KIPP DC Continues to Grow with the Opening of Three New Schools The 2014-2015 school year began with an exciting start as three new schools joined the KIPP DC network! Northeast Academy, led by John Barnhardt, opened this summer at our recently renovated Webb Campus with 120 sixth and seventh grade students, and will eventually grow to serve 400 students through the eighth grade. At our re-start Blaine Campus in Ward 7, Arts and Technology Academy and Quest Academy opened their doors to serve PreK3 through fifth grade KIPPsters. Arts & Technology, led by Allison Artis, opened with 216 early childhood students and Quest, led by Cherese Brauer, opened with 318 elementary students. We are excited to be offering more high-quality seats and supporting the students of Ward 7 as they climb the mountain to college!
S P OT L I G H T FALL 2014
Grow Academy Lead Teacher Wins Harriett Ball Award
What is KIPP DC? KIPP DC is a network of high-performing, public, collegepreparatory charter schools in Washington, D.C., which serves the city’s under-resourced communities. At KIPP DC, there are no shortcuts. Outstanding educators, more time in school, a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, and a strong culture of achievement and support helps our students make significant academic gains and continue to excel in high school and college. KIPP DC currently serves 4,500 students at fifteen schools throughout the District of Columbia.
Contact Us KIPP DC HEADQUARTERS: 1003 K Street NW | Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20001 202.223.4505 | www.kippdc.org BENNING CAMPUS: 4801 Benning Road SE Washington, D.C. 20019
COLLEGE PREP CAMPUS: 1401 Brentwood Parkway NE Washington, D.C. 20002
BLAINE CAMPUS: 5300 Blaine Street NE Washington, D.C. 20019
SHAW CAMPUS: 421 P Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001
DOUGLASS CAMPUS: 2600 Douglass Road SE Washington, D.C. 20020
WEBB CAMPUS: 1375 Mount Olivet Road NE Washington, D.C. 20002
IN THIS ISS U E
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Elizabeth Nickens-El, a Kindergarten teacher at Grow Academy, was honored with a Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award at the 2014 KIPP School Summit, held in Houston, Texas. Ms. Nickens- El was one of ten winning teachers from across the KIPP network who were nominated by their school leaders and recognized for their leadership in and dedication to improving outcomes for students. Stacie Kossoy, principal at Grow, described Ms. Nickens-El as “always kind, always joyful; always the first one on campus and the last to leave; always committed to every single one of her students.” Her ongoing commitment pushed 100% of her students to meet their growth goals in math last year. Knowing how important character strengths are, Ms. Nickens-El implements practices into her classroom’s daily routines, such as recognizing kind words and actions by placing hearts in a heart jar. As a Capital Teaching Residency mentor teacher, she sets an example as a resource and leader for first year teachers. Congratulations, Ms. Nickens-El!
Harriett Ball Award Winner & KIPP DC Growth
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DC CAS Results & Trinidad Field Ribbon Cutting
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Scissors & Shovels Celebration & College Fair
Another Strong Set of DC CAS Scores While we continue to focus on student growth, we are excited to celebrate the achievements of students and teachers on the 2014 District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS). Building upon the success of previous years, KIPP DC students made significant academic gains and surpassed many of their District peers in reading and math. Two KIPP DC schools, KIPP DC KEY Academy middle school and KIPP DC College Preparatory high school, received the highest possible State Accountability Classifications and were named Reward Schools for their outstanding student proficiency, growth, attendance, participation, and graduation rates. KIPP DC College Preparatory, which recently relocated to a new campus and expanded its enrollment, continues to be the highest performing, open-enrollment high school in Washington, D.C. “As we have continued to expand our network to serve more students, we have focused intently on the quality of our schools and made sure that our changes in scale would not come at the expense of our program and offerings,” said KIPP DC Founder and CEO Susan Schaeffler. “Our results are a testament to the hard work of our students, teachers, and school leaders, and we are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.” Congratulations to our team and family for these impressive results! KIPP DC College Preparatory vs. Neighborhood Schools Tenth Grade Students Scoring Proficient or Advanced in Reading and Math on 2014 DC CAS MATHEMATICS Proficiency Rate
READING
95%
100%
71%
80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
22% Anacostia HS
16% Ballou HS
KIPP DC College Prep
19%
15%
Anacostia HS
Ballou HS
KIPP DC College Prep
Webb Campus Celebrates Renovated Field at Ribbon Cutting On September 23rd, KIPP DC celebrated the ribbon cutting of the recently renovated Trinidad Field, located adjacent to our Webb Campus in Trinidad. This year’s March Madness supporters, who donated the funds necessary to build a high-quality athletic field, joined us as we celebrated the transformation of a community space that had long been in need of refurbishment. The ceremony included remarks from Laisha Dougherty, Constituent Services Coordinator for Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyon McDuffie and Dr. Sharia Shanklin, Interim Director for DC Parks and Recreation. Connect Academy school leader Donny Tiengtum, Spring Academy school leader Lindsey Hoy, and Northeast Academy school leader John Barnhardt, spoke about the many ways the field will positively affect both Webb Campus students and the greater community. As the ceremony concluded, Spring Academy KIPPsters assisted in cutting the ribbon and then took to the field to show off their soccer skills. Today, hundreds of KIPPsters and members of the Trinidad community have access to the field, using it for PE classes, KCP JV football games, and community events. We are thrilled to have completed our third field in conjunction with the Department of Parks and Recreation and thank our March Madness sponsors who made it possible!
KEY Academy AIM Academy WILL Academy LEAP Academy Discover Academy Promise Academy College Preparatory Grow Acade
NICE WORK!
KIPP DC Honors Supporters at Scissors & Shovels Celebration
Briana Robinson, alumna from the original KEY Academy class, has begun her first year teaching as a Capital Teaching Resident at KEY Academy!
On October 9th, KIPP DC held an evening of celebration and gratitude for our supporters who made the completed Webb Campus and the forthcoming KIPP DC College Prep Campus possible. The event, held at the industrial DOCK5 at Union Market, featured performances by the College Prep orchestra and choir, and a heartfelt speech from a KIPP alumna, who is also a Spring Academy teacher and parent.
For the fourth year in a row, KIPP DC has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.
A special surprise thank you was given to Terry & Kathleen Golden, as two College Prep football players revealed the new athletic field rendering, to be named the Golden Field, in the family’s honor. Terry, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his wife have been champions for KIPP DC since 2007 through their ongoing support, advocacy, and passion for providing high-quality seats to students in the District.
Ten KCP seniors are currently Posse Foundation scholar semi-finalists: Terry Daniels, Amedeo Hines, Jade Polly, Bruce Beuzard, Sequoia Gomillion, Matthew Jenkins, Marquice Fonville, Kyrah Lee, Michael Pearson, and Malik Slye.
The Webb Campus, completed this past summer, will go on to serve nearly 1,100 students at capacity. The College Prep Campus will not only serve thousands of high school students, but also the KIPP Through College team, providing a base for all KIPP DC alumni. The campus is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
KCP senior Jade Polly won the $10,000 Joseph A. Beavers Scholarship!
Kyla Petty, a KCP junior, was selected to be part of the Folger Fellowship at the Shakespeare Folger Library! As part of their civics education, WILL Academy and KCP students attended Attorney General Eric Holder’s speech on voter rights at the National Black Caucus Conference in September.
KIPP DC Hosts Third Annual College Fair KIPP DC held its third annual college fair at the new College Prep Campus in September. Sixty-nine colleges were in attendance, including schools such as George Washington University, Dickinson College, University of Pennsylvania, and Howard University. The fair, open to all KIPP DC students, featured discussions on financial aid, options as a D.C. student, and how to find the best college match. The nearly 300 visitors, including both students and parents, were able to talk one-on-one with representatives from universities across the country. Both KIPP DC and KIPP Through College remain committed to supporting all students as they climb the mountain to and through college.
emy Heights Academy Lead Academy Connect Academy Spring Academy Northeast Academy Arts & Tech Academy Quest Academy
S P OT L I G H T 1003 K Street NW | Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20001 202-223-4505 | www.kippdc.org