KIPP NYC 2021-22 Annual Update

The KIPP NYC team is grateful for our community’s understanding of any unintentional errors or omissions in this Annual Update.

MISSION

WITH FAMILIES AND

WE CREATE JOYFUL,

EXCELLENT SCHOOLS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO PURSUE THE PATHS THEY CHOOSE —COLLEGE,

BEYOND—SO THEY

FULFILLING LIVES AND CREATE A

JUST WORLD.

DEAR FRIENDS OF KIPP NYC,

This August, over 7,300 students streamed through the doors of our 18 schools across NYC! Like all of you, we are once again hopeful for a school year with joyful, uninterrupted learning.

As KIPP NYC’s leaders, we are laser-focused on ensuring that we create the best learning environments for our students for the 2022-23 school year. In preparation for that, we have taken stock of what we have learned through two and a half years of disrupted learning, as well as the substantial changes we are seeing in NYC and in the public education space.

Part of what drives our focus is that we have a clearer sense of how the pandemic has impacted our students. We received the results of our third- through eighth-grade students on the New York State test in both math and ELA. As expected, both were down, with a significant dip in middle school math. Yet, there are some bright spots in our data, like the fact that 97 percent of our kindergarten through fourth-grade students showed growth in reading levels, and over 200 students achieved “Millionaire” status by reading over a million words.

We learned so much during the pandemic about what makes KIPP NYC strong and resilient, as well as our ability to work together as a community of educators, students, families, and our board. These learnings and KIPP NYC’s existing strengths form the basis of our three focus areas for the 2022-23 school year. We believe these themes will help us stay aligned as we take on the very real social, emotional, and academic challenges of the last two and a half years.

PROMISE THE MOON – Our students are capable of great things, and we will commit to setting ambitious goals in line with their greatness. This theme builds on the work we began prior to the pandemic to set important and ambitious “moonshot goals,” which are directly tied to long-term, positive outcomes for our KIPPsters. To make good on our promises to children and allow them the opportunity to reach their vast potential, we set out to teach all our students to read by third grade, take algebra in eighth grade, and pass an Advanced Placement exam by 12th grade. We are ready to redouble our efforts and return to the practices we know produce results, such as our phonics-based reading program and innovative STEM curriculum.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN – Banding closer together helped fortify our school communities during the pandemic, and we plan to continue to do that during the 2022-23 school year. The social and emotional toll of the pandemic, particularly on young people, is well-documented and very real for our students. We will spend time centering the experiences of our students and ensuring that we are meeting them where they are in a supportive way that builds from their strengths. To do this, we will continue to affirm and celebrate that KIPP NYC is an organization that is deeply meaningful and personally important to our students, staff, and families. For our students, this means creating school experiences that build a strong sense of belonging and an affirmation of their identity. For staff, it means connecting with our mission in powerful ways that encourage a sense of team and pride in being a part of KIPP NYC. For families, it means working together in partnership to lift students up, as well as including their voices in the decisions we make as an organization.

DIG DEEP AND DISCOVER – Our students deserve to experience the excitement of deep learning and discovery every day. After two and a half years of disrupted learning, we will reconnect students with the joy of learning and the powerful communities that make up a thriving school. To do this, our teachers will continue effective intellectual preparation practices such as internalizing units, practicing lessons, and studying student work. We aim to build on these practices to ensure the kind of deeper learning that allows students to utilize the skills they learn in class, and apply them in real-world scenarios that impact students’ lives and the world around them. When students have opportunities to produce meaningful artifacts in their learning, they discover new ways of thinking that highlight the true enormity of the world of ideas that exist outside of a school’s four walls. The joy of being taught in a KIPP classroom by a KIPP teacher is really special, and we must recreate that feeling by both getting back to the basics and pushing ourselves to create more moments of authentic, deep learning.

These focus areas are aligned to KIPP NYC’s six Graduate Aims, which we shared with our teachers and staff earlier this fall, and you can read more on page 3 of this update. These Graduate Aims were created in partnership with our community of stakeholders over the past 18 months and are a detailed articulation of what it will look like to achieve our mission for KIPP graduates. To realize these aims, we have launched a year-long planning project to specify the program design that will align with these aims. With the help of external consultants, we will conduct internal and external research to further enhance and refine our program choices. We will also establish new metrics to ensure we are on track to have our students meet these aims throughout their KIPP NYC educational journey.

In this year’s KIPP NYC Annual Update, you will also read more about our continued commitment to equity through our Anti-Racist Commitments and its impact across our network; the many events that students returned to once we were back in schools; the incredible outcomes of our alumni; and our re-energized focus on teaching and learning. We truly are building on a strong foundation for the 2022-23 school year.

As always, thank you for your unwavering support of our work and your steadfast commitment to our students and schools. We look forward to welcoming you back to our schools and experiencing the joys of our KIPP NYC community throughout the year.

With warmest regards, Alicia and Jim

ALICIA JOHNSON President

JIM MANLY Superintendent

GRADUATE AIMS

Over the last two years, KIPP NYC has embarked on a project to redefine our North Star of what this network wants to be true for students by the time they graduate high school. After hundreds of stakeholder interviews, research, focus groups, and surveys, the result is a comprehensive set of College- and Career-Ready Graduate Aims for KIPPsters.

Agent of Learning and Life

“I am confident in my ability to plan and direct my life and my learning.”

Academically Prepared

“I have the knowledge and skills I need in order to access, navigate, and succeed in my community, college and career.”

Critically Conscious

“I think and act critically about systems of inequity and oppression and how they impact our liberation.”

GRADUATE AIMS

Community Contributor

“I know my community and the larger world around me, and I want to be a change agent to make it the best it can be.”

Holistic Person

“I know myself, love myself, and care for myself.”

Creative Problem Solver

“I use original, innovative thinking and factual information to solve problems across various contexts.”

KIPP NYC will always be a community that values being academically prepared. The Graduate Aims have allowed the school community to center other, equally important skills and experiences for students to take with them. These aims will serve to empower KIPP NYC graduates with the skills, experiences, and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond. Now the work and learning lie ahead as KIPP NYC engages the entire community with these Graduate Aims and the progress toward them.

it is

OUR JOURNEY TO EQUITY:

AN INTERVIEW WITH CANDACE ROGERS AND MEETA GANDHI

Candace Rogers has led KIPP NYC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. This summer, Candace launched KIPP Detroit, and Meeta Gandhi began as KIPP NYC’s new Chief Equity Officer. As KIPP NYC transitions to its next phase of work with the launch of the Graduate Aims, both leaders reflected on equity work over the last two years, as well as sharing their vision for the future.

What are you most proud of the work we have done at KIPP NYC over the past couple of years?

Candace: One enduring understanding I commit to is “equity is the work,” which translates into “equity is all of our jobs,” not just the “job” of the Chief Equity Officer. I am most proud that, regardless of their role or department, individuals at KIPP NYC are seeing themselves as leaders for racial equity. If I were to examine our Anti-Racist Commitment (ARC) Working Groups, which existed across many departments at KIPP NYC, each and every department figured out what part of their department and practices could evolve to yield more equitable outcomes. For example, our Real Estate team interrogated their practice, and the result was an increase in the number of minority- or women-owned businesses we support as an organization. Individuals and teams are embracing that there are parts of our system that we can improve to be aligned with who we want to be as an organization.

Meeta: One of the things I am most proud of are the community-driven initiatives generated through the Anti-Racist Commitment Working Groups work, which primarily focused on further integrating an equitable lens into our organizational processes. One example was when an ARC Working Group tasked themselves with evaluating and ensuring equity in our talent health pipeline in leadership development. Another example involved a critical audit of our instructional content to develop a strategic plan on ensuring our curriculum is culturally responsive and reflecting the diversity and intersectionality of identities of our student body. These streams of work are going to continue and lend shape to our continued DEI Strategic Plan.

What is the greatest positive change you have seen in our region due our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work?

Candace: The greatest positive change I’ve seen is that everyone sees equity as their job. Initially, I was nervous to take the role of Chief Equity Officer because I felt like everyone was waiting on me to “fix it!” But now, I know for sure that KIPP NYC knows that it’s up to everyone [whether they fix a macro system, a micro system, or an individual interaction] to become a more liberated institution; everyone plays a part in our evolution as an organization.

Meeta: One of the greatest positive changes has been in staff mindsets and their strengthened orientation to this work. There is an increasing awareness that we are all equity practitioners and leaders and, with that, we hold a commitment to contributing to equitable practice. This mindset allows for increased responsibility and scope of influence to eliminate systemic and organizational marginalization while promoting and transforming our culture and practices.

How do you think our KIPP NYC work has influenced/impacted other KIPP regions across the nation?

Candace: A few months ago, I sat in on an all–KIPP Executive Director meeting where the work we’ve done in DEI for KIPP NYC was highlighted. Other Executive Directors asked lots of questions about the implementation of certain aspects of our work. So, I assume that it means they were open to what they heard and were interested in replicating some of our initiatives. I was so incredibly proud.

How much more work is needed in DEI to achieve our KIPP NYC mission?

Candace: This question is large...there is a lot of work to do. Not because KIPP NYC is not healthy; but because there is a constant push and pull of learning and unlearning, keeping the core while innovating and evolving, and more. In short, it’s complicated!

I am a big on “honoring the past to inform the future.” And, in truth, it is never lost on me that KIPP was founded on the notion of equity. Erasing the relationship between quality education and income is equity-oriented. Along with that focus on equity, we had a lot of learning and unlearning to do about how to translate that equity orientation into creating affirming environments for adults and children. I say all of this to say that any organization has to reckon with how to align their actions with their beliefs. Personally, I feel as if that is ongoing. What I know is everyone at KIPP NYC wants what’s best for kids; and what I love about KIPP NYC is that adults will figure themselves out (what to start and what to stop) in service of our children.

Meeta: The ARC Working Group on Graduate Aims defined a vision for student success, and its initial phase of work had power in its design. Together, with students, alumni, families, and staff, we aimed for and achieved an equitable, community-driven process to name a comprehensive set of college- and career-ready Graduate Aims for KIPPsters. With continued stakeholder engagement, power sharing and input, we will need to build on this by continuing to refine and provide the experiences that empower our students to build a more just world and lead choice-filled lives. This work entails equipping our teachers and staff to consciously strengthen and add specificity to these experiences to honor the aims our community within KIPP NYC identified.

Meeta, what do you hope continues under your leadership?

Meeta: KIPP NYC, like many other organizations, often embodies elements of flux leadership that require equitable, responsive, and agile leadership in an era of ongoing, complex, multi-faceted change. I am hopeful the leadership framework we have created will allow the Anti-Racist Commitment Working Groups to evolve in their next phase to directly support our Graduate Aims. The Graduate Aims define a vision for student success across our region that embodies our commitment to racial justice and equity as an institution, and that will prepare our students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose. This evolution to our ARC Working Groups will further center our community voices.

SPOTLIGHT: SUCCESS FOR ALL

Four years ago, KIPP NYC invested in the science of literacy through Success for All (SFA), a research-based program that delivers individualized phonics instruction to developing readers. The strategy was to build foundational literacy with an emphasis on high-quality phonics instruction for all students. Since then, KIPP NYC has learned by looking at internal data that students get stuck when they make the bridge into silent comprehension.

This challenge is two-fold: improving comprehension for the youngest readers and finding the staff to help students be successful. To meet this challenge, KIPP NYC uses SFA so students not only learn the code of the English language and alphabet through systematic phonics instruction, but they also have opportunities to apply their learning and practice for fluency and accuracy. SFA’s progress monitoring tools help ensure KIPP NYC remains flexible and responsive to student needs in terms of groupings for instruction. At the same time, KIPP NYC is investing deeply in training and supporting KIPP teachers to become experts in teaching students to read and comprehend. Teachers and staff are committed to ensuring KIPPsters are making the critical and joyful transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

EARLY LITERACY ACHIEVEMENTS – BY THE NUMBERS

We finished the school year with 40% OF STUDENTS meeting the end-of-year goal. In 2018-19, 38% met their end-of-year goal.

We had the FEWEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS SHOW NO GROWTH FOR THE YEAR: 3% . In 2018-19, pre-pandemic, this number was 10% for the year.

39% OF SECOND GRADERS MET THEIR END-OF-YEAR GOAL, which is higher than the 2018-19 second grader end-of-year goal.

The Millionaire’s Club is made up of students who read more than one million words in a single school year. Research shows that children who read one million or more words per year perform in the top 10 percent of students overall. In middle school, students track the number of words read using an online platform called Accelerated Reader. Accelerated Reader allows students to take quizzes on books they have finished, and, if they pass the quiz, keep track of the number of words in that book and the total number of words read across time. Many schools set explicit goals with students around how many words they read, and schools offer various incentives for hitting goals and reaching words-read milestones (for example, the 200,000 Word Club). At the end of the year, KIPP NYC hosts a Millionaire’s Day celebration, which recognizes all readers who achieved million aire status.

IN JUNE 2022, WE CELEBRATED OVER 200 MILLIONAIRE

CULTIVATING JOY AND RESILIENCE

KIPP NYC was founded on the belief that students possess the character needed to unleash their success. The school community has always acknowledged the need to nurture the whole child, and social emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of KIPP NYC’s approach to fostering strong connections between schools and the communities they serve. The COVID-19 pandemic was acutely devastating for historically marginalized and low-income communities, and KIPP NYC students continue to feel the effects of this unprecedented disruption. As students since have returned to traditional school, SEL and other mental health supports have been critical in helping them manage anxiety, re-establish positive relationships with the school community, and build back their sense of self and belonging.

School-based Social Workers

KIPP NYC has a dedicated team of more than 40 social workers based across 18 schools who are exclusively committed to students’ mental health and social emotional development. For those students who need additional therapy and support, KIPP NYC social workers provide group and individual counseling during school.

Social Emotional Learning

All KIPP NYC students receive direct SEL support during the school day, and in high school, students in 11th and 12th grades have the opportunity to become Peer Leaders and facilitate ninth and 10th grade SEL advisory sessions. This leadership opportunity gives students a glimpse into the world of counseling and social work, and many Peer Leaders express a desire to pursue counseling as a career.

Alumni Mental Health

KIPP NYC provides free mental health support for alumni who need it. Alumni can connect to a therapist through a partnership with KIPP Foundation and Ayana, and they receive free virtual counseling from a provider specializing in mental healthcare for marginalized and intersectional communities.

Supporting Families

Families can attend workshops put on by KIPP NYC social workers, covering topics such as parenting, adolescent substance abuse, raising and supporting LGBTQIA+ kids, and helping kids navigate separation and divorce. KIPP NYC partners with community organizations such as Northside Center to support students and families who need additional support with mental or behavioral health.

The pandemic has challenged the community, but in continuing to recover from COVID-19’s

KIPP CUP TOURNAMENT IS BACK!

“I love the game of basketball. I’ve played since I was six years old,” he said. “During the pandemic, I couldn’t often play because gyms were closed. I did a lot of home workouts, such as ball handling, calisthenics, plyometric movements, and passing, and worked on my shooting form. In the summer of 2020, with most of the basketball rims removed, I was only able to practice at the playground behind I.S. 584…because the basketball rims still happen to be up. My dad and I would climb under the gate every morning so that I could train.”

game, and we were exhausted. But our team was able to pick each other up on the court and pull off the win.”

While the 2022 KIPP Cup only included teams from NYC, past years saw the participation of student athletes from other KIPP regions in the northeast, from Washington, DC, and Philadelphia to New Jersey and Boston. KIPP NYC plans to invite other networks again next year, marking an important milestone in the region’s return to pre-pandemic traditions.

NOURISHING STUDENTS’ MINDS, ONE MEAL AT A TIME

KIPP NYC is committed to ensuring students receive nourishing meals at school, and that they are knowledgeable about where their food comes from and how it affects their wellness. The KIPP NYC culinary team was founded at KIPP College Prep High School in 2016 to provide students with tastier, healthier school lunch options. The Culinary Program equips students to develop their mindset on food and healthy eating, one meal at a time.

Madeline Jones, Culinary Program Manager, and Michael Ioli, Senior Director of Food Services, took a break from serving nearly 6,000 meals a day and sat down for a brief question-and-answer session about this past historic year.

Now that in-person school was back in session this past year, how was it to reopen the kitchen for daily meals?

Reopening our kitchens was exciting! It was a massive undertaking to prepare for the launch of the school year, particularly with our new kitchen at the Gerard Campus. Every day, we were finding a way or making one, constantly adapting to new challenges each day.

What was it like serving students again and working with them again in the kitchen?

It was wonderful to be back in front of students, serving meals. While we did serve meals during the 2020-21 school year, all of those meals were “grab and go,” and we lost that face-to-face interaction with students. It was great to see the direct impact of how our work positively supports our students. During the spring, we brought our high school student workers together for an appreciation meeting, and gathered feedback from them regarding their role in the kitchen. We heard great feedback from our student workers who valued their time with us; some were inspired to pursue careers in the culinary field.

Did you have to do anything differently during your operations this year because of the pandemic?

Operations shifted throughout the entire year due to pandemic implications. To start, social distancing played a large role in schedule planning and space usage. We lost partial or total use of cafeterias at most of our sites, resulting in many meals still being unitized and served in classrooms. On any given day, we delivered between 525 to 800 meals to students in classrooms. Operationally, this was an enormous undertaking, and it required a lot of our team’s time and muscle power to move meals around.

Can you share a bit about the growth of your programs this year, what it took, how it went, and what was most exciting?

This was a big year of growth for our program! We hired many new employees and worked to ensure that the majority of our team are full-time KIPP NYC staff members, honoring our mission for a supported workforce. We expanded from service in three schools to seven schools, including a new kitchen that serves five schools. Additionally, we launched back into action with our pantry program as soon as new waivers associated with the Keep Kids Fed Act allowed us to resume serving bulk “grab and go” meals to students. To meet this growth, we relied on our hardworking team and collaborated among many different KIPP NYC departments. Because many of the early days felt like a scramble, when we got to a point where things ran seamlessly, it was those non-exciting days that actually felt the most exciting.

CULINARY ARTS AT HIS ALMA MATER

The cafeteria at KIPP NYC College Prep High School is unlike any that most students have experienced. After being served traditional school food during their elementary and middle school years, upon arriving at the high school, the culinary team of professionally trained chefs and cooks offers them delicious, nutritious, homemade, and often locally-sourced meals. High school students and their teachers have shared that since KIPP NYC started the culinary program, they have more energy and feel greater well-being from eating the homemade food. They are also now consistently eating lunch daily!

The kitchen opens for breakfast with a menu that includes cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, and assorted bagels, as well as a hot entrée option. For lunch, KIPP NYC offers a main course that consists of a protein, grain, and a vegetable with assorted fruit options. Students can build their own salad at the salad bar or grab one that’s prepared in advance. In addition to the standard menu, the culinary team offers vegetarian and vegan options every day. Outside of the uniquely tasty and healthy meals, the kitchen also employs current high school students, KIPP NYC alumni, and family members in the food service industry who get a thrill out of preparing dishes and new cuisine for the students.

Orlando Garcia, a KIPP NYC alumnus, joined the high school culinary team in 2020 when the program converted a portion of the high school building to a food pantry in response to pandemic-induced food insecurity across the communities where KIPP NYC

schools are located. He then transitioned to working as a cook when the school reopened for in-person learning last year. After graduating from KIPP NYC College Prep High School in 2015, Orlando attended college; however, three years in, he knew he was meant to be learning the ins and outs of a kitchen and the restaurant industry. He started as a server and a barback, and now he’s a line cook. Orlando is also participating in a pre-professional culinary program in the city. Eventually, he’d like to go to culinary school, but for now, cooking for students and staff is a perfect fit for this stage of his career.

“I came from the time period in KIPP where we were getting packed lunches straight out of a warmer,” Orlando said. “It wasn’t anything like what we’re doing now, with everything made from scratch. I remember bringing packets of salt, like seasonings and stuff to school just to be able to eat lunch, so this is a huge upgrade. I hope that in the near future, we’ll be able to do more for other KIPP schools”

In response to the overwhelmingly positive feedback at the high school, KIPP NYC expanded the scratchmade kitchen model to three additional sites last year that house six schools. When two new kindergarten through eighth grade buildings open in the Bronx at the start of the 2023-24 school year, those facilities will be outfitted with state-of-the-art kitchens where culinary teams will produce high-quality, homemade, delicious food for hundreds of elementary and middle school students and staff each day.

Orlando Garcia

KIPP NYC College Prep High School (2015)

DESIGN, COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE, AND ENGINEERING

KIPP NYC is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative to directly teach computational thinking skills to all students. Beginning in kindergarten, every KIPP NYC student explores the world of STEM through a rigorous curriculum focused on investigation of real-world problems and experiment-based analysis as they apply their knowledge to generate arguments and solutions. By weaving project-based learning and metacognition – or “thinking about ways of thinking” – into the STEM curriculum, students are able to leverage math, literacy, and science knowledge into real-world applications and prepare for later coursework in classes such as AP Computer Science. Building metacognitive skills and computational thinking prowess in early years teaches students to embrace diversity of thought and equips them to pursue and solve more difficult and complex problems as they move through their academic and personal lives.

TEAM ROBOTICS

KIPP NYC partners with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a global robotics community, to offer robotics to all students beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school. FIRST showcases students’ science, engineering, and teamwork skills in a series of robotics competitions, and during the 2021-22 school year, after a year off due the pandemic, 875 KIPP NYC students participated in robotics. In addition, every KIPP NYC robotics team aims for at least 50 percent female enrollment, paving the way for a new generation of female leaders in STEM.

This past spring, KIPP Academy Elementary School held its first-ever robotics competition. Over the course of the year, students worked in collaborative teams to plan and implement a solution to a problem scenario and, ultimately, to program a robot to enact the solution. Students gained valuable lessons in teamwork and conflict resolution, as well as exposure to engineering and programming.

According to robotics coach Fatima Wilson, “Now [students] want to continue with robotics. They want to look into computer engineering, they now want to be architects…before, they didn’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up.”

SCIENCE IS A NECESSITY

student.

“Born and raised in Harlem, I wasn’t exposed to science at an early age,” Mr. Herman said. “Earth science was foreign to me; I struggled. I had to try extremely hard to understand basic science concepts. Part of that was how science was taught. We’d read a chapter in a textbook and then talk about it the following day. Now, students are presented with the ‘problem’ of the unit, a real-world problem around which to build their learning. Whether it’s blackouts or missing butterflies, students are reminded of real-life phenomena they are trying to solve.

“I push inquiry almost every day. Today, [students] explored which magnet is stronger. Every day they are presented with a problem. They think about how

to solve a problem, do the experiment, discuss what they learned in their experiment, and repeat every single day. Kids have the freedom to touch objects they don’t see every day and have genuine discussions with their classmates. Student-led discussions are happening all the time with very little teacher input.

“I HAVE PARENTS COME UP TO ME AND SAY THANK YOU. THAT’S THE BEST THING FOR ME – THAT KIDS ARE LOVING SCIENCE. THAT’S THE NUMBER ONE GOAL.”

“You can see the transformation. One of our students, Devin, got into robotics. He’s a great problem-solver. It built his confidence. Those kids truly flourish in science. It could be one unit that opens them up and shows them they can be scientists themselves. It sends a strong message to students.”

KIPP STAR Harlem Elementary students are also enjoying coding as part of their science education. Mr. Herman ensures that students understand the connection between programming and computational thinking. “[Coding] is about the exposure and experience,” Mr. Herman said. “It’s less about, ‘Can you code?’ It’s about the confidence that brings in the world of STEM. Do they learn basic skills? Yes! Is their confidence built up in STEM? Absolutely! This is how people create apps and the newest video games. This is why computational thinking is so important – breaking things down into small steps. The exposure gets them thinking that this is in arm’s reach; they can do this if they apply themselves.”

Gregory Herman

KIPP STAR Harlem College Prep Elementary School

Basta is a nonprofit organization that supports students of color who are first-generation students or from low-income backgrounds in securing career-pathway jobs upon program completion. KIPP NYC’s strategic partnership with Basta lays the foundation for quality post-graduation employment and higher earnings of alumni throughout their future careers.

KIPP NYC has been working closely with Basta over the past two years to develop, refine, and iterate on an integrated career model that empowers KIPP NYC alumni who are sophomores in college to gain clarity on their highest career aspirations, align their current studies, and make significant efforts to attain relevant career exposure.

• Skill development is most needed at this stage. This requires significant dedicated time, and it is key to future success (e.g., clarity on strengths and alignment with careers, resume coaching, application support, and interview preparation).

• Exposure events with employers are important learning opportunities and can be more accessible than internships.

• Providing multiple opportunities to engage with each skill development component of the program is necessary to meet the demands on college sophomores’ time.

Given these learnings, KIPP NYC will test out a newly refined model in the 2022-23 school year that allows for more access points for participation throughout the year. Also in 2022-23, Basta will offer programming to college juniors and seniors who are alumni through the “Propel Your Professional Journey” series, a 10-week virtual workshop to help students learn the ins and outs of landing a strong internship and post-graduation job.

MAJOR LEARNINGS FROM TWO YEARS OF PILOTING THE FIRST CAREER PROGRAMMING FOR SOPHOMORES IN COLLEGE INCLUDE:

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS STRENGTHEN OUR SERVICE TO ALUMNI: SPOTLIGHT ON BASTA

PAYING IT FORWARD: ONE ALUM’S JOURNEY TO BECOMING A CAREER COACH

Marcus Charlton’s career journey took several fascinating detours after his graduation from KIPP Academy in 2011. After initially exploring the possibility of being a history professor or pursuing career in law, Marcus found an internship at the Center for Economic Opportunities that changed his life. It allowed him to gain a foothold in the field of human resources, and he worked his way through the ranks to achieve the position he has today as a Recruiting Analyst at Accenture.

Marcus recognizes the impact of the resources and the support that he had from KIPP NYC. He says that his family established a solid foundation of support, but KIPP NYC gave him another network.

His network also taught him about the importance of giving back and paving the way for the next generation. Marcus credits his time at KIPP NYC with helping him envision and create the future he wanted for himself, and he is eager to help others navigate that same process.

“I’ll never be able to fully pay [KIPP NYC] back for all it’s done for me and continues to do for me,” he said. “Being a resource for at least one other KIPPster is the best way I can make a difference.”

When Marcus attended the Alumni Summit in 2021, he learned about KIPP’s Career Coaching program and immediately signed up. He currently has two advisees with whom he meets every month, and he advises them on topics such as navigating school concerns, internship opportunities, and networking. He also shares valuable advice, such as taking the time to network while in school; getting to know professors and classmates; and connecting with the alumni association at their school. Marcus passes along hard-earned wisdom with his advisees.

“There’s no rush to have your whole life figured out,” he said. “I thought I’d do one thing, and now I’m doing something completely different.”

“BEING A KIPPSTER GAVE ME AND STILL GIVES ME A SENSE OF PRIDE. IT BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION MY FAMILY ESTABLISHED AND GAVE ME ANOTHER SUPPORT NETWORK TO UTILIZE.”

Marcus Charlton, KIPP NYC Alumnus (2011)

CLASS OF 2022 SPOTLIGHT: COLLEGE BOUND

Carla came to the Bronx from the Dominican Republic when she was 12 years old, beginning a new life in an unfamiliar city and a world away from her childhood home and extended family. Six years later, Carla graduated as the valedictorian of KIPP NYC College Prep High School’s Class of 2022. This past summer, she enrolled at Columbia University to study political science.

“I CAME IN SEVENTH GRADE. MY FAMILY WANTED ME TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THEY DIDN’T HAVE. THEY WANTED ME TO GET THE EDUCATION THEY NEVER GOT. THE IDEA OF THE AMERICAN DREAM IS WHAT WE WERE CHASING. THEY ALWAYS TOLD ME EDUCATION WAS THE WAY OUT. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP PURSUING YOUR EDUCATION, YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU’RE GONNA DO GREAT THINGS.”

When she arrived in the United States, Carla spoke only Spanish, which made fitting in, making friends, and adapting to a new life in a foreign country particularly challenging.

“Learning the language was really hard for me,” she said. “Just trying to adapt to the culture – everything was so different. The weather, the food, the people, everything. It was kind of weird at first since I was the newcomer. I would try to listen to and watch things in English with subtitles in Spanish, even though I couldn’t understand it. That helped me get used to the sound of the language.”

From an early age, school came easily to Carla. Despite being an English language learner and going through the challenges of freshman year, she came

into her own sophomore year as she found mentors and activities that built her confidence and sparked her love of learning.

“I met this one teacher; her name is Ms. Lantigua,” Carla said. “She helped me tremendously to find confidence in myself and find my voice, being able to speak out even with those insecurities. I started getting more involved. I was a peer mentor for the sophomores and freshmen. I got involved with Peer Leaders. I was a teacher assistant. I would help them grade, and I would help them come up with lessons.”

Carla cites the support from the school’s College and Career Counseling team as being instrumental in her growth.

“KIPP has a great College and Career team. They get to know you, so they know what types of things you are interested in,” she said. “Wherever they see an opportunity, they would say, ‘Oh, I think you would like this. Why don’t you try it out?’ It is helpful that you were introduced to your College and Career Counselor since the beginning of [freshman] year. They get to know you. You get to have that connection with them.”

Carla’s passion for learning and supporting others, combined with KIPP’s college and career support, provided her with a solid foundation for her next chapter at Columbia. We can’t wait to see how she continues to impact our community and beyond.

Carla De La Cruz KIPP NYC College Prep High School (2022)

CLASS OF 2022 SPOTLIGHT: CAREER-READY

Datone Evans

KIPP NYC College Prep High School (2022)

Datone graduated from KIPP NYC College Prep High School this past year after navigating three school years of a mix of in-person and remote learning. Despite a high school experience unlike any other, he remains excited and optimistic about his future. Datone, who is from Washington Heights, worked closely with his advisor to find a postsecondary program in construction.

“One of my favorite things in school is the Career Counseling Program, because I’m eager to get started on my career,” he said. “I’m given many opportunities that I’ve never been given before. I want to take advantage of the opportunity I have.”

Datone has had a close relationship with his advisor, Mr. Baez, who discussed with him options for pursuing a construction career, including what certifications he could gain before graduating to get a head start in his field of interest.

“I explained to [Mr. Baez] my interest in construction. He sent me to info sessions and a couple of programs,” Datone said. “One was the East Side Settlement. I had to take a four-week class for my [training program for construction and general industry workers]. It taught me all the essential things that I would need to know on the construction site about safety, how to keep my peers safe, and how to do my job correctly. I really liked that experience.”

With multiple certifications completed before graduation, Datone lined up workforce training programs that will put him on a path toward a full-time job.

“I’ve been going to many different information sessions,” he said. “It’s helped me pick out the best program for me. I’m working on The HOPE Program. They are able to place you in a paid training program where you have a guide teaching you the things you need to know so you’re able to get out in the field. I see myself eventually owning my own company. One of my big goals is to build a home for me from scratch.”

The partnership between Datone and the counselors at KIPP NYC College Prep has been critical as he builds his skillset and prerequisite certifications ahead of starting his construction career.

ENSURING THAT DATONE IS CAREER-READY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL EXEMPLIFIES KIPP NYC’S MISSION TO: PREPARE STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO PURSUE THE PATHS THEY CHOOSE— COLLEGE, CAREER, AND BEYOND — SO THEY CAN LEAD FULFILLING LIVES AND BUILD A MORE JUST WORLD.

He has important advice to share with other students who are considering their options after graduating from high school, in addition to passing along what he has learned throughout his journey.

“Focus on making yourself happy,” Datone said. “A lot of people – especially in high school – are worried what other students may think of us, or how we’re viewed. Just focus on yourself. Make sure your needs come first. I’m gonna come back to this school and express the positives that I went through. My sister is a freshman, so as she grows up and figures out her career pathway or if she would like to go to college, I would like to express how I went so she has two points of view.”

CLASS OF 2022 SPOTLIGHT: A PASSION FOR EDUCATION

After eight years as a KIPP NYC student and four years at Lycoming College, Marquetta Felder returned to the classroom this past summer as a first-year history teacher at The Storm King School in Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY. It is where she was always meant to be, but when she was a child, Marquetta wasn’t as enthusiastic about school. She was bullied in elementary school and was worried that she would find herself in a similar situation upon transitioning to KIPP STAR Middle School in fifth grade. For a young girl who loved learning, she quickly discovered, in that first year as a KIPP student, a community where she felt supported and belonged.

“In middle school, I had lots of teachers who supported me, encouraged me, and really believed in me,” she said. “It was the first time that I really enjoyed going to school. Before I did my in-person interviews at Storm King, I had a pep talk with my seventh grade science teacher, Ms. Douglas. She helped me prepare for the interviews…and gave me words of encouragement as I start this new chapter.”

Marquetta reflected on what made the KIPP experience so important to her.

“I felt a connection with [the teachers] and felt that they cared about us outside of academics,” she said. “And I found a group of like-minded students. For middle school, I actually graduated salutatorian, and my friend was the valedictorian, we had fun competing with each other. In fifth grade, we would stay after school, and they would teach us sixth grade math. In eighth grade, we were actually learning algebra so we could take the algebra Regents ahead of time. And even when things weren’t great for me at home, just going to KIPP felt like my safe haven.”

“Every summer [in high school] I did a program. I did two coding programs. I traveled to Thailand my junior year. I went to Belize with a science teacher the summer before senior year. I also worked at a summer camp.”

Marquetta continued to be active on the Lycoming College campus despite a college experience interrupted by the pandemic.

“I was a part of the Black Student Union all four years; my senior year I served as President,” Marquetta said. “I was a part of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Race Equity Symposium Committees. We organized events around building a more inclusive campus and discussing issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. I was also a resident advisor my sophomore and junior year. I had residents who were from KIPP schools. I met lots of students from different KIPP regions. Whenever there was a group of us around each other, I would always be the one in the moment to say, ‘It’s a KIPP cousin meet up!’”

After excelling academically and being a student leader in both high school and college, it is not surprising that Marquetta pursued a career in teaching. Her desire to be an educator stems from both positive school experiences and the inspiring teachers she had at KIPP NYC and Lycoming.

“I’ve always admired teachers,” she said. “I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without my teachers, whether it was them simply doing their job of teaching or going above and beyond in supporting me. There’s been lots of times where I maybe didn’t believe in myself, and they were always my number one supporters and in my corner, pushing me and also opening my eyes to my true potential.”

Marquetta Felder KIPP NYC College Prep High School (2018)

In July 2022, 300 KIPP alumni from around the country came together in Washington, DC, for the second annual KIPP National Alumni Summit. They participated in nearly 30 sessions on subjects that included entrepreneurship, practicing self-care, and personal financial management. Alumni also shared advice with one another on topics from expanding a small business and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, to growing a career in fields such as education, the arts, financial services, and digital media. The national KIPP alumni community is 45,000 strong this year, and it is expected to grow to 80,000 by 2025! With 2,300 alumni whom KIPP NYC supports each year through its KIPP Forward program, the region was well-represented at the 2022 Alumni Summit.

Ani Akpan , KIPP NYC alumnus (2009) and Franklin & Marshall College Class of 2018, is the founder of Qase Entertainment, a boutique production and development company. Ani led a session at the Alumni Summit, “Hollywood Today: An Inside to the Film & TV Industry.” He shared his advice about how to become successful in the entertainment industry, including novel approaches for creators and strategies to elevate the voices of Black, Indigenous,

, KIPP NYC alumna (2014) and wellness session panelist at the Alumni Summit, is the Program Manager of Ayana Therapy at the KIPP Foundation. In her role, she develops long-term wellness support for KIPP alumni. Erica led a session on Reiki meditation at the Summit, first providing an overview of the ancient practice of Reiki and then guiding her fellow alumni through a wellness meditation to boost well-being and self-confidence.

Diana Velazquez

KIPP NYC College Prep High School (2016), Teacher In Residence

NEXT GENERATION OF EDUCATORS

, whose participants are affectionately referred to as “TIRs,” offers aspiring teachers a unique opportunity to work in KIPP NYC schools by pairing them with mentor teachers who support and lead them in their new profession. This program is built for those who are passionate and committed to teaching as a long-term career path, but who do not have any full-time teaching experience.

TIRs are assigned to a high-performing KIPP NYC teacher, who serves as a mentor and is called a resident advisor (RA). They receive extensive weekly training and deliberate practice through a targeted professional development series for novice teachers, which provides for a structured, supportive, and sustainable on-ramp to the teaching profession.

As part of the program, TIRs enroll in a Master in Teaching program at Relay Graduate School of Education. KIPP NYC fully commits to supporting the growth and development of each Teacher-In-Residence, with the explicit goal that upon successful completion of the residency, each TIR is hired into a full-time teaching role at a KIPP NYC school while obtaining their New York State teaching certification.

Diana Velazquez, a KIPP NYC alumna, is a seventh- grade math Teacher-In-Residence at KIPP Infinity Middle School. When reflecting on the greatest benefit of being a TIR, she cited the mentoring she has received from veteran math teacher, Alexa Roche.

“Alexa is my RA, and I’m learning a lot about teaching and how classroom management is about behavior and academics,” she said. “She’s an amazing teacher, and I am honored that I’m side-by-side with her and getting feedback that makes me a better teacher.”

“BEING A TEACHING RESIDENT, EVERY SINGLE DAY I’M LEARNING SOMETHING DIFFERENT; IT’S A LOT OF FUN...I’M LEARNING A LOT ABOUT TEACHING AND HOW CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMICS.”

TRAINING FUTURE SCHOOL LEADERS

experienced leaders supporting teachers, students, and families. In the current environment, where the best leaders are in short supply and in high demand, KIPP NYC schools have benefited academically, operationally, and culturally from three Leadership Development programs, which, over the years, have created a robust pipeline of leaders who are highly skilled and critically conscious, who lead with joy and respect, and who support our commitment to our students and families.

In November 2021, KIPP NYC launched the Leadership Development selection process, identifying the largest group of rising leaders in KIPP NYC’s history to embark on the next step in their leadership journeys.

• Ten educators were selected for the seventh cohort of the Leader Fellows Program, which supports rising Deans and Assistant Principals as they develop school-wide management skills. Leader Fellows receive coaching around team leadership, adaptive leadership, instructional coaching, management skills, and how to transition from a single content area or grade level to building school-wide systems and structures.

• Twelve educators make up the Principals-In-Residence Program for its fourth cohort. The “PIR” is a two-year program that prepares Deans and Assistant Principals for founding and successor Principal roles in KIPP NYC schools. Through intensive in-region training, school visits, and individualized coaching, participants have the unique opportunity to learn from veteran leaders about what it takes to manage a school effectively and how to derive the best results from students and teachers.

• The Emerging Leaders Program is officially starting in the 2022-23 school year with 18 participants after a successful pilot in 2021-22. The program is designed to support novice leaders to develop adaptive and technical skills. Emerging Leaders receive ongoing coaching from a regional leader based on a development plan that leverages their strengths on their journey to becoming a school leader.

KIPP

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBERS

Anjali

Alicia Johnson President

Jim Manly Superintendent Kate Baughman Principal, KIPP All Middle School

John Carter Principal, KIPP Inquire Elementary School

Eric Cato Principal, KIPP Washington Heights Middle School

Glenn Davis Principal, KIPP Infinity Middle School

Jane Martínez Dowling Chief of External Affairs

Tristan Fields Principal, KIPP Academy Middle School

Diane Flynn Chief of Real Estate and Interim Financial Officer

Meeta Gandhi Chief Equity Officer

Diamond Graham Principal, KIPP Elements Primary School

Chyrstal Griffin Principal, KIPP STAR Middle School

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM

Efrain Guerrero Senior Managing Director of Operations

Maylien Herm Principal, KIPP Infinity Elementary School

Tarell Hoskey Principal, KIPP AMP Elementary School

Jeff Imwold Managing Director of Student Support Services

Anissa Jones Principal, KIPP Academy Elementary School

Leslie Kim Chief Academic Officer Tessa Kratz Senior Managing Director of KIPP Forward

Sarah Kuwonu Principal, KIPP Freedom Elementary School

Ed Laux Senior Managing Director of Facilities & Technology

Antoine Lewis Principal, KIPP AMP Middle School

Rebecca McMurdie Principal, KIPP Washington Heights Elementary School

Dominique Mejia Principal, KIPP Affirm Middle School

Kerry Mullins Chief People Officer Joe Negron Principal, KIPP Beyond Middle School

Monica Samuels Principal, KIPP NYC College Prep High School

Lariely Sanchez Principal, KIPP Freedom Middle School

Roseann Sheehan Managing Director of Data

Rebecca Sleath Chief of Staff

Malini Sridharan Chief Operating Officer

Quinn Vance Managing Director of Elementary Schools

Brandi Vardiman Principal, KIPP STAR Harlem Elementary School

Natalie Webb Deputy Superintendent

Allison Willis Holley Managing Director of Middle Schools

Dana Willis General Counsel

BRONX SCHOOLS

• KIPP

• KIPP

• KIPP

• KIPP Affirm

• KIPP Elements

• KIPP

• KIPP

• KIPP

• KIPP NYC

MANHATTAN SCHOOLS

• KIPP Washington Heights

• KIPP Washington Heights

• KIPP Infinity

• KIPP Infinity

• KIPP STAR

• KIPP STAR

• KIPP

MANHATTAN

BROOKLYN SCHOOLS

• KIPP

• KIPP