New Randomized Study Demonstrates KIPP’s Impact
Jay Mathews, Washington Post, March 5, 2010
A new National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study entitled “Who Benefits From KIPP?” is the first to use a randomized control group method to study the impact of KIPP's long school days, rigorous instruction, and school culture on fifth through eighth graders.
Critics of charter schools like KIPP often argue that they outperform local public schools either because they “cream” the best students or because their weakest students drop out (or both). But a study of the KIPP Lynn charter school in Massachusetts finds no evidence of either. Among the study’s key findings:
- Students who applied to KIPP Lynn had somewhat lower test scores than Lynn students, on average
- Students who won the KIPP Lynn lottery were much less likely to change schools than those who lost the lottery
- KIPP Lynn raised achievement more for weaker students
- KIPP Lynn students made significant gains in math and reading, compared to the control group
The new study emphasizes that KIPP Lynn’s results are particularly impressive for special education students and for students with limited English proficiency, each of which comprises about a fifth of the school’s population.
To access the full study, click here.
