News
Press Release: KIPP LA Prep Middle School Vaults To #2 in the Los Angeles Unified School District
KIPP LA Prep, which was ranked ninth last year, is featured in Davis Guggenheim's upcoming documentary Waiting for "Superman"
September 13, 2010
A KIPP LA Prep student at work.
LOS ANGELES – KIPP LA Prep middle school, part of the KIPP LA Schools family of public charter schools, has vaulted to number two in the Los Angeles Unified School District, with a score of 877 on the 2010 California Standards Tests. Just last year, KIPP LA Prep ranked ninth. KIPP LA Prep students strongly outperformed most public school students, including particularly impressive results in math and science.
KIPP LA Prep is prominently featured in the education reform documentary Waiting for “Superman”, directed by Davis Guggenheim, Academy Award-winning director of An Inconvenient Truth. KIPP was chosen because of its proven model of success nationwide, dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life.
Science
100% of 8th grade “KIPPsters” at KIPP LA Prep scored “proficient” or “advanced” on the California State Test in science – widely considered the target for student achievement – which is 44 percentage points higher than the average LAUSD student, and 31 percentage points higher than the average California public school student. And 90% of 5th graders scored proficient or advanced in science.
Math
85% of KIPP LA Prep’s 5th graders overall tested proficient or advanced in math, which is 30 points higher than LAUSD and 25 points higher than the rest of the State. Especially heartening, 87% of KIPP LA Prep’s 8th graders were proficient or advanced in Algebra 1, as opposed to 32% for LAUSD and 31% for California. Success in Algebra 1 is considered the foundation for future success in mathematics, high school and college.
Language Arts
74% of KIPP LA Prep’s 8th graders were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts, which is 37 points higher than LAUSD and 20 points higher than the State of California.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our KIPPsters, their families, and our teachers,” said Marcia Aaron, Executive Director of KIPP LA. “This proves our core belief that every child, no matter their demography, will learn. With our ‘no shortcuts, no excuses’ philosophy, our longer school day, and our continual focus on results and achievement, we are giving students in underserved communities the educational opportunities they deserve.”
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About KIPP LA Prep
KIPP LA Prep has 365 students in grades five through eight, and 94% of its students are Latino. 95% of the students in the school qualify for free or reduced lunches.
About KIPP LA Schools
KIPP LA Schools is a non-profit organization that operates elementary and middle public charter schools in under-resourced communities in Los Angeles. We are part of the nationwide KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network of 99 schools in 19 states and Washington, DC.
KIPP first came to Los Angeles in 2003 when KIPP Academy of Opportunity and KIPP LA Prep (both middle schools) opened. In 2007, a charter school management organization, KIPP LA Schools, was formed to support and open more KIPP schools in Los Angeles. In 2008, KIPP LA’s first elementary school, KIPP Raíces Academy, opened. KIPP LA is in the process expanding to 14 schools – seven elementary and seven middle schools – by 2016. When all schools are operating at capacity, by 2020, KIPP LA will serve approximately 6,000 students in grades K-8. Just this year, KIPP LA opened two elementary schools: KIPP Comienza Community Prep and KIPP Empower Academy.
In South and East Los Angeles, an estimated ten percent of incoming high school freshman go on to college and just four percent earn a college degree. Once all KIPP LA middle schools have alumni in college, we estimate we will increase the annual college-going rate in our communities by nearly 50 percent. For more information, go to www.kippla.org.
About KIPP
KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) is a national network of tuition-free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools with a national track record for educating low-income and minority students. KIPP began in 1994 when two young teachers – Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin – launched a program for fifth graders in a public school in inner-city Houston, TX after completing their commitment to Teach For America. Nationally, more than 80 percent of KIPP students are low-income and more than 90 percent are African American or Hispanic/Latino. For more information, go to www.kipp.org.
About Waiting for ‘Superman’
For more information, go to www.waitingforsuperman.com.
