Kindergarten
at KIPP Texas

All of our Kindergarten programs are tuition free.

The expectation is that once you enroll in school, you are required to attend school. Texas Compulsory Attendance: Children ages 6-18 (up to the student’s 19th birthday) are required to attend school. Compulsory attendance also applies to students below the age of 6 if the student voluntarily enrolled in Prekindergarten or Kindergarten. Learn more in the KIPP Texas Student/Parent Handbook.

Our primary elementary academic model is designed to ensure our Little KIPPsters develop a love of learning from the very start. We do this by creating a safe and joyful learning environment for each student. Students spend time daily engaging in Social-Emotional Learning starting in Kindergarten. Our teachers use programs and methods that are backed by research to ensure that we meet the academic needs of every student in literacy, math, science, and social studies. We also provide time for individualized learning support through small group instruction and blended learning. Additionally, our warm and friendly teachers ensure our students build knowledge by participating in enrichment courses throughout the day. These enrichment courses vary by campus and can include art, music, dance, technology, etc.

Some of our schools offer before and after-school programs. Please contact your child’s school directly to learn more.

A child must be at least five years of age on September 1 of the school year to attend Kindergarten.

We do not have any academic requirements for Kindergarten students at KIPP Texas. Campuses administer a language screening for incoming Kindergarten students who did not attend Pre-K in order to provide the necessary support for emergent bilingual students. Students are tested to determine learning style and groups.

Our teachers use a variety of assessments to share progress and evaluate learning for our Little KIPPsters. Students demonstrate their learning on assessments aligned to our K-4 curriculum in literacy, math, science, and social studies.

We believe that KIPPsters learn by doing! As such, we proudly use project-based learning to promote confidence and critical thinking for all of our Little KIPPsters. Our curriculum is focused on oral language, vocabulary and storytelling, including sounds and patterns, that set the foundation for strong fluency and comprehension. Additionally, our teachers infuse STR, Science of Teaching Reading, practices for our beginning KIPPster readers to ensure they have a strong, research based foundation for reading.

We also have a research-based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. In this mode of discovery, known as inquiry-based learning, KIPPsters will make real life connections about the world around them through engaging centers, books, and discussion based exploration. You may hear KIPPsters asking questions and using center tools and classroom resources to answer their questions and build their content knowledge.

Our curriculum is also designed to help educators at all levels of experience, plan, and implement a developmentally appropriate, content-rich program for children with diverse backgrounds and skill levels.

Enrichment courses are available at every KIPP Texas primary school. Students participate in electives for at least 45 minutes each day, such as music, art, dance, or Spanish language. These specific offerings will vary by school. Extracurricular programming for Kindergarten students varies by campus.

We believe in personalized learning approaches that address each child’s individual needs. KIPP Texas Kindergarten students participate in social-emotional learning (SEL) time daily – 30 mins per day. These lessons cover the different ways to express emotions, self-awareness and reflection on emotional needs.

The average KIPP Texas class size is 25 Kindergarten students to one adult.

We have heightened our security at each one of our campuses.

• Doors are to remain locked during each class period.
• Photo ID’s are required for any visitors arriving on campus.
• Security guards are in place at each of our schools.
• Campus perimeter checks are required 3x per week.
• All front entrance doors are locked at all times.

All Kindergarten students receive free breakfast, and all KIPP Texas primary schools offer free lunch. This is subject to school eligibility, and families must still return a household income application for schools to continue receiving funding.

Transportation is available to Kindergarten students, but bus routes vary by school. For more details and to identify the best bus stop for your family please go to https://kipptexas.org/transportation/.

Every school will provide specific arrival and dismissal procedures based on the demands, layout, and access of the entry ways.

In support of the procedures to prepare all students for a safe dismissal, there will be a cut-off time for early pickup prior to dismissal time. For questions about arrival and dismissal procedures, please contact your school directly.

Here is a sample of a typical Kindergarten classroom schedule:

• 7:30am: Breakfast Morning Meeting
• 8:00am – 9:30am: Reading
• 9:30am – 10:30am: Literacy Small Group Instruction
• 10:30am – 11:00am: Lunch
• 11:00am -12:30pm: Math
• 12:30pm – 1:00pm: Recess
• 1:00pm – 2:00pm: Language Arts and Small Group Instruction

You can click on this link to access all of our academic calendars.