2. Kipp Houston High School in Houston, Texas
Kipp Houston High School provides free education to economically disadvantaged students and designs its curriculum to prepare kids for entry into college. “KIPP” stands for Knowledge is Power Program, and the school system with which the school is associated was started in 1994. Founders Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg launched the program for kids in inner-city Houston schools.
The school calls its students “Kippers,” and these dedicated young students usually take Advanced Placement courses. The school also requires each student to take part in a summer program where they volunteer or complete an internship.
The school requires a vigorous curriculum and students can’t graduate unless they complete four years of English, math, science, and history. Students emerge from Kipp Houston High School with a greater degree of knowledge in these vital areas than the state minimum requirements.
By completing these requirements, a student will be able to pursue the Distinguished Achievement Program under Texas Education Agency standards. Students must complete four credits each of math, science, social studies, and English and the advanced program must be approved by the school or parental guardian to attain this status.
Ranked 12th by “U.S. News & World Report” for the top schools in Texas, Kipp Houston High School focuses on enrolling minority students and has around 525 students attending classes at its southwest Houston campus.
The school sits within the quiet neighborhoods of Gulfton and Sharpstown, right outside Beltway 8. The campus sits in a very suburban area of the city, right across the street from a new housing development of quaint apartments.
Several of the residences surrounding Kipp Houston are apartments; however, like many areas of suburban Houston, the community is wide-open and spread out on wide streets and peaceful sidewalks. Kipp Houston provides a quiet suburban environment in which to learn as well as a safe neighborhood for students.
