Learning & More

"If there is a problem, we look for a solution. If there is a better way, we find it. If a teammate needs help, we give. If we need help, we ask." - KIPP Credo

The KIPP LEAD faculty is committed to doing whatever it takes to prepare this country's future leaders for excellent high schools and colleges, including allowing students and families to call our cell phones every night until 9:00 p.m. Students who need help with homework or who won't be able to make it to school the next day are expected to call their teachers. Families are also expected to call teachers as well with any questions or concerns.

KIPP LEAD students attend school from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, alternating Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and three weeks in the summer. This is equivalent to 60% more time to learn than their counterparts in typical public schools. This time is devoted to the core subject areas and ensuring that students are performing at or above grade level. For example, students at KIPP LEAD receive over 3 hours of literacy instruction every day. The time that students spend in school during traditional "after-school" hours also helps them focus on academics and their personal development.

A core belief at KIPP LEAD and other KIPP schools is that more time learning leads to higher achievement and success for our students. During Saturday School students have the opportunity to engage in learning opportunities that expand their knowledge base in non-traditional ways. In the past Saturday School classes have consisted of soccer, basketball, cooking, Spanish, internet, art, African dance, music appreciation and other educational and cultural courses. Our students benefit greatly from learning from volunteers about their various passions. If you are interested in volunteering at Saturday School, please contact Shalanda Holmes, Director of Student Solutions, at sholmes@kipplead.org.

An integral component of the KIPP LEAD program is the year-end field lessons. Students at the end of every year will take a class trip out of state. Typically fifth graders visit Washington, DC, sixth graders go camping in South Dakota, and seventh graders participate in a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These experiential field lessons serve as incentives and rewards for hard work and exemplary behavior throughout the year.

While in Washington, DC, students explore the historical richness of the district, reside on the campus of a prominent university, and meet other KIPP cousins from across the country. Our group is intentionally housed in dormitories on George Washington University's campus to increase exposure to the college atmosphere. In addition to touring the university campus, students visit the Old Post Office Tower, Lincoln Memorial, the memorial designated for the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence, the World War II Memorial and Washington Monument, the Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo, the Holocaust Museum, the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Museum of the American Indian.

• On the 2006-07 state tests, KIPP Infinity (Washington Heights, NY) sixth graders outperformed sixth graders city-wide and in the district where KIPP Infinity is located in both English/Language Arts and Math.
  
  
• KIPP DC: KEY Academy (Washington, DC) is the highest performing middle school in the District of Columbia.
  
  
• Founded in 2002 and located in the South Ward of Newark, New Jersey, TEAM Academy's students have outperformed their peers in Newark on state standardized testing every year in every grade and subject.
• KIPP Academy New York's (Bronx, NY) nationally acclaimed 145-piece String & Rhythm Orchestra debuted at Carnegie Hall in December 2002.

To learn more about the success of KIPP schools across the country, visit www.kipp.org