Long-Term Impacts of KIPP Middle and High Schools on College Enrollment, Persistence, and Attainment - Final Report - September 12, 2023

Oct 15, 2026

Final report detailing the long-term impacts of KIPP middle and high schools on college outcomes, focusing on college enrollment, persistence, and attainment. Submitted to Arnold Ventures by Mathematica, the study includes acknowledgements, a structured introduction, and research methods covering research questions, estimation approaches, study sample and data collection, data sources, outcomes, and analytical strategy. Results emphasize primary middle school effects, impacts on four-year degree completion, and exploratory combined middle+high school attendance analyses, followed by discussion, references, and multiple appendices with supplementary analyses and staff interview findings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages102

Reading Time4 h 17 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

I. Introduction

The Knowledge Is Power Program

KIPP’s early impacts on student achievement

Prior research on long-term charter school effects

Current study on KIPP’s long-term effects

II. Research Methods

Research questions and overview of estimation methods

Study sample and data collection

Data sources

Outcomes

Analytical approach

III. KIPP’s Impact on College Enrollment and Persistence

Primary impacts of KIPP middle schools on college enrollment and persistence

Impacts on four-year degree completion

Exploratory analysis of the combined impact of attending a KIPP middle school and a KIPP high school

IV. Discussion

References

Appendix A Additional Information on Study Sample and NSC Data Requests

Appendix B Supplementary Analyses: Middle School Impacts

Appendix C Supplementary Analyses: Combined Middle and High School Impacts

Appendix D Findings from KIPP Staff Interviews

Long-Term Impacts of KIPP Middle and High Schools on College Enrollment, Persistence, and Attainment Final Report September 12, 2023 Alicia Demers, Ira Nichols-Barrer, Elisa Steele, Maria Bartlett , and Philip Gleason Submitted to: Arnold Ventures 1717 West Loop South, Suite 1800 Houston, TX 77027 Attention: David Anderson, Director of Evidence-Based Policy Submitted by: Mathematica 955 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 801 Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone: (617) 491-7900 Fax: (617) 491-8044 This page has been left blank for double-sided copying. Acknowledgements This report would not have been possible without the contributions of many individuals and organizations. First, we deeply appreciate the willingness of students and their families to participate in this evaluation. We would also like to thank Danielle Eisenberg, Rebecca Vichniac, Jonathan Cowan, and Sabrina Yusuf at the KIPP Foundation, for providing input at various stages ofthe study and providing student enrollment data from KIPP schools. This study was carried out with support from Arnold Ventures, and we are very grateful to Shrutika Sabarwal at Arnold Ventures for support and guidance related to our research. Many staff members at Mathematica contributed to this report. Jessica Falbaum provided valuable support in all aspects of our interview efforts with KIPP staff. Elias Walsh provided invaluable advice on methodological approaches. Kerry Kern and Larisa Wiseman edited the report. Kirsten Miller, Jill Miller, and Jessica Coldren provided excellent production and dissemination support. Chloe Shawah and Juha Sohlberg provided exceptional programming, guidance, and quality assurance reviews for the study's restricted use file. Finally, this study would not have existed without the tireless work of our fellow Mathematica researchers who conducted the original RCT of KIPP middle schools in 2013, including Christina Clark Tuttle, Brian Gill, Virginia Knechtel, and Alexandra Resch. This page has been left blank for double-sided copying. Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xi I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 A. The Knowledge Is Power Program ................................................................................. 1 B. KIPP’s early impacts on student achievement ................................................................ 2 C. Prior research on long-term charter school effects ......................................................... 3 D. Current study on KIPP’s long-term effects ...................................................................... 3 II. Research Methods .................................................................................................................4 A. Research questions and overview of estimation methods .............................................. 4 B. Study sample and data collection ................................................................................... 5 C. Data sources ................................................................................................................... 8 D. Outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 9 E. Analytical approach....................................................................................................... 11 III. KIPP’s Impact on College Enrollment and Persistence ....................................................... 16 A. Primary impacts of KIPP middle schools on college enrollment and persistence ......... 16 B. Impacts on four-year degree completion .....

FAQs

What long-term college outcomes does the report assess for KIPP students?

The report evaluates college enrollment, persistence, and attainment, including primary impacts on enrollment and persistence, effects on four-year degree completion, and longer-term persistence measures.

How does the report describe its research methods?

It outlines research questions and estimation methods, the study sample and data collection, data sources, the outcome set, and the analytical approach used to produce impact estimates.

What comparative analyses are included in the study?

It presents primary impacts of attending KIPP middle schools, examines four-year degree completion, and includes an exploratory combined analysis for students who attended both KIPP middle and KIPP high schools.

Oct 15, 2026

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