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KIPP has been part of the fabric of Nashville for more than a decade, changing the lives of some of Nashville's most at-risk students. Kids like LaTrya Gordon, who attended seven other public schools before finding the academic environment she needed at KIPP Nashville, where she thrived.

At KIPP 3-D Academy, desire, discipline and dedication form more than the school's motto. It reflects feelings shared around campus every December. Santa surprised Fernando, Gerardo and Krista Acosta with gifts in the library Monday afternoon. They got Legos, clothes, books, gift cards and other things from their wish lists. All are things their mom can't buy.

The national KIPP Foundation, which operates nine schools in the L.A. area, has been awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools and a check for $250,000.

During the 2012 election season, we were flooded with information from all sides. While politics absorbed most of our attention, there was one report that came out to relatively little fanfare. But its findings have crucial ramifications for our entire economy, right down to how we educate our children.

"You can't lose them in middle school," said Tracy McDaniel, founder and principal of the KIPP Reach College Preparatory in Oklahoma City. His middle school is a 2012 Blue Ribbon winner, often cited as one of the country's best schools. And that is best among all schools, not just best-performing for a low-income, high-minority school.

KIPP Academy celebrated its graduating class Friday at the Lynn Auditorium. Ninety-seven percent of KIPP's class of 2016 will graduate in June, while 90 percent plan to attend college, according to the school. This year's graduating class also received more than 400 acceptance letters, 100 more than last year.

KIPP, or the Knowledge Is Power Program, is known for its size-162 schools and 59,000 students nationally and growing-as well as its track record of getting solid test scores out of underprivileged urban and rural schoolchildren.

"At KIPP it's really important to us that we're teaching our kids about character and building their character," explained Frank Cush, KIPP Explore Academy's founder and principal. "With this program, the students are learning about what are the things that they should be doing. Not necessarily in the situation where they face a bully, but it's about being more proactive, learning how to be good citizens. We're also encouraging our students to know more about themselves and what makes them unique."

In New York State, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College in the Bronx ranked first and Kipp Academy Charter School, also in the Bronx, ranked second.

The Economic Development and Industrial Corp. is reviewing plans to renovate the J.B. Blood building even as the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) Charter School adds classrooms in the Wheeler Street building. KIPP houses 121 kindergarten students and offices in the Blood building and plans to add a first grade, pushing its enrollment to 240 students in September. "We'll be on two floors and adding to that," said Caleb Dolan, KIPP's Massachusetts executive director. "We love being in the heart of the city."