Impacts of KIPP Middle and High Schools on College Enrollment, Persistence, and Attainment

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is the nation’s largest network of public charter schools. KIPP began as a network of charter middle schools designed to serve underserved communities, with the goal of closing achievement gaps and preparing students to succeed in college. KIPP has since expanded its model to include elementary and high schools in most regions, and expanded its goals to include preparing students to persist in multiple postsecondary pathways. 

This report presents the results of the second phase of a long-term tracking study that follows 2,066 students who applied to enter 21 oversubscribed KIPP middle schools through an admission lottery in 2008, 2009, or 2011.

 KEY FINDINGS

• KIPP middle schools had a positive impact on enrollment in four-year college programs, but the effect was not statistically significant.
• Among our first two cohorts, for whom we can observe college persistence patterns for five years, students who received an admission offer to a KIPP middle school graduated from a four-year degree program, or were on-track to graduate, at rates similar to those of students not offered admission.
• Students who received an admission offer to a KIPP middle school usually attended a KIPP middle school, and many went on to attend a KIPP high school.
• Attending both a KIPP middle school and a KIPP high school had large, positive impacts on students’ college enrollment and college persistence rates.
• KIPP middle and high schools also had a large and statistically significant combined effect on college graduation rates.
• Previous research on KIPP high schools and interviews with KIPP college support staff suggest that these findings may be driven by the college preparatory culture at network high schools, as well as college-related supports delivered to KIPP high school students and alumni.