Kipp Academy Lynn
About the School
School Mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.
Kipp Academy (Lynn) is a member of the Kipp Massachusetts Public Charter Schools. Three of the five Kipp schools are located in Lynn, MA, which is about 10 miles northeast of Boston. Kipp Academy Lynn Elementary serves grades K-4, Kipp Academy Lynn serves grades 5-8, and Kipp Academy Lynn Collegiate serves grades 9-12. There are also two Kipp Massachusetts Schools in Boston.
KIPP Massachusetts Public Charter Schools is an open-enrollment, public charter school network with two campuses in Lynn (K-12) and one in Boston (K-8) serving 2220 students in five schools. The network's slogan is, "Together, a future without limits." The goal is for each child to grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and their community.
Six Key Principles:
Safe Structured, and Nurturing Environments
College, Career, and Beyond
Community & Collective Power
High Expectations & Joyful Excellence
Highly Effective Teachers & Leaders
Build on Students' Strengths
Through the Kipp Forward program, the school provides support to alumni after high school. Advisors work one-on-one with students for the first two years after graduation and are available for continuing support after that.
About the School: Kipp Academy Lynn Charter Schools serves 1,614 students in grades K-12. The student body is 72.9% Hispanic/Latino, 15.5% Black, 4.9% White, 4% Asian, 2.2% Multiracial, 0.3% Native American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. In addition, 15.1% of students are ELL, 64.6% are classified as Low-Income, and 15% are SWD.
Key Takeaways
The school’s vision was evident and visible everywhere. The mission statement drove everything that they did as a school. “If you don’t have a north star, you are wandering in the dark.” The school identified its overarching goals and devoted their resources to reaching those goals.
Kipp has a strong coaching structure, with teachers receiving coaching every week.
The school emphasized a strengths-based approach: “If you come from a place of lack, you will operate in a space of lack.”
Support for ninth graders is prioritized. The transition to ninth grade was made less difficult because all ninth graders were on one floor and support was provided from grades 9-12 on career development.
The school utilizes restorative practices, character education, and student choice.
Detailed Summary
There was a strong mission statement, and the commitment to the vision was evident throughout the school. It was visible in all classrooms, written on student uniforms, and permeated every aspect of their education.
There were a lot of similarities between classroom expectations and posters, creating a consistent set of expectations.
“If you don’t have a north star, you are wandering in the dark.” Everything that they do is connected to the common vision. If you are focused on more than one thing, you’re doing too much.
Kipp has an active and empowering curriculum. Students took an Activism and Advocacy course, which combined the history of activism and a lot of hands-on learning through projects.
There was a lot of language alluding to fighting in the ways they try to excel: “We hunt,” “we spar,” “iron sharpens iron.”
Kipp has a strong coaching structure: Teachers receive coaching every week from the assistant principal.
“If you come from a place of lack, you will operate in a space of lack.” The focus is on strengths-based education. For example, the words “special education” were replaced by words like Exceptional Learners and Learning Specialists.
The school celebrates the uniqueness of each individual student and provides choices for students to express themselves.
The school has a commitment to character education.
Freshmen are on one floor of the building. There is a focus on ninth graders and an easier transition because of the shared space and support.
Student support was prioritized. There were career coaches at every grade level who followed along with students to make sure students reached the goals they set for themselves.
Every student must join a club, but they were given time to do this during the school day.
There were no students on cell phones. This was the expectation, and students complied.
The grade floor was a 50.
If the question is “how,” the answer is “yes.”
Administrators talked about the difference between adaptive change and technical change. Technical change is something that has a “right answer” and a known solution. Adaptive change is much harder (but more effective), requiring a commitment to growth and learning.
Restorative practices were used throughout the school.
Students had a senior seminar in 12th grade.
Many of the classrooms were designed with students in pods or small groups.
The school uses data consistently. The data team meets every week to analyze data and identify areas of focus.