This morning I visited KIPP Bayview Academy in San Francisco to see firsthand how the KIPP model works. Bayview Academy, started in July 2003 by its principal, Molly Wood, along with founding teachers, staff and community members. is currently in its summer session, with one class of sixth-graders and a new set of fifth-graders. I quickly learn what KIPP culture means with a visit to the fifth-grade classrooms. In one class, students learn to rap about writing, while in another they are singing their multiplication tables. Each class is referred to by a college name, reinforcing the expectation of going to college. Underlying every lesson, whether inside or outside the classroom, are the school values of integrity, responsibility, initiative, excellence, tenacity, and positivity.
KIPP's strength lies in its ability to disseminate its success via its Five Pillars principles to its network of 31 schools across the country. However, despite its leadership position among established school alliances, KIPP also struggles with how to most effectively share its resources. As an informal network linked by their shared culture and experiences, KIPP school principals and teachers do their best to share their knowledge with each other. However, KIPP still lacks the formal processes and supporting technologies that enable its school leaders and staff to easily tap into the KIPP network of resources.
With its culture of sharing, KIPP already has the most important piece in place to build a useful knowledge management infrastructure for its school network. If it succeeds, KIPP not only will lay a solid foundation for successful future growth of its own network, but also will serve as an example for effective knowledge sharing among other networks of schools, from public school districts to charter school alliances.
I’m impressed, I have to say. Really seldom do I come across a blog thats both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
Posted by: Rakeback | January 02, 2011 at 12:26 PM