For the first time, Mathematica studied all K-12 levels of KIPP, including elementary and high schools as well as middle schools. They also looked at how KIPP schools have performed over time, particularly before and after they received a federal Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-Up Grant.
Key takeaways from Mathematica’s 2015 report: Elementary Schools:
KIPP elementary schools have positive, statistically significant, and educationally meaningful impacts in reading and math.Three years after entering KIPP elementary schools, students showed progress on three out of four measures of reading and math skills, as compared to similar students in their local communities.
Middle Schools:
KIPP middle schools have positive, statistically significant, and educationally meaningful impacts in reading, math, science, and social studies.This is consistent with Mathematica’s previous research, which found that KIPP middle schools are producing gains for students in every tested subject compared to similar local students.
KIPP middle schools have maintained positive and statistically significant impacts over the past decade.Average impacts of middle schools were positive and statistically significant throughout the 10-year period covered by the study, though higher in earlier years than recent years. The KIPP middle schools that opened during the i3 scale-up period—2011 and later—are having similar impacts to those of older KIPP middle schools when they were in their first years.
High Schools:
KIPP high schools had positive, statistically significant, and educationally meaningful impacts on achievement for high school students new to the KIPP network.Compared to similar neighborhood students, new KIPPsters showed greater achievement in math, reading, and science.
For students continuing from KIPP middle schools, KIPP high schools’ average additional impacts were not statistically significant compared to other high schools that enroll KIPP graduates.For the three most experienced high schools in the study, Mathematica found positive, statistically significant impacts in reading, language, and math.
College Readiness:
KIPP high schools are having positive impacts on college preparedness.Among students who graduated from KIPP middle schools, those who went to KIPP high schools took more college-prep courses like AP, received more college counseling, and applied to college at greater rates.
Beyond looking at the objective school outcomes, Mathematica also surveyed students and parents on attitudes and general satisfaction. On surveys of student motivation, engagement, behavior, and educational aspirations, KIPP schools showed no significant impact. KIPP did have a positive impact on parent satisfaction with their child’s school. Richard Barth is the KIPP Foundation CEO. This blog was reposted with permission and originally ran on the KIPP Blog on September 17, 2015.
