With the support of peers, teachers, and parents, KIPP students have achieved amazing results during the past sixteen years. KIPP Houston has repeatedly demonstrated that its “no excuses” approach to public education produces dramatic changes in students’ academic performance.

KIPP SHINE Prep’s pioneering Class of 2018 has now completed five and a half years at KIPP. Though the fourth-grade students have many more milestones ahead in their academic journeys, their progress thus far is inspiring. In the spring of 2009, 100% of the Class of 2018 passed the Reading TAKS test, and 98% passed the Math TAKS test. More than half of the students earned a Commended Performance (CP) designation; a CP score reflects much more than mere proficiency, as it indicates that a student has answered 96% or more questions correctly. To understand the magnitude of this accomplishment, please refer to the chart below to see how the SHINE students performed in comparison to their peers in local public schools. While we are very proud of their achievements, we will not declare victory until these students enter college in 2018 and graduate in 2022.

Houston ISD’s 2009 TAKS scores are presented as they are self-reported by the district online. HISD’s percentages of low-income and ELL students

After eighth grade, KIPP students have attended many exemplary high schools across the U.S., including:

• KIPP Houston High School
• Episcopal High School
• St. John's School
• Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
• Deerfield Academy
• The Hockaday School 

Recently, KIPP Houston High School was ranked #16 by U.S. News and World Report. KIPP Houston High School's (KHHS) Class of 2009 graduated on May 30, 2009. All 73 seniors were accepted into a four-year college or university, earning more than $2.3 million in scholarships. These KHHS graduates and other KIPP alumni are attending outstanding colleges and universities, including:

• University of Pennsylvania
• St. Edward's University
• University of Texas
• Babson College
• Stanford University
• St. Louis University
• Vanderbilt University
• Texas A&M University

To achieve KIPP's ultimate mission—access to and success in college for underserved students—a very thorough KIPP Though College (KTC) model has been developed to engage and motivate students at all points during their climb up the mountain to college. The levers used to reduce the achievement gap include personal relationships/staffing, a thorough communication model, various events and opportunities for learning and sharing, academic tutoring, counseling through the college application/placement process, and support in college and life. The outputs for each child are: high-school success; high-school graduation and college acceptance; college attendance; college completion (often the most difficult to achieve due to financial and family constraints); first jobs; and giving back to the community and KIPP. The following data points illustrate KTC's progress:

• A college-credit analysis reveals valuable information about the Classes of 2008 and 2009. 16 students from The Class of 2008 took an on-site English IV Houston Community College (HCC) class, earning both high-school and college credit. The class of 2009 had 23 students take the on-site English IV HCC class. In 2008-09, 248 Advanced Placement (AP) exams were taken. 40% of the AP exams taken by KHHS students earned a 3 or higher, thus qualifying for college credit.
• Since the original KIPP Houston Class of 2002 graduated from high school, 90% of KIPPsters have enrolled in two- or four-year colleges/universities.
• If we consider the classes of 2002-2004 (KIPP's first three classes, including the original KIPPsters who sat as fifth graders in Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin's class), 41 of 126, 33%, of these former KIPP students have graduated from college within five years. Eight additional students have graduated in more than five years. Of the students from these classes who have not yet graduated, 63 continue to attend college classes part-time while working. Should all of these students continue to persist in college, 83% of KIPP Houston alumni from the Classes of 2002-2004 will graduate from college. Although we wish more students were completing their degrees in a timely manner, we are proud of their tenacity of spirit.