KIPP Chicago Public Schools has been recognized as a “Gap Buster” charter network, earning the highest rating in a national study conducted by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO). The empirical evidence provided by CREDO’s study demonstrates that our model is resulting in dramatic improvements in Reading and Math for Chicago’s Black and Brown students, exceeding the state average in overall student achievement. Our students achieved gains equivalent to an additional 96 days of learning within the same school year. The full study can be found here, or you can watch a video from CREDO that provides an overview of the study and its findings. 

KAC Robotics Competition

Middle school students at KIPP Academy Chicago put their computer science and coding skills to the test in an exciting robotics competition. Sponsored by the Amazon Future Engineer program, these 6th-grade students embarked on a mission to design robots capable of responding to environmental cues to address natural hazards such as fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Over the course of three weeks, these young innovators delved into coding and hands-on robot building, creating their very own Early Warning System robots. This competition not only showcased the powerful relationship between technology and education but also highlighted how STEM education can empower the next generation to address real-world challenges, preparing them for the realities of the future while nurturing their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Model UN

The Model UN Teams at KIPP Bloom College Prep, KIPP One Academy, and KIPP Academy Chicago teams were hard at work all year preparing for their participation in the International Middle School Model UN Conference in New York City. Thirty-four exceptional students represented the city of Chicago at the conference, engaging in rigorous committee sessions. These remarkable young leaders addressed critical global issues, from systemic racism in the digital age to the implications of animal testing. A group of our students took the lead in their committee focused on the implications of animal testing, presenting their resolution paper at the United Nations in front of 120 people. We are thrilled to share that two students, Aarianna and Jackson, received recognition for having the strongest country statement, a testament to their exceptional research and representation of Germany. Beyond their commendable work in Model UN, our students represented KIPP Chicago with kindness and respect, earning praise from other groups and conference administrators for their courteous demeanor and supportive interactions. 

The trip was not all business, though! Our students explored the vibrant city of New York, attended a Broadway show, enjoyed delicious meals, and formed lasting friendships. Check out a video recap of their trip below.

At the end of the season, our students and their families gathered for a celebration to reflect on the lessons learned, both about the world and themselves, during their Model U.N. journey. Our students shared personal stories of triumph, from conquering fears of public speaking to discovering their best selves through teamwork and pushing past comfort zones. The banquets also honored our graduating 8th graders with engraved gavels, symbols of their outstanding contributions to Model U.N.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our student’s families. We acknowledge the early morning drop-offs, late pick-ups, and all the countless acts of support that have made this journey a reality. We are immensely grateful for our Model UN community. Due to the incredible success and growth of the model UN program, we are excited to share that it will be expanded to all of our schools for the 23-24 school year under the direction of Molly Harris.

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After a successful pilot in the Spring of 2022, KIPP Chicago was brimming with curiosity and excitement about the limitless possibilities of recent technological advancements. We hosted a Futurism 101 conversation which regional leaders from KIPP Chicago and KIPP Metro Atlanta attended to make connections, share ideas, and learn from each other about the possibilities ahead. This gathering catalyzed the creation of professional development opportunities for our teachers to learn more about how to maximize the current VR platform opportunities. In November, all participating math teachers gathered for professional development ahead of our semester two launch. 

We are wired to learn experientially: through perceiving, seeing, doing, and moving. As technology advances, virtual reality has the opportunity to provide students with immersive, learn-by-doing experiences. As we continue into the new semester, we are excited to continue to roll out the Middle School Math Prisms VR curriculum, which includes units on ratios, creating linear equations, systems of equations, Pythagorean theorem, and perimeter. Prisms is the first-ever spatial learning platform for math, where students learn through movement, discovery, and purpose. 

The Science of Reading 

At KIPP Chicago, our mission is inextricably linked to students developing into competent and confident readers. Embedded in our mission is the core belief that literacy is essential to students pursuing their chosen path, leading fulfilling lives, and, perhaps most importantly, creating a more just world. Given the history of the country and city we teach in, and the identities of our students, we believe that fostering critical literacy in our students is not only achievable for all KIPPsters, but also non-negotiable.

This means that, by the end of 8th grade, every KIPPster will be critical, compelling, and thoughtful readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. Our literacy program must ensure students are not only on grade level and prepared for a rigorous academic experience in high school, but also stretch their knowledge, perspective, and character to understand themselves and the world around them deeply. We achieve this vision through work in kindergarten through 8th grade, with each grade band representing a critical step toward developing students’ literacy skills.

Early literacy work focuses on building “code breakers”—equipping students with automatic and fluent word recognition skills in each strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope (Phonological Awareness, Decoding, and Sight Recognition). Spelling and writing are critical components of instruction, as these form the building blocks for encoding and future writing growth. We rely on a structured approach to literacy to systematically and explicitly deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Additionally, students’ natural curiosity is fostered to build more knowledge of the world around them and lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and reading.

As we continue to ensure we are aligned on the very best practices for teaching and learning, we have leaned into and learned from various media. One of the most important podcasts available right now on the science of reading is Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong. There’s an idea about how children learn to read that’s held sway in schools for more than a generation—even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host and education reporter Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It’s an exposé showing how educators came to believe in something that isn’t true and are now reckoning with the consequences— children harmed, money wasted, and an education system upended.

Here’s a quote from episode 1 of the podcast:

Paul: They weren’t reading. They were doing what the teachers told them. And they were just guessing. I mean, there’s no two ways about it. They were guessing, and I just thought like—OK, well eventually they guess their way into being able to read. I’m assuming. I was wrong. 

Listen to more here.

Did you catch our Model UN students on the evening news?

CBS2 reporter Sabrina Franza visited KIPP Academy Chicago to watch the students in action and to learn more about the team’s upcoming trip to the Model UN National Conference in New York! Watch the clip here. Our students are planning to compete at the conference in April 2023 in the Big Apple! You can help the team get to the conference by donating.

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Molly Harris, former 6th grade Social Studies teacher and Department Chair at KIPP Academy Chicago, current graduate student, and KIPP Chicago UN leader.

What inspired you to lead Model UN? 

I was inspired to lead Model United Nations from my experience participating in the club for four years in high school. I loved the bonds I made with other like-minded students who were also passionate about making a difference in our world. When I went to college at the University of Michigan, my experience through Model UN made me feel comfortable and confident speaking up in my classes. I was not intimidated to ask a question or participate in a 150-person lecture because I had spoken in front of that many people before at high school Model UN conferences. I knew that if I wanted to truly prepare my students for leadership opportunities in high school and college, Model UN would be one of the best ways to do so.

What were you looking to accomplish?

When I began teaching in New Orleans eight years ago, I quickly realized that Model UN was something my students would love and greatly benefit from. They loved sharing their perspectives on issues in their community and were passionate about finding ways to solve these problems. In addition, I wanted to provide my students with an opportunity to gain public speaking and research skills so that when they went to high school and college, they felt prepared and confident to share their voices and opinions. My students must know and believe in the power of their voices and the value of their unique perspectives. 

Can you tell us a little about the process for participating students? 

Every 6th-8th grade student is welcome to try out for Model UN in September. Tryouts are competitive since only 20 students are selected to make the team each year. This is our 5th year running the program at KIPP Academy Chicago, and we had the largest turnout, with over 80 students trying out! For the first year of tryouts at KIPP One, over 40 students tried out for the team.

Once the teams are solidified, for the first few months, students meet after school to share current events and “hot seat” or mini-debate exercises. Later in the year, our team is assigned a country to represent at the International Model UN Conference that we will attend in March. Students research topics they are passionate about, such as improving global literacy rates, mental health support for youth, or nuclear disarmament. Students work in pairs to explore this topic from the perspective of our assigned country to discover different problems within their topic and potential solution ideas. They use this research to write their Position Papers. Their Position Paper is a two-page research paper in which they will share their country’s perspective on their assigned topic. For the months leading up to the conference, students submit this paper and then prepare their speeches that they will present in New York. 

What impact does participation in Model UN have on students? Did you meet your intended outcomes last spring/summer? 

Students develop strong public speaking, writing, research, and leadership skills throughout the Model UN program. In addition, they build lasting relationships with their teammates and learn to give and receive feedback. Model UN alums often visit team meetings or tryouts to advise newer members. Every year, I see 7th and 8th-grade students step up as mentors and step into becoming the best versions of themselves. 

At the conference, students gain confidence, poise, and the ability to articulate their research in rooms filled with over 100 students. They learn to navigate and network with other delegates and build friendships that last far beyond the conference days. In addition, they will visit the United Nations Headquarters in New York and witness where our world’s most complex problems are discussed and resolved.

Due to COVID-19, KIPP Academy Chicago and KIPP Bloom participated in the International Model UN Conference over Zoom at our Children’s Museum of Art of Social Justice  last year. We had four students from KIPP Academy and five from KIPP Bloom win their committees. We also hosted our first-ever family banquet, where Model UN students presented their speeches to their families. It was an unforgettable night. I have already heard from three alums who plan to do Model UN at their respective high schools.

Are you looking to continue/expand this work? If so, what is to come this year?  

I plan to continue this work and hope to expand the program further. This year, the Model UN program is implemented at three KIPP campuses: KIPP Academy, KIPP One, and KIPP Bloom College Prep. I am coaching teachers at KIPP One and KIPP Bloom and co-leading the program at KIPP Academy. In addition, we all plan to attend the International Model UN conference in New York City in the Spring as one KIPP Chicago delegation. We are very excited.

S.P.I.T. (Spellbinding Performers In Training)
KIPP Chicago McNair Fellow & Assistant Principal, Heather Hawkins 

What inspired you to do this project? What were you looking to accomplish?

Institutional racism and lack of representation in schools often keep BIPOC students from experiencing the sense of belonging and recognition that leads to academic success. Addressing this inequity takes more than surface-level changes, such as hiring selection. We must commit to diversity and inclusion on a deep, ongoing level. Representation for the sake of representation alone does not allow for exploring the varying nuances and differences within the diaspora. Therefore, KIPP Ascend Middle School implemented a project-based spoken word curriculum that will explore different viewpoints of BIPOC poets and orators throughout time.  

What impact did this project have on students? Did you meet your intended outcomes? 

By partnering with Reconstruction, KAMS students’ academic gains in writing were further supported by deepening students’ current level of cultural representation.

SPIT (Spellbinding Performers In Training) classes delved into Black triumph and tribulation through spoken word poetry, theater, and speeches of Black orators worldwide. Students also wrote and performed original works.

Are you looking to continue/expand this work? If so, what is to come this year? 

Absolutely. KAMS has plans to partner with Reconstruction for the 22-23 school year. We hope to enrich our Literacy Centers and Social Studies courses by incorporating a culturally relevant, writing-intensive curriculum.

As a Mcnair Fellow, how do you connect this work to your professional growth goals and expanded impact as a KIPP Chicago leader? 

As an educator and McNair Fellow, I actively challenge the [academic] achievement gap. Many students complete middle school without attaining proficiency in writing. Assessments used to measure these outcomes further reveal serious equity issues. African Americans, children living in poverty, and English learners score far below their peers in both writing and social studies. There are many causes of the achievement gap; systemic racism, lack of acculturation, socioeconomic status, sexism, and availability of technology are all factors. The root cause becomes even more complex when these factors intersect. Working to close the achievement gap allows current and future students a greater opportunity to access the benefits of a middle-class lifestyle most disproportionately afforded to white Americans.

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Given this decade’s anticipated technological advances, we have set out to build an infrastructure that absorbs, tests, and ultimately codifies a vision for the “2030 Classroom.” To that end, we are working on investing in both human capital and hardware to bring this vision to life. We’re looking forward to selecting our most talented, tech-savvy teachers to evaluate today’s tools and experiment with tomorrow’s technologies. Specifically, we hope to pilot tools that leverage Artificial Intelligence and Web3 for educational purposes.

We also know that students learn best via experiential opportunities, as opposed to memorizing information à la the 19th century industrial schools model. Virtual reality provides students with immersive, learn-by-doing experiences. It has already proliferated post-secondary institutions and developers are rapidly building content for K-12.

This spring, our pilot includes: ensuring that each middle school campus is equipped with a set of virtual reality headsets and hardware, an algebra pilot using modules from Prisms VR, and virtual field trips.

“Virtual reality is about to change the way we teach and learn. You can have students engage with an algebraic equation on paper or you can have them engage with it in an immersive environment that includes movement, discovery, and real-world application. The latter will have a more lasting impact on teaching and learning.” -Monika Patel, KIPP Chicago Achievement Director, Science

Teach for America Alumni Award Winner: Molly Harris

Molly Harris, 6th grade Social Studies teacher and Department Chair at KIPP Academy Chicago, was recently recognized as a winner of the Frances and Elliot Lehman Excellence in Teaching Award. This award recognizes outstanding culturally responsive teaching that empowers students in learning and in life. Molly says, “When I think about some of the greatest classes I’ve ever had, they involve me speaking very little. My goal is to create a student-led classroom where they are talking about issues that they care about, analyzing different perspectives on the issues, representing different stakeholders, and sharing their ideas on how we can come up with solutions for society…I want my students to believe in the power of their opinions and perspectives to create change in our world.” Check out her interview here. Congratulations, Molly!

English & Language Arts and Visual Arts Projects

As we work to integrate more arts lessons into the curriculum of core subjects, we introduced four art projects to 5th-8th grade English & Language Arts (ELA) classes. Each art project was integrated into the learning from the current ELA unit. As Mr. Zuniga’s 5th graders wrapped up their unit on humans and nature, they used natural elements to create a cyanotype print. Students in 6th grade read pieces by female artists, like Faviana Rodriguez, who uses printmaking to communicate her activist messages, then created their own collagraph prints. As Ms. Love’s 7th graders finished their unit on space, reading about the often overlooked contributors to the field, they re-created an Afrofuturism lesson from our CMASJ exhibition, Springtime on Neptune. In 8th grade with Ms. Donelson, there is a unit on food systems and food choices which lent itself perfectly to another CMASJ art project from the Food for Thought exhibition. This lesson is a multi-step process to creating a watercolor illustration of food. Students then researched to find the ingredients from the painted food, tracing them back to their sources.

BHM Equiano IG Live + Dusable Museum

On February 16th, 2022 a feature film about the life of Olaudah Equiano was released on Instagram by Stelo Stories, in partnership with the DuSable Museum of African American History, the oldest independent Black history museum in the United States. Equiano was a man kidnapped and enslaved as a child in Africa who eventually became a bestselling author and played an instrumental role in the abolition of the slave trade. This film, which highlights the year of his capture, uniquely tells the story using today’s tools, a smartphone and Instagram account.

DuSable Museum of African American History, graciously offered to facilitate a virtual tour of their Equiano exhibit following our KIPP Chicago watch party, along with a talk back that allowed students to ask questions directly to the museum staff. Students from every KIPP Chicago middle school engaged in the watch party and the following question and answer session. We’re so grateful to DuSable for this incredible opportunity during Black History Month.

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The MVMT is a financial literacy curriculum initiative created by KIPP AMP (NYC) Middle School principal, Antoine Lewis. The MVMT believes that fostering literacy, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit in our young people is the ultimate anti-racist act and will build a better future for Black communities and us all. Financial freedom is liberation, for it eliminates Black communities’ dependency on the capitalist structures that were built to exclude them.

As we begin to pilot Mr. Lewis’ financial literacy curriculum around KIPP Chicago, we are so grateful that three teachers have formed after school clubs to bring the material to middle school students. Dyamond Thompson and Keyahna Curry at KIPP Ascend Middle School and Brandon Saunders at KIPP Academy Chicago each have an after school club dedicated to financial literacy.

English Language Arts (ELA) Team Reimagines Curriculum

We are piloting a new curriculum based on the science of how kids learn to read in five classrooms across the region. This curriculum was developed through a review of 6 common, highly-rated ELA curricula with teacher-led focus groups at all four of our middle schools.

Embedded in our mission of developing students into proficient and confident readers is the core belief that literacy is an essential condition for pursuing the paths students choose, leading fulfilling lives, and creating a more just world. Given the history of our country and city we teach in, and the identities of our students, we believe that fostering critical literacy in our students is not only achievable for all KIPPsters, but also non-negotiable. After piecing together existing curriculum and reviewing the content with a focus group of KIPP Chicago ELA teachers, we created a scope and sequence that includes texts featuring a diverse range of perspectives.

ELA Unit Highlight: The Middle East & Human Rights

Edward Hardman and Juan Zuñiga, 5th grade ELA teachers at KIPP Ascend Middle School and KIPP One Academy, are currently leading their students through a unit on the Middle East and human rights. To answer the guiding questions: “How can one person impact a community?”, “How can family relationships and dynamics influence a person’s actions?” students are reading excerpts from The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, I Am Malala (Young Reader’s Edition) by Malala Yousafzai, and Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis.

In this unit, adapted from the FishTank Learning Curriculum, students explore the Taliban’s influence on the Middle East through the eyes of multiple young women. They are challenged to think about what constitutes basic human rights, and women’s rights, as both are threatened under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Toward the end of the unit, they meet Malala Yousafzai and analyze her determination to fight for women’s rights in Pakistan, despite facing incredible threats and challenges. While sharpening important literacy skills, students are also building a deeper understanding of the importance of women’s rights and access to education around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

Sexual Health Education

Following the recommendation that all students receive sexual health education, KIPP Chicago is committed to ensuring this happens in grades K-8. To help students make informed decisions and safe choices, the Chicago Public Schools’ curriculum covers topics such as human development, healthy relationships, decision making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention.

A vital part of Whole Child development, the impact of this learning can be seen across our middle schools, where students are engaging in the curriculum. Mr. Fisher, 7th and 8th grade PE and Sex Ed. teacher, asked students to describe the impact this curriculum has had on them. Here are some of their thoughts:

“I appreciate that I know correct terms. I knew a lot of this stuff, but you taught us in a professional manner.”
“I learned more about gender identity. I didn’t know about that before. And sexual orientation.”
“This expanded my mind, my vocabulary. This is needed.”
“I liked how we were separated so we could learn from a woman. We learned what we needed to learn. We were comfortable.”
“It’s important to have sex ed because some people aren’t being taught this at home. That way you know the risks, the possibilities…we just gotta take care of ourselves.”

All KIPP Chicago SEL chairs have been trained in the curriculum so they are able to continue supporting the teachers who are leading the units.

KAMS’ Ms. Murff Engages Students with Comics

Being an excellent teacher means relentlessly searching for the subjects that will prompt students to light up, igniting a love for learning. Ms. Murff from KIPP Ascend Middle school embodies this excellence in teaching by introducing comic book creation to a small group of students. This trio of 5th grade best friends, Ethan, Jamal, and Caylin, have been creating imaginative comics this year. They even write each other into their stories. Ms. Murff, we love seeing how you’ve fostered a deep love for learning with these three!

KACP Excellence Day

Students at KACP participate in three Excellence classes; spanish, visual art, and theater. On Friday, January 21st, an entire school day was dedicated to celebrating the arts. Students came to school dressed however they wanted in order to express their artistic, creative selves. The morning started with an all-school Excellence showcase via Zoom, hosted by Ms. Schubow and Ms. Soule, the visual arts and theater teachers. The video featured work from every single student. Click here to view part of the showcase!

Then, an arts lesson accompanied each subject for every K-2 class: math, reading, and science. During math, a spanish lesson was integrated into the math objective. Reading transformed into a readers’ theater and science was all about creating a hypothesis to guess what happens when mixing primary colors of Play-Doh. At the end of the day, every grade had an arts celebration. Kindergartners decorated maracas, learning about the instruments’ significance, 1st graders made puppets and performed in theater, and 2nd graders made scratch art masks.

KACP Excellence team, thank you for planning an Excellence day, emphasizing how the arts are an integral, critical component of students’ education journey!

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Model UN Winners

KIPP Academy Chicago and KIPP Bloom students gathered at our Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice (CMASJ) to compete in the Model United Nations (Model UN) via Zoom. Students involved in the Model UN after-school club were on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) committee, the Human Rights Council (HRC) committee, and the Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) committee, representing the United States, The UK, Paraguay, and Cuba.

From our KIPP Chicago team, we had 5 committee winners! On the Food & Agriculture Organization committee, winners included: Bri’Asia Jenkins (KIPP Academy), Darrious McCray (KIPP Bloom), and Angelo Henderson (KIPP Bloom). The winners of the Human Rights Council Committee included Dereon Pyles (KIPP Academy) and Raymond Fox (KIPP Academy). Congratulations to these winners and all Model UN students for participating in such an important, educational, and rewarding program.

21st Century Summer Programming

KIPP Chicago utilized 21st Century funds to provide summer engagement opportunities for KIPPsters. Throughout the summer, KIPP Chicago engaged students in summer activities across all campuses. Activities focused on subjects like math, ELA, art, fitness, sports, reading, writing, financial literacy, and STEM. Summer programs were 4 hours a day, 3-5 days a week, and lasted for 3-4 weeks.

Evonne Bankston Secures a Vocal Justice Teacher Fellowship!

Congratulations to KIPP Bloom College Prep’s Mx. Bankston for pursuing a teaching fellowship with Vocal Justice. This fellowship means that Mx. Bankston will be trained and can deliver their program to students. Rather than targeting “high-achieving” students of color, Vocal Justice’s programming intentionally focuses on those who feel disengaged in school. They believe these students have incredible ideas for how to change the world precisely because the status quo has failed them.

From Mx. Bankston’s proposal:

Research has proven that students of color who engage in programs like Vocal Justice, which focuses on building their critical consciousness, perform better academically. This fellowship helps me help students develop an important life skill, communication, that they can use to thrive in any workforce and anywhere in life. This fellowship empowers undervalued Black and Brown youth to become socially conscious leaders by teaching them how to communicate authentically and persuasively about Social Justice issues. This fellowship has a unique, research-informed, culturally affirming, public speaking program that provides Black and Brown youth with a safe space to (1) reflect on and share their personal stories, (2) learn about the causes and consequences of oppression, and (3) practice talking about Social Justice in ways that are true to who they are and persuasive to their intended audiences.

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1619 Project Pulitzer Center Grant
We are thrilled to announce that KIPP One Academy has recently become a Project Pulitzer Center Grant recipient! This grant supports exploring critical questions around racial justice and other pressing issues and was developed by award-winning journalists and the Pulitzer Center education team. The grant supports curriculum development and professional development for teachers. We look forward to utilizing the resources of the 1619 Project to reframe how history is taught to students.

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On December 11th, Facing History led a civics professional development session for 6th-8th grade social studies teachers, principals, and assistant principals. Elizabeth Hawkins, 6th grade social studies teacher at KIPP Bloom College Prep, notes that, when the group was asked to define ‘Civics,’ a powerful response came when someone said, “Civics is how you show up as a citizen to create history versus just learning history.” Here is how the Facing History curriculum is impacting Elizabeth’s classroom and students:

During the late summer, I discovered a unit on Identity in Facing History geared toward 6th graders. I thought this would be a great way to get to know my students, especially as we started the year remotely. Currently, 6th graders at Bloom are showing up as citizens through a global historical perspective. We’ve studied many ancient civilizations that were praised as “great civilizations.” Taking it a step further, we’ve been tossing around the question, “What will historians write about our society now? Are we great?” In my homeroom, we watch CNN 10 every morning and make attempts to answer this question. It’s constantly evolving! Another piece that comes from our professional development with Facing History is the idea of, “capturing unheard voices,” as the two young girls did in their book, Tell Me Who You Are. This is my personal responsibility and task as a Social Studies teacher, to present multiple and possible unpopular perspectives.

More teacher insight:

“The Facing History has reintroduced me to different views of the intersectionality of race, economics, gender, education, and white supremacy. This will allow me to help better explain some of the factors which are roadblocks to student success. It will give us the opportunity to hold each other accountable to this commitment.”
-Bryan Warner, Interventionist-Content Team Leader KIPP Bloom College Prep

“I really like that the Facing History curriculum seeks to have students examine their identities in relation to history and as a means of better understanding others. It has pushed me to think through how identity can be used to engage and help promote positive change.”
-Briana Jocelyn, 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Content Team Leader + Resident Coach, KIPP One Academy

The 1619 Project

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative, written by Nikole Hannah Jones from The New York Times Magazine, that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and Black Americans’ contributions at the very center of our national narrative. Check out this interview with Jones as she explains the significance of this story.

The project is in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, which raises awareness of underreported global issues through direct support for quality journalism across all media platforms and a unique program of education and public outreach. The 1619 Project offers a curriculum that focuses on the African Americans’ contributions and the power of underreported stories being covered by the media.

We will begin using this curriculum in one pilot classroom with one teacher and one grade level before launching to one whole grade level across the region. Each year, we can add a grade level that will explore the resources offered in the 1619 Project curriculum. As our entire region comes together on January 29th, Fareed Mostoufi from the Pulitzer Center will lead a professional development session to introduce the project and its resources.

Project Exploration

Project Exploration creates transformative learning opportunities for youth underrepresented in the sciences, particularly students of color and girls, by equipping them with the skills, practices, and mindset needed for a lifelong pursuit of learning. This past fall, 95 students from KIPP One Primary and KIPP One Academy received materials for the program free of charge to dive deep into the curriculum, work with their peers and facilitator, and strengthen their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The nature of science, the scientific method, and the engineering design process is at the forefront of each session, as students learn to apply their knowledge to the challenge at hand. This amazing opportunity is set to expand to additional KIPP Chicago schools in the upcoming year.

KIPP One Academy clubs

KIPP One Academy continues to offer a wide variety of clubs for students each week. Clubs such as Pride Club, Creative Writing & Poetry, Current Events, Newspaper, Choir, and Meditation Club are offered during school hours and after school hours. KIPP One teachers are going above and beyond to ensure their students are given opportunities to be part of a group, learn a new skill, and have fun following their curiosities and interests.

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Remote Learning

As we transitioned into SY20-21 planning, we had plenty of strengths to leverage: we ultimately achieved 93% access to technology despite starting around 60%, we hired nearly 100% of open positions by June 1st, and we established very ambitious remote learning expectations. Our school teams worked tirelessly to distribute some form of technology, whether a hotspot, tablet, chromebook, or some combination of the three, to all of our families as they communicated these technology needs. Due to the incredible teamwork of our staff we were able to do so as proactively as possible by making decisions early, so that leaders and teachers were able to focus on learning to lead and teach with an entirely new set of conditions.

A lot has transpired since spring. We have heard from staff and families via surveys, we have heard from the city about its reopening plans, and our School Leadership teams have been working hard to craft detailed playbooks and plans for each scenario. We have seen that throughout the pandemic, a lot can change in a short amount of time. So while plans are based on the most recent science, research, and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), everything is subject to change at a moment’s notice. You can find our most up-to-date information about remote learning and COVID-19 protocols here.

On August 24th, two weeks before the district start date, we welcomed our students to remote school, which will be more robust and structured than the spring experience. Here are a few key points:

• Access. KIPP works with every single student to ensure that they can access our technology platforms for online school.
• The best online education programs. KIPP invests in top online education platforms for every student.
• Communication. KIPP staff members have weekly individualized check-ins with every student and families will receive weekly progress reports.
• Small group attention. KIPPsters will engage in small Zoom study groups with their teachers if they are struggling to understand a concept.
• As close to a normal school day as possible. KIPPsters will be in live Zoom classes every day with their teachers and classmates. In addition, KIPPsters will have meaningful and joyful virtual community building experiences with classmates each week.

Students engage in synchronous and asynchronous learning. Our online education programs and platforms allow for predictable weekly and daily routines to make remote learning as accessible as possible for our families, while optimizing KIPPsters’ learning. Students will receive daily instruction in core content, utilizing familiar online tools and programs like SeeSaw, Zoom video conferencing, amongst others.

Between mid August and September 4th nearly all of KIPP Chicago families had 1:1 conferences with their teachers or leaders. These conferences ensured that families had the devices they needed and that they could practice accessing their google classrooms and the instructional programs they would be using. This allowed students to really “hit the ground running” even with a new way of learning and building community with their peers. Regarding attendance, KIPP Chicago holds a high bar for engagement and as a result focused the first two weeks of school supporting families in getting logged on and feeling connected to their teachers, their peers and their remote classrooms while also teaching academic routines and expectations. We know that learning requires more time engaged and we aspire to have 90% of our students logged on to all their live sessions each day – for our students this is at least 2-3 times a day.

At the same time, we understand that sometimes families will need to make up missed content and have provided methods for them to do so. Lastly, KIPP Chicago families are our partners and for our youngest students they are really our co-teachers. Consequently, staff members will meet weekly with families to truly embody this partnership. We are truly in this together.

Other innovations and priorities include:

1. Resources for safety. We are adapting all current school operational procedures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Despite the fact that we do not know when on-site schooling will resume, KIPP Chicago has already purchased 4 months worth of PPE for staff and students to ensure everyone’s safety and health should such a situation arise. We are working urgently to secure funding for expanded and dedicated on-site nursing consultation at each of our 8 schools.
2. Resources ensuring equitable access. We will close the digital divide by loaning devices to all students in need, including new enrollees, while also maintaining a near 1:1 ratio on-site, thereby ensuring agility and guaranteeing learning every single day of next year. We are investing in instructional platforms to enhance the remote teaching and learning experience.
3. Resources for addressing social emotional needs and trauma. We will focus on creating emotionally and physically safe, supportive, and engaging learning environments in both the remote and on-site settings, thereby ensuring KIPP’s commitment to the whole child upon return to school. We will start our school year with one social worker at every K-8 campus. Teams from across KIPP Chicago are being trained on the SEL RULER curriculum to ensure that students have space to learn to identify their feelings and strategies for addressing those feelings. Implementing the curriculum also allows teachers to be constantly monitoring the health and wellness of our students so they can respond urgently in situations that require additional attention.

Resources
Check out our new web page with all of our updates on remote learning!

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At KIPP we often say: “Find a way or make one.” The last few weeks have undoubtedly tested this core principle. But thanks to our committed teachers and leaders, we have found a way to safely ensure students receive food, a way to close a significant hardware gap, a way to navigate unfamiliar tech platforms for our lessons… and we have found a way to establish a simple fact: nothing, not even a global pandemic, can disrupt our Team and Family culture.

When an extended closure looked inevitable, teachers made their convictions clear. Their KIPPsters didn’t have the luxury of missing out on learning. Simply printing worksheets or asking students to get on external education apps would not be enough. Our KIPPsters would need more from us. They would need love, they would need Joy-factor, and they would need us to do what we do best everyday, teach.

This is why KIPP Chicago’s vision is for students to have access to the same education as if they were sitting at desks in our schools. Our teachers are working harder than ever to replicate their exact curriculum in Google virtual classrooms. They are uploading videos of morning circles, facilitating classroom shout-outs, and administering “exit tickets” to measure student mastery. They are literally “making” a way to deliver on our simple promise: “KIPP will do whatever it takes to see its students to and through college.”

At-home Learning Highlights

Casey Weldon from KIPP One Primary created a beautiful YouTube channel for her students, including a project to create a ‘Window of Hope’ to honor the idea of keeping everyone safe by staying indoors.

Mr. Saunders leads his students in Quarantine Classroom videos.

Ms. Nuñez from KIPP Academy Chicago Primary uses footage of her students from earlier in the year to create videos, engaging her students in math lessons.

Ms. Grossheim makes sure to keep students engaged with costume pieces in her lessons.

School Leaders are offering students a schedule to try and maintain a sense of normalcy while engaging in at-home learning.

Our Academic Team continues to structure what at-home learning expectations look like.

KIPP: STEM Create at Home Challenge Winner

We want to highlight the work of Destiny Burrows, a student at KIPP Academy Chicago. Out of 400 submissions, Destiny was selected as one of two winners in the science presentation category for the KIPP Create At Home challenge! We are so proud of her creativity, energy, and incredible hard work. Check out her project on Mae Jemison.

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