KIPP’s College Counseling Institute Launches July 23 in San Antonio

NEW YORK, NY- JULY 18, 2018 — KIPP Public Schools’ first-ever College Counseling Institute (CCI) will take place in San Antonio, Texas from July 23-25. The KIPP CCI will bring together leaders from KIPP along with three large public school districts, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Newark Public Schools, and the New York City Department of Education, and one independent public charter school network, Aspire Public Schools, to share strategies for ensuring that all students enroll in a college that will put them on the path to earning a degree.

“KIPP has learned that not all colleges are equal when it comes to graduation rates for underserved students,” said Rich Buery, KIPP’s Chief of Policy and Public Affairs. “By hosting this College Counseling Institute, we hope to share what we have learned about college counseling and get feedback to improve our own practice. When charter and district schools work together, we can ensure that more students earn acceptance to a college that is a stepping stone to a choice-filled life.”

For more than 20 years, KIPP has been focused on helping its students – most of whom are African American or Latino and from low-income families— to develop the knowledge, skills, character, and habits needed to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond. Through hands-on work with thousands of high school students, KIPP has developed its College Match Program, a successful model to increase the likelihood that seniors will choose the right “match” school that both meets their academic needs and interests and provides the support necessary to persevere to graduation.

KIPP’s CCI is the launch of a systematic effort to replicate the College Match Program in district and charter schools across the country. KIPP is bringing together leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Newark Public Schools, the New York City Department of Education, and Aspire Public Schools for three days in San Antonio, which will be followed by several convenings throughout the school year. KIPP will also provide hands-on implementation support from experienced KIPP Through College counselors.

“We are always looking to learn from innovative approaches with a track record of success,” explains Roger Leon, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “We have a talented, dedicated group of guidance counselors, and look forward to them receiving additional tools and training through the College Counseling Institute to help students select a college and career path that fits their needs.”

KIPP calculates its college completion rate based on the number of KIPP students who complete eighth grade at a KIPP middle school or enter ninth grade at a KIPP high school. KIPP’s current national four-year college completion rate is 36 percent, which is comparable to the national average for all students, and approximately three times the national average for students from low-income families (about 12 percent). For KIPP students who graduate from KIPP high schools, the rate is higher; 45 percent have earned a four-year college degree.

“This is a unique opportunity to learn about ways to better serve our students and alumni, which has always been our priority,” said John Fanning, Director of Post-Secondary Access and Success at Aspire Public Schools. “With the resources from the CCI and the KIPP Through
College Team, we will be better positioned to help more of our students reach their dream of earning a post-secondary degree or certificate.”

KIPP’s initial effort to share its college readiness approach with the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has shown strong results. During the 2016-17 school year, KIPP college counselors provided support to college counselors at Jefferson High School in SAISD. As a result of this partnership, the number of Jefferson High School graduates accepted into four-year colleges more than doubled from the previous year. Leaders from SAISD and KIPP San Antonio will share their experience developing and implementing this program at the CCI on July 23.

The College Counseling Institute is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About KIPP

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 224 public charter schools that educate 96,000 students and are dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free
public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has expanded to enroll students in all grades from pre-K through high school.

Contact:
Steve Mancini
KIPP Foundation
(415) 531-5396
smancini@kipp.org