KIPP Philadelphia Annual Report 2021-2022

A FUTURE WITHOUT LIMITS

A LETTER FROM OUR CEO

Dear KIPP Philadelphia Supporters,

When I joined KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools in 2018, I could not imagine a school year like this one—classrooms forever changed by a global pandemic, united by our shared mission to prepare students to independently navigate a life of their own design. Oftentimes, our jobs as educators require us to wear multiple hats in support of our students and this could not be more true during the 2021-2022 academic year. Administrators, teachers, families, and supporters like you proved that we can build a future without limits for our students. We have broken down barriers to ensure that our 3,000 students and more than 900 alumni continue to learn, grow, and thrive. Together, we ensure our students, families, and staff are supported with the technological, financial, and informational resources needed to navigate daily challenges. And for that, I thank you.

I am hopeful about the future, however, we know that the impact of the past few years will have a lasting effect on our students. Your ongoing support not only lets us be responsive to our current needs, but plan for the future.

By 2030, KIPP

Thank you to our school partners, community advocates, and fellow educators for your continued support to improve the school experience and outcomes for children.

This year’s annual report focuses on the resilience of our community and our ability to push past the obstacles to build a future without limits Our work is not complete until each student has access to every opportunity they desire in an environment that fosters joy and reinforces the brilliance inherent in all of our students.

Sincerely,

Jessica Cunningham Akoto CEO

Philadelphia plans to expand to serve more than 4,000 children across Philadelphia.

WHAT WE DO

Our mission is that together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence they need to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

“ Together, we are building a future without limits for our students.”

CORE VALUES

100%

STUDENTS FIRST

We do what is best for our children, always. Our focus is on the whole child, their wellbeing, their environment, and their needs.

OWNERSHIP

We are responsible for the outcomes of our children. We keep our commitments, meet challenges with solutions, and ask for help when we need it.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

We operate with selfawareness and seek to understand first. We show up as our authentic selves and make space for others to do the same, naming and disrupting inequity everywhere we go.

COMMUNITY

We are more powerful together. We actively build our relationships by communicating with candor, care, and respect.

KIPP PHILADELPHIA

Founded in 2003, KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools (KPPS) provides students with a Liberatory Education, prioritizing Black liberation and thriving over survival. Our schools lift up students’ agency and right to joy while affirming their identities and lived experiences. KPPS equips students with the academic, social, and emotional tools needed to understand the role of systemic oppression in their lives, disrupt the untruths that undergird those systems, and leverage the legacy of their community to access their personal strengths to build the lives they want for themselves. KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools has committed itself to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We take an inquiry approach to this work by questioning ourselves and each other to expand our views and ultimately widen the impact of our work.

LEADERSHIP STATS

100% Women Led

80% of teachers identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

73% Female

27% Male 95%

WHO WE ARE OUR NATIONAL NETWORK

STAFF BREAKDOWN

280 Schools across the country

KIPP Public Schools’ national network is made up of 280 schools, united by a common mission and commitment to providing students with the tools needed to lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

5% Hispanic/ Lantinx

69% Black/ African-American

27% White

2% Asian 2% Two or More Races

OUR SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY

KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 8TH GRADE

MIDDLE

HIGH

DEMOGRAPHICS

OUR STUDENTS

51% Male 49% Female

3,000+ students served

K-4: 1,647

5-8: 813

9-12: 512

94% of our students identify as Black or African American

85% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch

22% of our students receive special education services

OUR IMPACT Total students and alumni College Graduates

3,906

223

KIPP Forward, formerly KIPP Through College and Career, honors our promise to support our alumni to and through college and career completion by empowering alumni to continue to use their scholarly habits, knowledge, and qualities of character to continue advancing and engaging with our communities. KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools’ alumni are making their mark. They are earning degrees, building businesses, serving their communities, and leading choice-filled lives. Together, they’re creating a future without limits.

OUR APPROACH

MATCH

Through KIPP Philadelphia’s Match Framework, our team ensures that students and families are equipped with the knowledge necessary to make the best fit post-secondary decisions. Counselors support students on all pathways. The KIPP Forward team meets one-on-one with students and uses a data-driven approach to identify the schools that will be the right fit for each student. This is done through leveraging a robust framework that includes progress monitoring, whole school engagement, and building family investment in the post-secondary process.

COLLEGE PERSISTENCE

Students in degree-seeking programs receive formal coaching and advising once KIPP alumni enroll in their post-secondary program. These supports focus on the development and execution of a passion, purpose, and plan and center academic, financial, and socioemotional wellness. Through progress monitoring, advisors develop strategic interventions for students at risk of stopping their program. Persistence support and outreach begins after high school and concludes after six years or upon the earning of an employer recognized credential.

CAREER INTEGRATION

By prioritizing career integration across all grade levels, we work to promote self-exploration and identification of interests and aptitudes that will lead each alumni to a choice-filled life. We offer essential career programming for students and alum, providing an opportunity to explore various career options. Counselors implement a customized curriculum that helps students discover the “why” behind their interests, which will help determine a path to a fulfilling career.

THE PATH TO COLLEGE

At the national level, KIPP works to help students persist through college and earn an on-time degree through forming college partnerships with the institutions that share our belief that a student’s zip code and family income should not dictate whether they attain a degree. To fulfill our commitment to students beyond high school, the KIPP Forward team works alongside colleges and universities to support KIPP Philadelphia alumni. College partners not only commit to admitting KIPP students, but also providing critical resources to ensure that students remain on track for a college degree. KIPP partners with more than 95 college and universities across the country to learn alongside each other how to best support first-generation college students and create a scalable model for college access and completion.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

LaSalle University is an attractive post-secondary option for KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy high school students. In 2022, more than 20 students were accepted to the private university and pursue degrees in business, nursing, and the health sciences. LaSalle prepares students to explore their passions and gain the skills to succeed in the workforce.

NATIONAL COLLEGE PARTNERS

• Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)

• Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)

• Florida A&M (Tallahassee, FL)

• University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)

• University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

REGIONAL COLLEGE PARTNERS

• Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)

• Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg, PA)

• Rosemont College (Bryn Mawr, PA)

• Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)

• LaSalle University (Philadelphia, PA)

KIPP Philadelphia has 97 college partners.

More than 20% of college enrolled students attend a National College Partner.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

JEREMY MOORE

Growing up in North Philadelphia, Jeremy couldn’t picture himself in Mexico City, where he is currently working at a startup. Jeremy is the oldest of five children and a firstgeneration college graduate, who earned a degree in Computer Science and Economics from Allegheny College. According to Jeremy, who now works as a software engineer at a healthcare startup called AmalgamRx, “Philly is a tough place to grow up depending on where you are, but I feel like Philadelphia gave me the grit that I needed to be able to be successful in life.” A part of that success occurred when Jeremy learned about KIPP during his sophomore year of high school. He was a pretty good student in middle school, but he had trouble figuring out the high school admissions process and ended up completing freshman year online at home. Then he completed his sophomore through senior years at KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy on Parkside Avenue, where he maintained a 3.5 GPA and was a member of the Gold Tie Society. Jeremy said, “I always took school seriously, but KIPP was the first time I saw people who looked like me who really wanted to have an impact on students and their communities. I saw deans, teachers, coaches, Black people who went to Ivy Leagues and that really had an impact on me.”

This was the first time that Jeremy recalls having teachers around him who really cared about his academic success. He has kept up with some KIPP staff since his graduation

KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy ’15

Allegheny College ’19

I always took school seriously, but KIPP was the first time I saw people who looked like me who really wanted to have an impact on students and their communities. I saw deans, teachers, coaches, Black people who went to Ivy Leagues and that really had an impact on me.

- Jeremy Moore, ‘15

eight years ago and still talks to some twice a year. Before he landed his first job out of college as an investment banker, he credits the KIPP Forward program, formerly KIPP Through College, with connecting him with resources that helped him get ahead, like internships and fellowships that gave him a framework for how to apply for jobs, interview for jobs, and how to act in a professional atmosphere.

Jeremy utilized his resources to chart his own path and follow his passion and become an entrepreneur. While Jeremy was in the DMV area, where he’s lived for the past two and a half years, he’s invested most of his time and energy into learning the startup landscape, to start his own business, an app that merges his interest in education and social responsibility by attempting to make reading a more fun and social activity. While in college, Jeremy won a couple of business pitch competitions, which gave him the confidence to pursue his dreams. He became a Venture for America Fellow, a two-year program that supports recent graduates interested in entrepreneurship. Although his business plans are still in development, Jeremy knows that his work will center around education and providing value. He is inspired by the lack of access to education and in his opinion, entrepreneurship is probably the best way to close that gap. With all that is on his plate, Jeremy’s motto is simple — progress over perfection. If he could look back and tell his fifteen-year-old self one thing, he would say, “have gratitude for everything that you do and everything that you accomplish.”

“ Have gratitude for everything that you do and everything that you accomplish.

- Jeremy Moore, ‘15

OUR RESULTS

KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools (KPPS) is committed to our students’ academic success. As a result of the pandemic, KPPS has made programmatic shifts to support students in their mastery of Common Core and state standards. While we have not fully recovered from academic losses, we are working to make progress. Our most recent performance is above average compared to similar demographics of schools.

KIPP Philadelphia Charter School

KIPP North Philadelphia Charter School

2022 SPRING PSSA PROFICIENCY RATES (ELA)*

KIPP West Philadelphia Charter School

2022 SPRING PSSA PROFICIENCY RATES (MATH)*

Although not pictured above, KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy nearly doubled the average Keystone Literature proficiency rates of high schools with similar demographics.

*The charts above compare PSSA assessment scores for schools that serve at least 95% Black or Hispanic students, at least 75% of students who qualify as economically disadvantaged, and serve a population that includes at least 14% percent of students with IEPs.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

PSSA (Grades 3-8)

• In English Language Arts and Literature, all of our schools met the state growth standard for PSSA and Keystone.

• KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Academy has exceeded the growth standard in English Language Arts and Math since 2018.

KEYSTONE (Grades 9-12)

• In 2022 KIPP DuBois met the growth standard in Biology and Literature and has increased growth since 2019.

OUR IMPACT

KIPP alumni graduate from college at

High School Graduation Rate 92% 2X

the national average*

*6-year college completion rate

OUR GROWTH

2003 2004-2008

• KIPP Philadelphia Preparatory Academy opens in North Philadelphia as the flagship middle school, serving a cohort of 90 students.

2017 2018

• KIPP North Philadelphia Academy provides an elementary school option for students in North Philadelphia.

2022

• KIPP Philadelphia

Octavius Catto

Elementary opened as KIPP Philadelphia’s 7th school in the historic Provident Mutual Insurance building.

2009

• KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School, located in West Philadelphia welcomes its first class of fifth graders.

2010

• KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy opens in North Philadelphia as the network’s very first elementary school.

• KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy, the first and only high school, opens its doors in the West Parkside section of Philadelphia.

2016

• KIPP West Philadelphia Elementary Academy joins KIPP DuBois on their West Philadelphia campus to serve elementary school students in West Philadelphia.

2011-2015

2030

• KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools is projected to serve more than 4,000 students by adding two middle schools and a high school to its network.

MICHAEL K. PEARSON, IRON STONE REAL ESTATE PARTNERS

KIPP Philadelphia is grateful to our partners, who continue to support us in our mission to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare Philadelphia’s young people to be future leaders. Iron Stone Real Estate Partners, a commercial real estate development company, has been instrumental in our expansion to serve more students and families with their recent purchase of 4601 Market Street, which houses our newest school, KIPP Philadelphia Octavius Catto Elementary. KIPP Philadelphia talked to Mike Pearson of Iron Stone Real Estate Partners to discuss community partnerships and the future of Philadelphia.

How did growing up in Philly shape you?

I grew up in West Philadelphia and went to high school in Delaware County. I came from a community of hardworking Black folks who aspired for me. We historically dealt with racism, but it hadn’t gotten the best of us. Education was a way out and my parents, not having the benefit of college, understood the importance of education and found a way to make that happen for me.

What kind of student were you?

I was a very good student, a National Merit winner, and highly recruited for academics and athletics. I got a football scholarship, but I thought that Dartmouth was a better environment.

How did you get into real estate investment?

When I was the President & CEO of Union Packing, Inc., I scouted locations to build my facilities and acquired a real estate investment skill set. With the urging of my friends, who asked me to take a look at a property, I discovered 4601 Market Street. The partners at Iron Stone recognized my skill set and said, “why don’t you come onboard?” The relationship grew organically and where I am in my career today is based on coaching, people giving me the opportunity, people having faith in me, and helping me get to this place.

What is Iron Stone’s vision for creating a community hub?

Really, it’s three parts. 1. Buying an underused asset/property that has the potential to be of value and come into full use, 2. Financially it has to meet key performance indicators. Basically, we have to get the money to fund it so we can move ahead on a project, and

3. How does the community perceive it? How can we work with them to get the support to carry it to the finish line? In the long-term, the vision is based on if we have something that can benefit the economy, and community and be viable and sustainable for years to come.

Can you share the importance of public-private partnerships?

There is a deep history of urban development and public development partnerships in Philadelphia. In the 1950s, Philadelphia’s Economic Development Corporation (PIDC) formed as a joint venture between the City of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to invest in the community and decommercialize the city. This teaches us that with our collective knowledge, we can come up with something that fixes holes so that we don’t leave regions behind, neighborhoods of people behind, and we can work together to maximize community impact.

Why did Iron Stone Real Estate Partners invest in KIPP Philadelphia?

KIPP has a dynamic team with excellent local leadership and a rich national history with a formula for educating children and supporting them as they become young adults that have proven results. KIPP has demonstrated being good tenants and we feel that an elementary school fits with the concept of what a health campus should be about. Along with CHOP and PHMC, KIPP provides educational opportunity and wraparound services that support our community.

What do you want people to gain from the success of 4601 Market Street and its community impact?

I want them to know that Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) can be a great asset in developing plans. And that working with people in the neighborhood early in the process is important for any developmental project to be successful. It’s also important to bring in tenants who can be embraced by the community and complement what folks envision for Philadelphia. We educate folks, support folks, and listen to members of the community when we do these things. We have many underused buildings in our city and have to make a collective effort to restore and reimagine them. While Philadelphia has its challenges, it is a beautiful city, and we can make improvements when we put our heads together.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

COMPREHENSIVE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (School Boards)

Samantha Wilson Jones President

Ann Aerts .................................Vice-President

Bernard L. Cummings Treasurer

Amanda Keyes Secretary

Christopher Johnson.............. KPPS Alumni Representative

Toya Algarin

Gail Foster Lewis

Hershel Richman

BOARD OF TRUSTEES (KIPP Administrative Services Corp)

Leigh Whitaker Chair

Melanie Carter

Jerry Davidse

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Alyssa Maziarz

Joe Capri

Kirstyn Greco

Nate Breidenbach

Srinivasan Kuppuswami

BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS SCHOOL YEAR 2022-2023

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Bernard Cummings ................Chair

Ann Aerts**

Samantha Wilson Jones**

Roy Fairman*

Jerry Davidse

David Reuter

Leigh Whitaker

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Jerry Davidse..........................Chair

Francie Middleton*

Portia Fullard*

Ann Aerts

Leigh Whitaker

Samantha Wilson Jones

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Samantha Wilson Jones .......Chair

Ann Aerts

Amanda Keyes

Bernard Cummings

Gail Foster Lewis

Leigh Whitaker

Jerry Davidse

ACADEMICS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Gail Foster Lewis Chair

Samantha Wilson Jones**

Ann Aerts**

Nancy Scharff*

Amanda Keyes

Melanie Carter

Toya Algarin

Hersh Richman

Christopher Johnson

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Ann Aerts ...................................Chair

Amanda Keyes

Bernard Cummings

Gail Foster Lewis

Leigh Whitaker

Melanie Carter

Toya Algarin

Samantha Wilson Jones

*Denotes non-Trustee committee members

** Attendees of committee, but not members

OUR DONORS

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!

$1,000,000+

Elevate 215

$200,000+

Hallee Adelman

Henry M. Rowan Family Foundation

Jeff & Janine Yass

KIPP Foundation

Lenfest Foundation

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors & Education First

The McLelland Family Foundation

$100,000+

Chappell Culpeper Foundation

Hamilton Family Charitable Trust

Steven & Liz Casper

The Hilda & Preston Davis Foundation

$50,000+

Joan M. Wismer Foundation

The McLean Contributionship

$25,000+

Ann Aerts & Keith Dalton

David & Karina Reuter

Hershel & Betsy Richman

Jerry & Kristen Davidse

Joel Greenberg & Marcy Gringlas

McCausland Foundation

PWC Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Samantha Wilson Jones

$10,000+

ePlus Technology

$5,000+

Ellen & Jeff Badger

Francie Middleton & Michael Fields

Gail Foster Lewis

Meridian Bank

TRUiST

$2,500+

Christopher Johnson

Global Philadelphia

Joel & Rashida Brown

Schoenberg Family Charitable Foundation

Wawa Foundation

$1,000+

Bernard Cummings

Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation

RSF Social Finance

Shelly & Lawrence Beaser

$500+

Annina & Reginald Wilkes

Jeff Berry & Frances Jensen

Jonathan Grode

Peter Bryan

Scott Wheeler

$0 - $499

AbbVie Accenture LLP

Amanda Keyes

Aja Moore-Ramos

Caitlin Wood & Peter Sklar

Carla & Kenny Johnson

Chatara Benson

Cheryl White

Christian Hartranft

Christine Jones

Coura Keita

Courtney Bragg

Deatria Burney

Debra Chandler

Diana Filo

Erin James

Exelon Corp

Hope Pomerantz

Julia Cadwallender & Franklin Miller

Keola Harrington

Kevin Arnold

Kimberly West

Lawrence Moser

Leigh Whitaker

Melanie Carter

Natasha Melvin

Nicole Allen

Omowale Crenshaw

Reina & Matthew Prowler

Scott Peterman

Shana Johnson

Theresa Kehoe

Toya Algarin

Walnut Hill Community Association

WEST PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS

5070 Parkside Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131

T. 215.307.3465

NORTH PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS

2539 N. 16th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19132

T. 267758.2509

4601 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19139

T. 267.634.0013

5070 Parkside Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131

T. 267.787.5711

5900 Baltimore Avenue, 2nd Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19143

T. 215.294.8707

2409 West Westmoreland Street

Philadelphia, PA 19129

T. 267.687.7283

2600 W. Clearfield Street

Philadelphia, PA 19132

T. 267.758.2630

REGIONAL OFFICE PHIL ADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

5070 Parkside Avenue

Suite 3500 D

Philadelphia, PA 19131

T. 215.294.8596