KIPP Program: Boosting Student Math Achievement
This paper evaluates the Knowledge Is Power Programme (KIPP) as an evidence-based intervention for improving student achievement in mathematics across all school levels. Drawing on What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) research reviews and multiple empirical studies, the paper describes KIPP's structure, research base, effectiveness findings, and resource requirements. It also examines how KIPP aligns with a school's institutional goals, explains the data-driven criteria used to select the intervention, and presents a draft grant proposal to the Citi Foundation requesting funding for KIPP implementation. The paper concludes that KIPP's combination of extended learning time, dedicated teachers, parental involvement, and high expectations produces measurable gains in mathematics achievement.
- Introduction to Evidence-Based Interventions and KIPP: Federal context and WWC framework for KIPP evaluation
- KIPP Program Description and Research Base: KIPP structure, funding, and WWC research review
- Effectiveness of KIPP in Mathematics Achievement: Study findings on KIPP math gains by grade level
- Resources Required for KIPP Implementation: Fiscal, human, and physical resources needed for KIPP
- Alignment with School Goals and Selection Criteria: How KIPP fits school mission and data-driven selection
- Grant Proposal to Citi Foundation for KIPP Funding: Full draft grant proposal with goals and evaluation plan
- Conclusion: Summary of KIPP's effectiveness and key success factors
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds the intervention selection in the What Works Clearinghouse framework, lending credibility to the program choice and demonstrating awareness of federal evidence-based requirements.
- Connects program characteristics directly to the school's stated goals, showing purposeful alignment rather than generic endorsement of KIPP.
- Integrates a practical grant proposal that translates academic analysis into an actionable funding request, making the paper applied rather than purely descriptive.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evidence synthesis — drawing on multiple empirical sources (Tuttle et al., 2015; Clark et al., 2011; Woodworth et al., 2008; Vasquez Heilig et al., 2011) and a meta-level clearinghouse review to build a cumulative case for the intervention. Rather than relying on a single study, the author layers findings to show consistency of effect across different school populations and grade levels.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a policy context establishing why evidence-based interventions are required, then moves into a detailed program description, research summary, and effectiveness analysis. A resources section leads into an alignment and selection-criteria discussion before the paper pivots to a structured grant proposal with executive summary, need statement, goals, objectives, strategies, and evaluation plan. A brief conclusion synthesizes the key argument. This two-part structure — analytical review followed by applied proposal — is the paper's defining organizational feature.
Introduction to Evidence-Based Interventions and KIPP
Under federal school reform legislation, educators are required to select and implement evidence-based interventions. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is one source of information for evidence-based interventions and was established by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. The WWC's purpose is to provide education consumers with scientific evidence of what works in education and to promote informed decision-making through databases and reports that overview the effectiveness of educational interventions — including programs, practices, products, and policies — all of which are intended to improve student achievement. This paper evaluates an intervention method known as the Knowledge Is Power Programme (KIPP) and its application to improving student achievement in mathematics at all school levels.
KIPP Program Description and Research Base
KIPP is a non-profit network of approximately 200 or more public charter schools that educate early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school learners. Parents, students, and teachers must all sign a commitment to honor a set of responsibilities, including high disciplinary and behavioral expectations. The program also maintains an active network of alumni and partnerships with scholarship organizations to help guide former students through college. KIPP schools have an extended school year compared to other public schools (Clark et al., 2011). Funding comes primarily through public federal, local, and state finances, supplemented by donations from various foundations and individuals. KIPP schools are founded on the belief that any child — regardless of their status, race, or any other demographic factor — can learn if presented with the appropriate opportunity.
The WWC identified several studies of KIPP that fall within the charter schools topic area and meet WWC group design standards (Clark et al., 2011). According to the WWC review, the extent of evidence for the program on academic achievement of both middle and high school students across four outcome domains was medium to large. Those domains are: English language arts achievement, mathematics achievement, social studies achievement, and science achievement.
Effectiveness of KIPP in Mathematics Achievement
The program has had positive influences on mathematics achievement and English language arts achievement, and also on social studies and science achievement for middle and high school students, with no observable effects on students' progression through high school. According to the WWC review, the mathematics achievement domain recorded a positive and statistically significant difference between KIPP students and students in other public schools in the middle school sample, with an average improvement index of 12%. Tuttle et al. (2015) examined two outcomes in the same domain and recorded a significantly positive difference in the third-year follow-up state standardized mathematics test score between students who entered KIPP in grade 9 and comparison students.
Woodworth et al. (2008) also examined one outcome in this domain — California's state standardized mathematics assessment. They reported on follow-ups after KIPP entry for two groups of 5th graders and one group of 6th graders, examining differences for each school, grade, and cohort. The authors reported statistically positive differences between the two samples (Vasquez Heilig et al., 2011).
Conclusion
KIPP's record demonstrates that the program works, as confirmed by the body of research evidence on its effectiveness. KIPP's model shows that active involvement of parents, meaningful connections between real-life contexts and learning, and a culture of hard work — when paired with dedicated teachers, extended time on tasks, and engaging classroom experiences — lead to measurable improvements in student achievement. The evidence reviewed in this paper supports KIPP as a well-aligned, evidence-based intervention for improving mathematics outcomes at all school levels.
References
Tuttle, C. C., Gleason, P., Knechtel, V., Nichols-Barrer, I., Booker, K., Chojnacki, G., ... & Goble, L. (2015). Understanding the effect of KIPP as it scales: Volume I, impacts on achievement and other outcomes. Final report of KIPP's "Investing in Innovation Grant Evaluation." Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Clark, M. A., Gleason, P., Tuttle, C. C., & Silverberg, M. K. (2011). Do charter schools improve student achievement? Evidence from a national randomized study. Working Paper. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Vasquez Heilig, J., Williams, A., McNeil, L. M., & Lee, C. (2011). Is choice a panacea? An analysis of Black secondary student attrition from KIPP, other private charters, and urban districts. Berkeley Review of Education, 2(2).
Grouws, D. A., & Cebulla, K. J. (2000). Improving student achievement in mathematics. Educational Practices Series; 4.
Henig, J. R. (2008). What do we know about the outcomes of KIPP schools?
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