Alicia Demers, Ira Nichols-Barrer and Elisa Steele:
KIPP middle schools had a positive impact on enrollment in four-year college programs, but the effect was not statistically significant.
Among our first two cohorts, for whom we can observe college persistence patterns for five years, students who received an admission offer to a KIPP middle school graduated from a four-year degree program, or were on-track to graduate, at rates similar to those of students not offered admission.
Students who received an admission offer to a KIPP middle school usually attended a KIPP middle school, and many went on to attend a KIPP high school.
Attending both a KIPP middle school and a KIPP high school had large, positive impacts on students’ college enrollment and college persistence rates.
KIPP middle and high schools also had a large and statistically significant combined effect on college graduation rates.
Previous research on KIPP high schools and interviews with KIPP college support staff suggest that these findings may be driven by the college preparatory culture at network high schools, as well as college-related supports delivered to KIPP high school students and alumni.