KIPP DIAMOND Academy

KIPP DIAMOND Academy is one of over fifty college-preparatory KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools operating in low-income urban and rural communities throughout the country. KIPP DIAMOND Academy strives to prepare students for top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond by instilling in each student a commitment to scholarship, teamwork, integrity, and fun. KIPP DIAMOND Academy opened in 2002 as a new middle school in the Memphis City School System and is currently serving approximately 250 students in grades five through eight. The school is located on Howell Avenue near Rhodes College in the building attached to Cypress Middle School. At KIPP DIAMOND Academy our young scholars are:

KIPP Foundation

KIPP began in 1994 when teachers Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg completed their Teach For America commitment and launched a program for fifth graders in a public school in inner-city Houston, Texas. While only half of the students passed their fourth grade tests before enrolling in KIPP, more than 90% passed the Texas fifth grade exams in English and mathematics after one year at KIPP. In 1995, Feinberg's KIPP Academy Houston became a charter school, and Levin established KIPP Academy New York in the South Bronx. The original KIPP Academies have a sustained record of high student achievement. The Texas Education Agency has recognized KIPP Academy Houston as an "Exemplary School" for every year of its existence. According to the New York City Department of Education, KIPP Academy New York is the highest performing public middle school in the Bronx. KIPP alumni have earned over $21 million in scholarships for college-preparatory high schools and are continuing to excel in four-year colleges and universities.

Doris and Donald Fisher, co-founders of Gap Inc., formed a unique partnership with Feinberg and Levin to replicate KIPP’s success nationwide. Established in 2000 with a $15 million grant from the Fishers, the nonprofit KIPP Foundation recruits, trains, and supports outstanding teachers in opening and leading high-performing college-preparatory public schools in educationally underserved communities. KIPP helps secure facilities and operating contracts while training School Leaders through a yearlong KIPP School Leadership Program that includes an intensive program of coursework at Stanford University run in partnership with the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute (SELI), Residencies at other KIPP schools, and support from KIPP staff.

Today, 52 KIPP schools are serving over 11,000 students in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

http://www.kipp.org