THE KIPP APPROACH

THE KIPP APPROACH
http://kipp.org/our-approach

“The KIPP approach” screams for the accountability of all members of the KIPP community and also for high standards of academic and personal growth. 

THE FIVE PILLARS

The “Five Pillars” are a set of operating principles that allow them to “build a system of high performing schools”.  The Five Pillars include:

1. HIGH EXPECTATIONS: KIPP boasts high expectations on academic achievement and personal character by both staff and students. “Measurable expectations   and data” drives these claims. They have a system of “formal and informal    rewards & consequences based on performance and behavior”.
2. CHOICE & COMMITMENT: KIPP makes a strong connection between a family or employee’s choice to be at KIPP with commitment. While KIPP advertises “open enrollment", families fill out application forms and are subject to an annual lottery for acceptance. KIPP is required to give preference to students who live within the geographical school district area and who receive free/reduced lunch. They choose to give preference to students who have siblings already enrolled.
3. MORE TIME: As a charter school, KIPP is not restricted to the public school calendar and is free to expand their contact time with students to have a longer school day, week and year.
4. POWER TO LEAD: KIPP claims to put power in their principals’ hands through professionalism and trust.  They give them control over the school budget and personnel in order that they can move financial resources and make staffing changes as necessary.  KIPP principals are considered both “academic and organizational leaders.”
5. FOCUS ON RESULTS- A focus on “results” indicates that KIPP is concerned with the final “product”.  These results are measurable and data driven by standardized tests and “other objective measures” 

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

All students, parents and teachers sign a “learning pledge” called “Commitment to Excellence”. 
http://www.kipp.org/files/dmfile/KIPP_Commitment_to_Excellence_Sample.pdf

The pledge focuses on commitment through means of accountability faced with consequences. Primary aspects of the pledge for all parties include:

• Being punctual and present as it pertains to agreed arrival, departure times and extra Saturdays, summer hours and field trips
• to do “WHATEVER IT TAKES” for the child to learn
• Child and parental involvement, ownership and accountability of homework, behavior, dress code and attendance
• All three parties understand they can be “removed” for not adhering to the commitment.

KIPP claims to apply these same “objective forms of measurement” in order to determine if the pledge is upheld. If the pledge is not upheld by any teacher, parent or student, they may be asked to leave the KIPP community. Just to be clear, part of the teachers' pledge states they will do "WHATEVER IT TAKES" for the child to learn...  I am wondering how KIPP measures this objectively... ???  

KIPP THROUGH COLLEGE, CHARACTER & EXCELLENT TEACHING

KIPP claims that all 3000 teachers are “united under the same mission” which is to see their students “to and through college”. The KIPP through college (KTC) program, Character Work initiative and Framework for Excellent Teaching provide specific steps for achieving this goal.

How I see it...

BENEFITS OF A FRANCHISE MODEL

KIPP is focused on growing a network of schools around the country. Currently there are over 60 KIPP schools and 3000 KIPP teachers nationwide. They show evidence that this network benefits their smaller communities by the opportunity to share curriculum and resources and collaborate on best practice theories. They host a KIPP Share site for trading lesson plans as well as a KIPP summit and other weekend long retreats for teachers and staff to meet and observe other KIPP programs in action.  Through the KIPP Through College (KTC) program they stay connected with their graduates to offer current students advising and mentorship.  Their approach to “visionary leadership” development is aggressive.  Internal and external applicants are encouraged to apply for “fellowships” which are year-long training programs to prepare one for a leadership role within an existing program or to “found” a new KIPP school in an “underserved” community. Taking advantage of an ever-growing pool of unemployed educators, they provide the incentives necessary to convince teachers to be part of a growing "network"claiming that will support them and give them the "freedom" to innovate and the resources they need to be great teachers with the goal of getting their students "to and through college".
           

This “franchise” model of opening new schools allows KIPP to take advantage of basic economical and marketing benefits of a consolidated organization.  Websites, media promotion, brand name, academic resources and employee benefits are all more cost-effective when spread over a larger pool of users.

KIPP.ORG presents a face of accountability as a foundation through a variety of measures: they claim to value objective means of collecting data; to put trust in their staff members to make powerful decisions and implement change; to strive for an economically efficient model that provides what they deem to be the most important resources for their communities; and they promote an environment of personal accountability by committing to pledges, providing clear expectations for students, parents and teachers and by providing information on every aspect of their  approach in great detail. These are all the things they are required to do as a charter school. Being a charter school, they are in theory held more "accountable" by the governing state by providing a "charter" which they are required to show evidence and proof of follow through.  Through this investigation of KIPP.org, my colleague and I have discovered that in a number of ways, the KIPP foundation has proven to show less evidence of accountability than many public schools.  Additionally, there has been little evidence found to support the claim that charter schools are more effective than public schools and some evidence that shows the opposite. 

NEA: Academic Effectiveness of Charter Schools
http://www.nea.org/charter

US Department of Education- Evaluation of the Public Charter Schools, Final Report
http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/choice/pcsp-final/execsum.html