College Bound at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate

This was my first visit to KIPP Collegiate Academy, a 9-12 charter high school.  The school was established in 2011 and is led by founding principal David Howland.  Mr. Howland began his career in education as a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School.  I had a great tour led by two seniors in the Academy, Alexas who plans to become a physical therapist and Angelo who will study engineering in college.  Both have already applied to their choice colleges and even received early decision acceptances.

One of my first stops was to Ms. Hyvarinen’s anatomy class where students were preparing for an upcoming quiz on hormones.  She also teaches AP Biology, and according to the stats on her door – 100 percent of her students last year passed their biology EOCT with 66 percent exceeding.

My next stop was inside of Mr. West’s English class where two students were presenting on John Gardner’s novel “Grendel.”  I had a quick debate with my tour guide Alexas about the novel – she wasn’t as much a fan of the book as me, but was able to tell me the types of genres she did enjoy.

Over in Ms. Fallon Holmes’ English class, students were using the social networking component of their classroom management system to give instant feedback during instruction.  All of the students seemed engaged and eager to participate.

Serving 500 students, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate infuses a love for higher learning into every grade level of their schools.  As I walked through the facility, I noticed college flags everywhere – and every teacher’s name plate outside their door includes the name of their college or university.  This year’s graduating class will be the first for KIPP Collegiate.