Overview
KIPP DC public charter schools are places of learning and achievement, where students who have faced academic struggles in the past receive the time and support they need to become strong, confident learners.
KIPP, or the Knowledge is Power Program, was established when two Teach for America alumni, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, created an intensive 5th grade education program at a Houston elementary school based on the acclaimed teaching strategies of Harriett Ball. Their students’ incredible academic progress and heightened love of learning inspired Feinberg and Levin to expand their program throughout the country. In 2001, a dedicated team of educators founded KIPP DC in a church basement in Anacostia. Today, thanks to the leadership of KIPP DC Founder and Executive Director Susan Schaeffler and President and COO Allison Fansler, the KIPP DC network is the highest performing charter school network in DC. KIPP DC comprises three early childhood schools, one elementary school, three middle schools, and one high school.
Students who enter KIPP DC in the 5th grade are typically two to three grade levels behind, scoring in the 24th percentile in reading and the 26th percentile in math on the Stanford-10 national achievement test. After four years of our rigorous academic curriculum, extensive enrichment opportunities, and a "whatever it takes" attitude, our students are promoted scoring in the 65th percentile in reading and the 91st percentile in math on the test. During their time in middle school, they have also completed Algebra 1, participated in hands-on science labs, and studied advanced pieces of literature such as Things Fall Apart and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, preparing them for rigorous, college preparatory high schools.
With the addition of early childhood schools, KIPP DC is now providing an outstanding education to students starting as early as 3 years of age, ensuring that these students will never have to face the achievement gap. After only one year at KIPP DC, Pre-K students were performing at the highest level academically for their age group on the Brigance Inventory of Early Development, which is a national norm-referenced test. In fact, 100% of students were reading on grade level, and 83% were reading above grade level.
The success of the KIPP program has been proven repeatedly: In each school year from 2003-04 to 2008-09, KIPP DC’s KEY Academy has earned the rank of Washington, DC’s highest-performing public middle school. Additionally, a June 2010 study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research found that out of 22 KIPP middle schools across the country – including KIPP DC’s KEY and AIM Academies – half of the schools had gains in math equivalent to 1.2 additional years of school, with reading gains equivalent to three-quarters of an additional year of school.
With a rigorous focus on results and a strong culture of achievement and support, KIPP DC is preparing its students for continued academic success throughout high school and college, and a life-long love of learning.
Investment Fact Sheet
KIPP DC: Headquarters
1003 K Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
P: 202-223-4505
F: 202-223-4504
Founded 2001
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, KIPP DC: Susan Schaeffler
President and COO, KIPP DC: Allison Fansler
Chairman of the Board, KIPP DC: Terence Golden
CEO, KIPP Foundation: Richard Barth
Chairman of the Board, KIPP Foundation: John Fisher
Mission and History
KIPP DC's mission is to prepare students with the academic and character skills necessary to succeed in high school, college and the competitive world beyond.
All KIPP schools share a core set of principles called The Five Pillars: High Expectations; Choice and Commitment; More Time; Power to Lead; and Focus on Results. These Five Pillars foster KIPP DC’s strong culture of achievement and support, which along with KIPP’s commitment to providing students with outstanding educators, and a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, help students make significant academic gains and excel throughout high school and college.
The success of the KIPP model prompted the founders of GAP, Inc., Don and Doris Fisher, to establish a fellowship to train educators to open and lead their own KIPP schools. Susan Schaeffler, founder and executive director of KIPP DC, was a member of the Fisher Fellowship inaugural class.
After completing the year-long KIPP school leadership training program, Schaeffler and a team of dedicated teachers founded KIPP DC: KEY Academy in 2001. KEY opened with 80 5th grade students in the basement of Garden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Anacostia. Since 2003, KEY Academy has been the highest-performing public middle school in the District. Today, KIPP DC serves over 1,550 students in seven schools in Washington, DC.
Programmatic Highlights
KIPP DC offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum as well as enrichment classes in an extended school day, from 8am to 5pm Monday through Thursday, and until 3:30pm on Fridays. Mandatory Saturday school occurs from 9am to 1pm. In July, students attend a mandatory three-week long summer session. The extended school day, week, and year amounts to over 40% more class time for KIPP DC students.
KIPP DC educators emphasize a “whatever it takes” attitude, and offer their support to students both in and outside of the classroom. Every teacher is assigned a KIPP DC cell phone, which students are encouraged to call for homework help. Teachers visit students’ homes before the school year begins and are on site at the schools from 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Leadership
Susan Schaeffler
KIPP DC Founder and Chief Executive Officer
In 2001, Ms. Schaeffler founded KEY Academy, DC’s first Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) school, after being selected as one of three inaugural KIPP Fisher Fellows, a highly competitive program endowed to train future KIPP leaders. After leading KEY Academy to become the highest performing public middle school in DC, Schaeffler became KIPP DC's Chief Executive Officer in 2005. Under her guidance and strategic vision, KIPP DC has grown from one school in 2001 to seven schools serving over 1,500 students. By 2015, KIPP DC will serve over 3,400 students in 10 schools. As CEO, Ms. Schaeffler oversees all school leadership and academic programming, and plays a direct role supervising performance of students, staff, and faculty at KIPP DC’s seven high-performing college-preparatory schools. The KIPP DC network of public charter schools is the highest performing in the city, recognized by the Washington Post in April 2007 as home to “the most celebrated middle schools in the area.” Under Ms. Schaeffler, KIPP DC has received numerous recognitions including, the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School award and the National Title One Distinguished School award.
Prior to founding KIPP DC, Susan Schaeffler spent nine years in the classroom, beginning as a Teach for America corps member in Baltimore, MD, where she earned such awards as Teacher of the Year. In addition to her teaching experience, Ms. Schaeffler spent a year in rural Ethiopia working with the International Foundation of Education and Self-Help to train 180 new teachers at the Teacher Training Institute and two summers training and evaluating new Teach for America teachers. Ms. Schaeffler brought her extensive teaching and teacher training experience to KIPP DC, rooting the network’s success in strong teacher performance and making KIPP DC the highest performing system of charter schools in the district. Ms. Schaeffler’s many honors include being named one of EnVest’s 2007 “40 under 40” and the 2008 Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. Ms. Schaeffler earned a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University and an M.A. in Instructional Systems Design from the University of Maryland. 
Allison Fansler
President and COO, KIPP DC
In the summer of 2006, Allison Fansler joined KIPP DC as President and Chief Operating Officer. She currently manages all headquarters operations and directs all aspects of governance within the organization. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Fansler represented KIPP DC in the prestigious Broad Residency, a nationwide education leadership program. Ms. Fansler leads all strategic planning for KIPP DC’s expansion from 575 to over 3,400 students. As President and COO, Fansler has developed and implemented a business plan for network expansion, and under her leadership, KIPP DC has raised over $25 million to date in funding for KIPP DC.
Prior to joining KIPP DC, Ms. Fansler spent three years at the KIPP Foundation as Business Operations Manager. There she advised and trained KIPP principals on business and financial operations. During her tenure at the KIPP Foundation, Ms. Fansler assisted in founding 15 college preparatory charter schools and consulted with an additional 30 charter schools across the country on finance, operations and governance. Ms. Fansler also co-founded a new governance organization to increase accountability in KIPP schools in California. Before joining the KIPP team, Ms. Fansler was Director of Sales and Marketing for Thinkwave, Inc., a California-based education software firm, and served as White House Liaison and Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the United States Department of Treasury under the Clinton Administration. Ms. Fansler received a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. 
Terence Golden
Chairman, KIPP DC Board of Trustees
Since 2008, Terence Golden has served as Chairman of the Board of KIPP DC. Mr. Golden is also Chairman of Bailey Capital Corporation, a real estate and venture capital investment company. He is a director of Host Marriott Corporation, PEPCO Holdings Inc., and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Mr. Golden has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from MIT, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Investment Summary
In August 2010 VPP entered into an investment partnership with KIPP DC - a network of seven public charter schools on three campuses in Washington’s Wards 2, 7, and 8 serving approximately 1,550 Pre-K, Kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and 9th grade students from under-resourced communities. A VPP investment in KIPP DC provides a basis to begin their plans for expansion and programmatic improvements to ultimately have an impact on more students and serve as a model of educational excellence for low-income youth in this region.
OPPORTUNITY
KIPP DC provides an excellent investment opportunity based on KIPP DC’s current scale, history of student success, strong leadership, proven model, bold aspirations, and the potential, both directly and by example, to raise expectations of public education in underserved communities.
The organization’s stated vision is not simply to build a network of good schools, but to build and sustain the highest performing, Pre-K through 12 college preparatory school system for the most underserved students in Washington, D.C. KIPP DC students will develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to become thoughtful, influential, and successful citizens in the competitive world. KIPP DC raises expectations of public education in under-resourced communities by cultivating high-performing educational leaders and by serving as a model of excellence.
KIPP DC has demonstrated levels of success in cohorts of students from under-resourced communities that other organizations have not. That overall success, combined with a dynamic and well respected leadership team that have grown a single school into a charter school network, has resulted in strong support from educational and civic leaders throughout the city, particularly at the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (“PCSB”) and the District of Columbia Public Schools (“DCPS”), and that support significantly increases the opportunity for KIPP DC to succeed as it expands to reach more students.
KIPP DC students consistently outperform their peers in other public charter schools and comparable DCPS schools. Extending the KIPP DC/KIPP approach of high expectations, no excuses, and extended school time to over 1,500 more students using proven models enhances educational opportunities for a considerable percentage of District children from under-resourced communities.
GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS:
KIPP DC has established the following goals and strategic priorities for the next five years of the investment partnership:
1. Create and sustain the highest-performing Pre-K through 12th grade college preparatory school system for the most under-served children in Washington, DC, and to expand from seven schools serving approximately 1,550 students to at least 3,400 students by 2015. The network will include at minimum the following KIPP DC schools:
– 3 early childhood schools;
– 3 elementary schools;
– 3 middle schools; and
– 1 high school.
2. Execute and evaluate a government and community involvement strategy that strengthens KIPP DC’s financial support, allows the organization to effectively engage the communities it serves, and empowers parents to advocate for the academic success of their children.
3. As KIPP DC expands, to develop the appropriate management structure and roles to increase funding needed for operations, respond strategically to growth, and make strategic decisions regarding external opportunities and challenges. Ensure that the management team and KIPP DC can recruit and retain high quality teachers efficiently and at the scale required for future growth.
4. Enhance the data, evaluation, and performance management systems to collect and use data to support and refine its operations.
5. Implement a stronger, more diverse, and sustainable fund development strategy that includes both public and private sources and that takes into consideration short and long term debt requirements and financing options. KIPP DC will build and retain capacity in both areas to satisfy fundraising needs related to growth.
6. Develop an even more effective governing body that is consistent with KIPP DC’s strategic vision and aspirations. Particular emphasis will be on the board composition and committee structure.
INVESTMENT RATIONALE
Key factors that underpin the thinking behind an investment in KIPP DC include:
1. Leadership – KIPP DC’s founder and CEO, Susan Schaeffler, is a strong and well-regarded leader both locally and in the education community nationally. She has demonstrated her ability to achieve growth without sacrificing high quality instruction and results for her students. KIPP DC’s President and COO, Allison Fansler, is a similarly strong, experienced and driven leader. Under their guidance, KIPP DC has grown to seven schools and will lead significant growth plans in the next five years. Their focus to create a highly effective network of schools is supported by a talented and driven management team and a board that serves as thought partners, connectors, and mentors to the leadership team.
2. Program and Outcomes – KIPP DC has consistently demonstrated outstanding academic success since its inception. The 2009 DC-CAS results show that KIPP DC has the highest-performing 8th grade students of all public and public charter schools in Washington, D.C., despite serving the city's most under-resourced neighborhoods. It has clearly and strongly demonstrated its ability to significantly raise academic scores, provide effective character and skills training, and prepare and support motivated and committed students from under-resourced communities for success in competitive high schools, colleges, and universities. In addition, KIPP DC has demonstrated the benefits of a strong focus on data collection and the need to use that data to empower and drive programmatic and organizational improvements. KIPP DC demands a high level of commitment in time and effort from students, parents, teachers, and staff, and it has shown how those commitments, together with clear goals, high expectations, and a “no excuses” attitude, can produce results.
3. Growth Trajectory – KIPP DC’s enrollment has increased from 80 students in the original school to approximately 1,550 students in seven schools, and KIPP DC has strategic, community-supported plans for expansion to 10 schools serving over 3,400 students. Moving forward, KIPP DC plans to open an additional elementary school in 2011 and another additional elementary school in 2012, while continuing to add new grades serving additional students at existing schools. This expansion plan will not only allow KIPP DC to increase the number of students served, but it will also allow KIPP DC to reach students at an earlier age, thus preventing the development of an achievement gap.
SUCCESS FACTORS
KIPP DC is poised to increase its impact by expanding the model throughout the District. An investment in KIPP DC is likely to be successful given the following:
1. Management Team & Board – Under Schaeffler’s and Fansler’s leadership, KIPP DC includes a capable team and a respected board of directors, with key ties to many communities and sectors in the District. The leadership at the school level is consistently strong, and clear focus and priority have been given to establishing a strong leadership pipeline in this area.
2. Education Landscape – Public education in Washington, D.C. is at an extraordinary turning point. Community and political leaders are supporting, if not demanding, dramatic changes to the local education landscape following the District’s public schools ranking of 51st out of 51 states in 2009. To date, that advocacy for dramatic change has resulted in strong support for KIPP DC with tangible manifestations such as a partnership with DCPS and a strong, positive relationship between KIPP DC and DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee.
3. National Network – The KIPP DC model for success is a localized version of the national program and incorporates the national program’s core set of operating principles known as the “Five Pillars”: High Expectations, Choice & Commitment, More Time, Power to Lead, and Focus on Results. KIPP DC is viewed as a model program by KIPP national, with strong support from key national board members and influential national foundations and other funders. In addition, the strong two-way relationship that exists between KIPP DC and KIPP offers KIPP DC access to strong local and national resources if needed.
USE OF FUNDS
Through this investment agreement, VPP will provide up to $5,500,000 over a four year, four month period in funding and strategic assistance to help KIPP DC:
1. Expand in the District to increase from the current seven schools to 10 schools including nine Pre-K through 8th grade schools and one high school, more than doubling the number of youth served from approximately 1,550 to over 3,400 by 2015.
2. Create and sustain the highest quality school system for the most under-served communities in the District and to raise expectations of public education in under-served communities by cultivating high-performing educational leaders and by serving as a model of excellence.
Synopsis
Key Accomplishments
As the investment is in its beginning stages, there are no results to report at this time.
Key Information
Case Study
KIPP DC
The KIPP DC Case Study is not completed at this time. Please check back later.
