The strong focus on academics is paired with information about specific targets students need to
reach for college to be a possibility. Posters throughout the school list the colleges students qualify for
with various ACT scores and grade point average
(GPA) levels. Students learn that they must earn a
21 on the ACT to earn a HOPE scholarship, and that
a GPA of 3.0 or higher will open important doors.
Each student has individualized growth targets set
with immediate, tiered goals. Initially students may
push hard to climb from the tenth percentile to the
eleventh. Over time, these achievements add up.
“We talk about going through college, not going
to college,” said School Leader Laura Miguez Howarth. “Our expectation is that you will complete
college. From Day 1, this is a real possibility, and
everything we do is in service to that goal.”
Students are taught to adopt habits that will be essential in college. They learn how to keep an agenda,
and are taught to fold a paper in half and take notes
in class using the Cornell method. Students know
they do homework every night in middle school
because they’ll need to study every night in college,
whether they have homework or not.
“We build systems that support good habits, and
then invest the students,” said Ms. Howarth. Repeated practice and explaining why these tools are used
is important to helping students develop the habits
they will need for college, she says.
KIPP Academy also invests families. Enrollment
meetings begin with staff telling parents that it is
the school’s mission for their child to graduate from
college. One of the first documents introduced to
new students and their parents is the C3, the Commitment to College Completion, an outline of school
policies and values that will ensure students succeed at KIPP and prepare for college. KIPP also holds
financial literacy seminars for parents, introducing
families to 529 college savings plans that can be
started right away.
“Our kids are going to change their families and their
communities forever because they’ll be able to say,
‘How do I navigate this process for my younger sibling? How do I navigate this process for my cousin?”
Ms. Howarth said. “They’re changing the lives of
many, many others. That’s what changes communities.”
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