Finishing its second decade, KIPP has become a national leader in the movement to provide all children with access to an excellent education. KIPP was founded in Houston in 1994 and has grown to 209 public schools in 20 states and DC educating 88,000 children. Houston is KIPP’s largest region and educates 13,500 students in 26 schools and serves an additional 2,300 alumni in college and beyond. While only 10 percent of students from low-income communities in Harris County graduate from college, nearly 50 percent of KIPPsters, tracked from the 8th grade, graduate college.
As we teach our students, there are no shortcuts on the path to college graduation. Students achieve their dreams by following two important rules: Work hard. Be nice. KIPPsters work hard by spending more time on task than many of their peers. They are in class from 7:25 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (and 3:00 on Fridays) and have extra learning opportunities during weekends and summers. Nevertheless, at KIPP we believe it is just as important to be nice as it is to work hard. KIPP schools develop character traits that empower students to become ethical leaders, productive citizens, and loyal friends.
