New Research on KIPP Schools

We've talked a lot about charter schools on this blog. Harry at CT had a charter school post last week.

We have hot new findings about the KIPP program from Mathematica. Their findings include:

• Impacts for large majorities of the 22 KIPP middle schools included in the study are positive in both reading and math in all four years after students enter KIPP schools.

• Impacts in many KIPP schools are large. Three years after entering KIPP schools, many students are experiencing achievement effects that are approximately equivalent to an additional year of instruction, enough to substantially reduce race- and income-based achievement gaps.

• Students entering these 22 KIPP schools typically had prior achievement levels lower than average achievement in the schools of their local districts.

• Compared to the public schools from which they draw students, KIPP middle schools have student bodies characterized by higher concentrations of poverty and racial minorities, but lower concentrations of special education and limited English proficiency students.

Comments

[auburn]

I saw the documentary "Waiting for Superman" recently. It's Davis Guggenheim's (Inconvenient Truth)latest which is aiming to do what Inconvenient truth did for global warming, for Education reform. KIPP Schools are featured pretty prominently. I don't think it is actually getting released until September, but if you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. It certainly makes a strong case for good teaching being the key component of quality education. I wish it had looked a little more at the charter movement in general though. It was only mentioned in passing that only 1 in 5 charters are actually producing measurably good results.

[Lemmy Caution]

It isn't so much better teaching as more teaching. KIPP schools require 60% more school time than other schools:

Most KIPP schools run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on select Saturdays (usually twice a month), and middle school students also participate in a two- to three-week mandatory summer school, which includes extracurricular activities after school and on Saturdays. As a result, KIPP students spend approximately 60 percent more time in class than their peers.

The program is admirable but not a painless solution to the US's education problems.

[Amy P]

"It isn't so much better teaching as more teaching."

Probably both. From what Laura's said, her son didn't exactly get full-value for the last two months of school. Just being in the building doesn't raise test scores.

[bj]

Well, from this data we don't know, whether it's the style of teaching, or the extra time. I do remember another regression study which showed that time was a very important factor.

Although it doesn't seem like merely sitting in a classroom doing worksheets would be very effectiv, it migh be

[Amy P]

"Although it doesn't seem like merely sitting in a classroom doing worksheets would be very effectiv, it migh be"

Depends on the worksheet.

[bj]

"Depends on the worksheet."

Yeah, could be that Jonah had a tremendous last 2 weeks of school.

[Amy P]

I think there is a difference between time killer activities (word searches!!!), pure arithmetic drill sheets (which could be generated totally randomly and work just as well), and a more appealing, yet also educational worksheets, just as there is a distinction between pure time killer videos and educational videos, with many shades of grey in between. Obviously, worksheets shouldn't be the entire content of the day, but that's true of just about anything.

[Cranberry]

A study of the Massachusetts experiment with extended learning time didn't show an improvement in student performance, other than a slight increase in 5th grade science scores.

The full report is vailable from http://www.abtassociates.com. "Implementation Evaluation of the Expanded Learning Time Initiative."

Our public school seemed to stop teaching a few weeks before school ended. Parties, field trips, movies, etc. I'm not a total grinch, but there's quite a bit of time which is not used in the standard public school year, if my kids' experiences are any guide.

60% more time in class in our public school would not make that much difference. It's what happens during that time that makes a difference. KIPP reportedly works their teachers much harder. I am not certain that their model can be scaled up for the public schools. I don't think there are that many saints in the world.

[bj]

Thanks for the cite cranberry. It's an interesting report.

The amount of time added to the schedule was substantially less than what's being described for KIPP schools, though (I think).

[laura]

Good comment, cranberry.

[Sara]

My husband works for a KIPP region not too far from Laura, and, while their teachers are fairly awesome and also overworked (but not paid too shabbily), I do think half the benefit of the extended day and school year is just keeping kids busy and out of trouble. I dunno if it would have the same benefit for middle class suburban kids, who, I am told, already have hyper-scheduled lives full of structured activities. With the exception of our next door neighbors, it seems.