Knowledge is Power

About KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory School

KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory School (KIPP LA Prep) opened in summer 2003 under the leadership of founder John Lee, in the community of Lincoln Heights in northeast Los Angeles. With the support of the local neighborhood council and a strong group of founding parents, KIPP LA Prep was established with the aim of educating traditionally educationally underserved students by providing a rigorous academic program, with a strong emphasis on the core subjects of math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. KIPP LA Prep students spend approximately 60 percent more time in the classroom than their peers in traditional schools: our students attend school from 7:25 am to 5:00 pm during the week, in the mornings every other Saturday, and for two weeks during the summer.

All the hard work and extra effort put in by our students and staff has paid off. Each year, KIPP LA Prep students have made impressive gains in all subjects. The first two classes to complete eighth grade at KIPP LA Prep offer the most complete picture of these gains: From fifth to eighth grade, the percentage of KIPP LA Prep students scoring at or above the national average has risen from 31 to 67 in language and from 30 to 79 in math, as measured by the SAT-10, a nationally-administered test. For more on KIPP LA Prep’s impressive track record, please visit our results page.

Currently, KIPP LA Prep serves 350 students in grades five through eight. Ninety-three percent of our students are Hispanic/Latino, six percent are Asian/Pacific Islander, and one percent is African American. Ninety-three percent of our students are low-income. In 2008-09, KIPP LA Prep will move to a permanent home in Boyle Heights, due east of Downtown LA.