Monday, September 04, 2006

KPP schools in New Orleans receive $2.4 million

KIPP or the 'knowledge is power' is a network of free open-enrollment college-preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.

A year after Hurricane Katrina, The Broad Foundation and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today a total of $2.45 million to fund two current and three planned KIPP schools in New Orleans. The KIPP model has improved achievement for students across 16 states and last year raised student achievement for New Orleans evacuees on average more than two grade levels in reading and mathematics.

"KIPP is one of the country's great education success stories," said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation.

KIPP began in 1993 when teachers Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg completed their Teach For America commitment and launched a program for fifth graders in a public school in inner-city Houston, Texas. While only half of the students passed their fourth grade tests before enrolling in KIPP, more than 90% passed the Texas fifth grade exams in English and mathematics after one year at KIPP.

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