KIPP Houston

Spirit's curriculum is driven by clear performance standards for what students should know and be able to do. For each grade level, standards are based on national and state curriculum frameworks. In the fifth and sixth grades, much emphasis is placed on mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the TEKS are enhanced with KIPP and national standards so that all students will gain the additional knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the most competitive high schools around Texas and the nation. Teachers use regular assessments to measure how well students are mastering the standards.

We use knowledge about student skills to shape whole class instruction, small group work, and one-on-one tutoring. Using individual student data, instruction can be targeted to better meet individual student needs. Teachers do not simply work to get through a textbook; rather, they assess student skills and deficits and then target instruction appropriately.

Teachers give students and parents ongoing feedback about student performance. Teachers often send work home for parents to sign, and teachers contact parents if they see a significant slip in academic performance or the recurrence of an intellectual habit or character trait that inhibits the student to learn. Parents get informal feedback about student performance throughout the year in the form of the daily agenda and weekly paycheck. Parents are encouraged to call teachers in order to receive feedback on their child's academic progress.

Course of study
Students receive 70-80 minutes of all core subjects each day.

5th Grade
Core subjects: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (70-80 minutes each daily)
Co-curriculars: health, step, study hall, and physical education
Readers Writers Workshop*

6th Grade
Core subjects: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (70-80 minutes each daily)
Co-curriculars: math roots, visual arts, study hall, and physical education
Readers Writers Workshop*

7th Grade
Core subjects: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (70-80 minutes each daily)
Co-curriculars: beginning dance, community service, art, writing, study hall, and physical education
Readers Writes Workshop*

8th Grade
Core subjects: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (70-80 minutes each daily)
Co-curriculars: dance, Spanish, study hall, community service, and art
Senior Projects**

*Readers Writers Workshop is a time in the day where we "READ, BABY, READ..." Our students are given the opportunity in ELA class to self-select texts they enjoy and find challenging. The ELA teachers have over 500 books in their classroom from which to choose. During this time students are given time to get in the "zone" and read independently in small groups across the school. All KIPPsters are required to read 1 Million Words each school year. This is about 27-30 books per school year.

**Senior Projects are required for the culmination and promotion to 9th grade. Students select projects and are grouped into teams where they receive instruction and coaching from 8th-grade teachers. Presentations occur in the spring and family members are invited to support our students successful completion of the 8th grade.