What is the KIPP Model?
What does a typical KIPP NYC school day look like?
What curriculum do you use?
What is the average class size in a KIPP NYC school?
How much does it cost to run a KIPP NYC school?
How are KIPP NYC schools funded?
Who attends KIPP NYC schools?
What is the daily attendance rate across KIPP NYC schools?
Does KIPP NYC enroll only successful students?
Do KIPP NYC schools serve English Language Learners (ELLs) and special education students?
How many KIPP NYC students have Individual Education Plans? What services do students with IEPs receive?
What is the student attrition rate across KIPP NYC schools?
What high schools do KIPP NYC students attend after middle school?
How do KIPP NYC schools deal with discipline issues?
How do your teachers plan their lessons?
Is there common planning or other meeting time scheduled for KIPP NYC teachers?
Do your teachers use lesson plans? What do they look like?
Does KIPP NYC offer Professional Development?
How does KIPP NYC recognize and reward its teaching staff?
How does KIPP NYC support its teachers, given its extended school day and year?
Are there career options at KIPP NYC outside of the classroom?
What is the KIPP Model?
KIPP NYC schools are part of a national network of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools, which share a set of core operating principles known as the Five Pillars:
- High Expectations: KIPP NYC has clearly defined and measurable high expectations for academic achievement and conduct that make no excuses based on students' backgrounds. Students, parents, teachers, and staff create and reinforce a culture of achievement and support through a range of formal and informal rewards and consequences for academic performance and behavior.
- Choice & Commitment: Students, their parents, and the faculty choose to participate in the program. No one is assigned or required to attend the school. Everyone must make and uphold a commitment to the school and to each other and put in the time and effort required to achieve success.
- More Time: We know that there are no shortcuts when it comes to success in academics and life. With an extended school day, week, and year, students have more time in the classroom both to acquire the academic knowledge and skills that will prepare them for competitive high schools and colleges and to engage in diverse extracurricular experiences.
- Power to Lead: At KIPP NYC, we believe that great schools require great school leaders. KIPP NYC principals have control over their schools’ budget and personnel, allowing them maximum effectiveness in helping students learn.
- Focus on Results: KIPP has a relentless focus on high student performance on standardized tests and other objective measures. Just as there are no shortcuts, there are no excuses. Students are expected to achieve a level of academic performance that will enable them to succeed at the nation's best colleges. KIPP NYC schools administer all New York State exams and the NWEA MAP assessment, in addition to school-based assessments.
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What does a typical KIPP NYC school day look like?
Although class schedules vary from school to school, KIPP NYC students attend school from 7:25 am to 5:00 pm (4 pm for elementary school students). On Fridays, students are typically dismissed between 3:00 and 4:00 pm. KIPP NYC students also attend half-day Saturday school sessions once or twice per month and a three-week summer session. KIPP NYC students take classes in all of the required core content areas, including English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, as well as Thinking Skills. Students also participate in essential enrichment activities, including orchestra, Capoeira, dance and chorus. KIPP NYC students spend almost 70 percent more time in school than their counterparts in traditional public schools.
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What curriculum do you use?
All KIPP NYC curricula are teacher-created and aligned with the New York State Content Standards. Over the past 15 years, curricula and instructional materials have been continually modified and augmented to better serve the needs of our students.
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What is the average class size in a KIPP NYC school?
The average KIPP NYC middle school class ranges from 27-35 students. The average elementary school class size is 23 and at the high school it is 20-25 students.
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How much does it cost to run a KIPP NYC school?
KIPP NYC schools offer students an extended-day, extended-week, and extended-year program with a wide range of enrichment experiences. The per-pupil cost of these programs is lower than that of a traditional New York City public school. In 2008 -09, KIPP NYC middle schools spent an average of $14,941 per student, $3,420 less than the New York City middle school average. At full size, our elementary schools and high school will also operate below the per pupil cost of traditional NYC public schools.
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How are KIPP NYC schools funded?
In 2008-09, approximately 70% of KIPP NYC's overall operating budgets came from government sources. We rely on the generosity of our donors to cover the balance of our operating expenses.
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Who attends KIPP NYC schools?
KIPP NYC schools are tuition-free public charter schools. Enrollment in a KIPP NYC school is open to all students who reside in New York State, with preferences given to students eligible for free or reduced lunch, those residing in the school's home district and the siblings of current KIPP NYC students. Each year, KIPP NYC schools establish a list of students who are interested in attending for the following school year. Each school then conducts an admissions lottery in the spring. Students are admitted without consideration to prior academic or behavioral record, home language, or Special Education status. For more information on the student enrollment process at each school, please visit our enrollment section.
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What is the daily attendance rate across KIPP NYC schools?
The average daily attendance rate in 2008-09 across the KIPP NYC schools was 97 percent.
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Does KIPP NYC enroll only successful students?
KIPP NYC students are accepted regardless of background or academic record on a first-come, first-served basis. If more students apply than spaces are available (which has been the case since our inception), students are admitted by lottery. At KIPP NYC, approximately 80 percent of our students are eligible for the federal free and reduced price meals program, and more than 99 percent are African American or Latino.
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Do KIPP NYC schools serve English Language Learners (ELLs) and special education students?
Yes!
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How many KIPP NYC students have Individual Educational Plans (IEPs)? What services do students with IEPs receive?
Approximately 12% of KIPP NYC students have IEPs – a proportion generally reflective of the greater NYC community. Our schools administer diagnostic assessments to all incoming students to determine the need for additional services such as occupational therapy, counseling, push-in and pull-out instruction and after-school programming.
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What is the student attrition rate across KIPP NYC schools?
The student attrition rate for the 2008-09 school year was 5 percent, which includes students whose families have moved outside of New York City.
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What high schools do KIPP NYC students attend after middle school?
Approximately, 80% of KIPP NYC eighth graders now matriculate to KIPP NYC College Prep High School. The remaining 20% of KIPP NYC alumni attend a wide range of public, independent, and parochial schools. For a listing of the high schools that KIPP NYC students currently attend, please visit our high school placement section.
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How do KIPP NYC schools deal with discipline issues?
Like the “broken windows” theory made famous in New York City, by focusing consistently on smaller discipline and classroom management issues, we are able to prevent the occurrence of larger discipline problems that undermine a rigorous academic environment. KIPP NYC teachers create a school environment where expectations are clear and systematically enforced.
In addition, the creation of a strong sense of ‘team and family’ goes a long way toward encouraging students to behave appropriately. Students feel motivated by their peers and their teachers to do their best.
One tool that KIPP NYC middle schools use in classroom management is the student "paycheck." Students earn weekly points based on their positive and negative academic and behavioral actions. Paycheck points are tallied and sent home every Monday for parents to review and sign. Students receive positive reinforcements – and are subject to consequences as well –based on the value of their paychecks. They can, for example, earn the right to participate in end-of-year trips to Washington, D.C., California and Utah. By focusing on character development, KIPP NYC teaches students to become team players as well as leaders within their classrooms and schools.
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How do your teachers plan their lessons?
KIPP NYC teachers use what we call the KIPP Annotated Lesson Plan (the ALP). Among the elements included in the ALP are: aims, guided practice, independent practice, checking for understanding, assessment, and homework.
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Is there common planning or other meeting time scheduled for KIPP NYC teachers?
Each KIPP NYC school offers considerable time and a variety of opportunities for teachers to meet and plan lessons together. The average KIPP NYC teacher is engaged in classroom instruction 4-6 hours a day. This leaves plenty of time for planning, grading, phone calls home to families, parent-teacher meetings, collaborative time with other grade level and content area teachers, as well as peer observations.
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Does KIPP NYC offer Professional Development?
KIPP NYC teachers tap into a wide array of professional development and training opportunities, starting with regular observation by principals and instructional coaches. Throughout the year, KIPP NYC holds four full day and four half-day region-wide professional development events, and individual schools hold regular professional development sessions as well. Teachers also collaborate with their counterparts at other KIPP NYC schools through regular content area meetings and visits to one another’s schools and classrooms. To support continued professional reflection, all teachers are videotaped at least eight times per year. In addition, all teachers participate in KIPP Share—a newly launched web platform that allows KIPP NYC teachers to share resources, including lesson plans, resource links, and scopes and sequences, across grade levels and subject areas.
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How does KIPP NYC recognize and reward its teaching staff?
KIPP NYC teachers are committed to doing whatever it takes to help their students be happy, self-sufficient and successful in high school, college, and the competitive world beyond, We do everything we can to recognize and reward that commitment. To start, we ensure that teachers have the resources they need to focus on great teaching. KIPP NYC teachers earn a significant premium to the New York City school district salary and receive excellent health and retirement benefits. Teachers who assume additional leadership responsibilities also earn supplemental stipends. And then there are the social rewards – we like to have fun!
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How does KIPP NYC support its teachers, given its extended school day and year?
KIPP NYC believes in nurturing talented, committed staff in the pursuit of fulfilling, sustainable, lifelong careers. A typical teaching load at KIPP NYC is 4-6 hours a day, which is comparable to instructional time in traditional public schools. We build in time during the day for teachers to plan, grade, collaborate with others, and take care of their lives. And we are flexible with teachers about their case-by-case scheduling needs.
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Are there career options at KIPP NYC outside of the classroom?
Yes, absolutely yes! KIPP through College (KTC) provides essential academic and personal support to our alumni. KTC is always seeking outstanding individuals with the talent, experience and dedication to help our alumni on their journeys to and through college and into the working world.
The KIPP NYC Shared Services Team (SST) provides development, operations, finance, human resources, recruiting, and technology services to all KIPP NYC programs. By focusing on these areas, the Shared Services Team ensures that every other member of the KIPP NYC team is able to solely dedicate themselves to the needs of our students and families.
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