leaders to open and operate KIPP schools. Since 1994, KIPP has grown from two teachers in a single classroom to over 1,500 teachers serving more than 26,000 kids in 99 schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation, through its KIPP School Leadership Program, has recruited and trained more than 100 KIPP school leaders to open new KIPP schools or succeed founding school leaders.

Beyond recruiting and training new school leaders, the KIPP Foundation is responsible for supporting excellence and sustainability across the network and leading network-wide innovation efforts to leverage our growing scale. The KIPP Foundation provides a variety of supports and services to KIPP schools and regions in areas such as legal, real estate, 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 governed by a local board of directors, and charters are held by a local 501(c)3.

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