Quality,

not quantity,

is our

measure.

Press Releases

KIPP statement: NEPC Report by Bruce D. Baker on “Spending by the Major Charter Management Organizations”

May 3, 2012

Dr. Bruce D. Baker’s new report for the NEPC, which received funding from foundations established by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, compares per pupil expenditures at charter schools in Ohio, Texas, and New York City with district schools of similar size. The NEPC report incorrectly asserts that two KIPP established regions – KIPP Houston and KIPP New York – spend $2,000 and $4,000 more per student respectively, than similarly-sized district schools.

This false claim is manufactured by (a) failing to include sizable district school expenditures in the comparison with KIPP schools, and (b) attributing to KIPP schools various expenses that the study does not likewise allocate to district schools. If the researchers accounted for these differences and created a true ‘apples to apples’ comparison, the spending gap between KIPP and district schools would be virtually eliminated.

KIPP PARTNERS WITH MOREHOUSE AND SPELMAN

April 26, 2012

The KIPP Foundation announced today that it will partner with Morehouse College and Spelman College in an effort to increase college completion rates for underserved KIPP students in Atlanta and nationwide. KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg is in Atlanta today to sign the partnership agreement on behalf of KIPP. These partnerships are the first in the nation between a charter school organization and a historically black college or university.

Vasquez Heilig paper on Texas charter schools, including KIPP

April, 12, 2012

In October 2011, a research team led by UT Austin professor Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig released a paper entitled “Is Choice a Panacea? An Analysis of Black Secondary Student Attrition from KIPP, Other Private Charters, and Urban Districts.” The paper looks at school districts and charter school networks in three cities where KIPP has schools: Houston, Dallas and Austin. UT Austin rereleased the report via press release on April 11, 2012.

LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM PAYS VISIT TO NEXT GENERATION OF INVENTORS AT THE KIPP HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL

April 3, 2012

The Lemelson-MIT Program will visit KIPP Houston High School for a special evening showcase of the KIPP Houston High School and Clear Lake High School InvenTeams, two of the program’s 13 selected teams of high school students nationwide who have been granted up to $10K to invent a solution to a real-world problem. During this visit, the students will have direct access to a representative from the Lemelson-MIT Program who will review the teams inventions since being awarded the grants and offer feedback on their progress and teamwork.

KIPP ANNOUNCES I3-FUNDED LEADERSHIP DESIGN FELLOWSHIP

March 21, 2012

KIPP (the Knowledge is Power Program) is launching its inaugural KIPP Leadership Design Fellowship (KLDF), an eight-month program that introduces public school administrators from districts and charter schools to KIPP’s leadership development model. The first of the program’s three interactive summits is taking place March 20-22 in Houston, TX.
This is the first time that a dozen or more large urban school districts have participated in a leadership institute run by a charter school network. KLDF will give participants an in-depth look at KIPP’s principal selection, training, and development model, as well as exploring other innovative leadership models around the country. The goal is not only to share KIPP’s best practices and experience

KIPP HOUSTON NAMES SEHBA ALI AS NEW SUPERINTENDENT

March 5, 2012

KIPP Houston announced today that Sehba Ali will become the network’s new superintendent in July 2012. She succeeds Mike Feinberg, KIPP’s co-founder, who will remain with KIPP to lead local and national external relations.
As superintendent of KIPP Houston, Ali will oversee one of the nation’s largest regional network of public charter schools, with 20 public schools serving 8,000 students in grades PreK-12. She will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the schools and regional office.

Collaborative Community Outreach between KIPP Houston Schools and Legacy Health Services

February 24, 2012

Legacy Community Health Services and the KIPP school system have recently joined together to address the healthcare needs of the families and children of the KIPP school system. The KIPP school system is rapidly gaining speed as it ascends the ladder to becoming a national leader in the movement to provide all children with access to an excellent education. KIPP and Legacy united to provide premium and compassionate health care services to those within the community that are in need.

Teen writers/artists share prose, canvas through ‘The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ at HCDE

February 13, 2012

Art and writing entries from talented teens throughout Harris County are being showcased at receptions and venues as Harris County Department of Education announces the regional winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2012.

Fourteen school districts, four charter schools and 15 private schools earn Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in Gold Key, Silver Key and honorable mention art and writing categories. A total of 1,073 Gold Key, Silver Key and honorable mention recipients are being honored throughout the county from approximately 3,000 entries. A total of 260 Gold Key art and writing awardees advance to represent Harris County in the national competition in New York City.

SANTA SURPRISES STUDENTS WITH 20 SAMSUNG GALAXY 8.9 TABLETS

Houston, TX

AT&T* surprised 20 high school seniors today from KIPP Houston and YES Prep Public Schools with gifts from a special “Secret Santa.” The students participated in a school ceremony where AT&T enhanced its investment in education by donating $5,000 to each school’s college preparation program for a combined gift of $10,000 to the schools.

However, it was Santa who was keeping a big holiday secret from the student participants. He surprised each of the 20 students with their very own Samsung Galaxy 8.9 Tablet at the KIPP Houston High School campus.

“These gifts reflect AT&T’s ongoing support of education and Houston’s underserved children. The computer tablets were a thrill for our surprised seniors who have been working around-the-clock to prepare for finals and completing college applications,” said Mike Feinberg, Co-founder of KIPP. “Our schools will use the generous monetary donation from AT&T to help pay for KIPPsters to take college preparation exams so we can make sure they are set up for success and pick the best fit for college.”

GATES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR CITIES SUPPORTING COLLABORATION, BOLD REFORM AND HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

December 6, 2011

Chicago – To support its goal of preparing more students for success in college and career, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is proud to announce more than $40 million in competitive funding for cities that have signed Charter-District Collaboration Compacts.

The Compacts, first announced in December 2010, are signed by leaders from district schools, charter schools and local communities who pledge to share best practices, innovations and resources among charters and districts. This strategic collaboration is designed to prepare more students for college by working collaboratively on areas like teacher effectiveness, college-ready tools and supports, innovative instructional delivery systems and school models, and improved student-level data use.

The funds announced today are a mix of competitive grant dollars for Compact cities to scale their existing work, and Program-Related Investment dollars to support facilities investments in the highest performing schools.