KIPP Sharpstown

KIPP Sharpstown College Prep is a free college-preparatory public school serving the Gulfton and Sharpstown neighborhoods of Southwest Houston. The mission of KIPP Sharpstown is to ensure that our students internalize the habits of self-reliance, honor, achievement, responsibility to others, and persistence in order to become life-long learners capable of excelling in college and committed to transforming tomorrow. 

In July 2007, KIPP Sharpstown College Prep opened its doors to its founding 5th grade class. The founding school leader, Chong-Hao Fu,  envisioned a unique KIPP school in Southwest that provided a rigorous college-preparatory education for all, as well as offered students world-class fine arts classes. A former teacher at KIPP Academy Middle School in Houston, Mr. Fu was excited to work in the same community he had previously taught. He led the school for four years and was proud to watch the founding class of 2015 be promoted to High School. His tenure as a school leader was marked by high academic achievement and the development of the school fine arts program. In 2011, Karima Wilson moved from the role of Assistant Principal to School Leader. She has worked at KIPP Sharpstown College Prep since its founding and is committed to growing the school to the highest levels of success. 

Here are some features of KIPP Sharpstown:

Extended School Hours

  • One of the five pillars of the KIPP network is more time. At KIPP Sharpstown, this means that the school day is from 7:15 until 5:00. This allows students to have ample academic class time as well as extensive fine arts instruction. From 4:00-5:00, students are able to participate in tutorials and elective classes, such as yearbook, fitness, capoeira, Chamber Orchestra and American Sign Language. 

High Attendance Rates

  • The average daily attendance is 98.5% at KIPP Sharpstown College Prep.

College Preparatory Focus

  • Students will complete four years of rigorous math, science, English, and social studies courses, and at least three years of a foreign language, with the opportunity to take honors and Advanced Placement courses in these subjects. Students will also complete a four year sequence of college prep classes comprised of Speech and Composition, Logic and Reasoning, College and Career Readiness, and College Counseling. Their coursework will allow them to graduate with a College Prep Regents Diploma that signifies they are prepared for success at the college level.

Fine Arts Program

  • As fifth graders, KIPPsters at Sharpstown are able to explore the various art programs that the school offers. Students can choose from Visual Arts, Orchestra, Theater, Choir, and Dance. In the middle of the year, the 5th graders participate in a selection process where they determine the art that they will study in greater depth for the remainder of their time at KIPP Sharpstown. This intense focus allows the students to leave KIPP Sharpstown with a high level of artistic technique and skill. Students have participated in many prestigious and rigorous art programs such as AFA and Shakespeare at Winedale.

High Expectations for Students and Faculty:

  • One to one and a half hours of homework each night. Teachers are available for assistance by cell phone.
  • Weekly tests and quizzes designed to monitor students' progress and help teachers identify and address students’ areas of weakness, as well as prepare students for high achievement on the state exam known as the STAAR test.
  • Frequent communication between school staff and students’ parents or guardians about how to support the school's efforts at home.