Achievement and Climate Outcomes for the Knowledge is Power Program in an Inner-City Middle School

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effects of a whole school reform, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), specifically designed to raise academic achievement of at-risk urban middle school students by establishing an extended school day and year, a rigorous curriculum, after-school access to teachers, and increased family-school connections. In our mixed-methods design, qualitative (interview and observation) and quantitative (survey and achievement test) measures are employed to determine first-year program implementation and student outcomes for the KIPP:DIAMOND (Daring Individual Achievers Making Outstanding New Dreams) Academy (KIPP:DA), an inner-city school in a large, high-poverty urban district. For the achievement analyses, 49 KIPP:DA students were individually matched to highly comparable control students of the same ethnicity, socioeconmic status, gender, and ability, who attended different district schools in the same neighborhood. Statistically significant and educationally meaningful advantages for KIPP:DA students were found on 4 out of 6 standardized tests. The achievement results are interpreted in relation to the key program elements, the positive school climate established, and the quality of the 1st-year implementation.

Notes

* p < .05. for KIPP versus control means in ANCOVA.

** p < .01. KIPP:DA = Knowledge Is Power Program: Diamond Academy; NRT = Norm-Referenced Test portion of the (TCAP:AT); CRT = Criterion-Referenced Test portion of the TCAP:AT.

¹For the purposes of brevity, a shortened version of the qualitative results is presented here. For a full reporting of quotations and supplemental impressions from respondents, see Alberg (2003); Ross, McDonald, and McSparrin-Gallagher (2004). 3. The first author began the research with these stakeholder interviews, as described in the full technical report (Ross, McDonald, & McSparrin-Gallagher, 2004).

* KIPP:DA% frequently/extensively was 10% less frequent than national norms.

+ KIPP:DA% frequently/extensively was 10% more frequent than national norms.

*p < .05 in chi-square test.