KIPP began in 1994 when two teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave
Levin, launched a fifth-grade public school program in Houston, TX,
after completing their commitment to Teach For America. In 1995,
Feinberg remained in Houston to lead KIPP Academy Middle School, and
Levin returned home to New York City to establish KIPP Academy in the
South Bronx. These two original KIPP Academies became the starting place
for a growing network of schools that are transforming the lives of
students in under-resourced communities and redefining the notion of
what is possible in public education.
Since their founding, the two original KIPP Academies have sustained
track records of high student achievement. While less than one in ten
low-income students attends college nationally, KIPP’s college
matriculation rate stands at more than 80 percent for students who
complete the eighth grade at KIPP. In 2007, nearly 95 percent of KIPP
alumni went on to college-preparatory high schools; collectively, they
have earned millions of dollars in scholarships and financial aid since
2000.
The mantra “work hard, be nice” remains central to what it means to
be a KIPPster – big and small – and the pillars developed by the
founders of KIPP continue to guide KIPP schools across the country
including those operating as KIPP New Orleans Schools. To learn more
about KIPP and KIPP schools across the country click here.