From the School Leader
Greetings from KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy! We believe an outstanding education is necessary to achieve personal success and have access to abundant opportunities. Since 2003, we have proven that this is the place for any student who wants to be ready for college. We welcome any student who would like to benefit from rigorous academics, character development, and our commitment to community service.
At KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy, we believe the upper elementary and middle school years are crucial, formative years, and that choices students make during these years will set them on a path for life. To date, our graduates have earned over $900,000 in scholarships and are attending private schools such as Lick- Wilmerding and The Urban School; parochial schools such as Sacred Heart and Saint Ignatius; and charter and public schools such as Gateway High School and Lowell. We’ll be sure to keep you posted of our ongoing success!
At KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy, we welcome feedback, questions and comments from parents, students and all members of the community. Come by and visit us any time to learn first-hand what makes us special and to see our KIPPsters in action!
I look forward to meeting you personally and to sharing our vision for the future.
Sincerely,
Lydia Glassie, Principal
Commitment to Excellence
Student success at KIPP schools requires a partnership between parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. In order to join the KIPP team and family, all three parties are required to sign the “Commitment to Excellence,” which ensures that each will do whatever it takes to make achievement possible.
Download KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy’s complete Commitment to Excellence.
Academics
The curriculum of KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy is rooted in the content standards for the state of California. Students at KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy take four years of English/Language Arts, four years of mathematics (including Algebra I), and three total years of science and social studies. Additionally, all students participate in physical education and all 5th/6th graders learn to play an instrument. In grades 7/8, students have the freedom to choose whether or not to participate in the KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy String Orchestra or visual arts. In the upper grades, students also participate in technology and high school preparation courses.
Teachers are able to make informed decisions about whole class instruction, small group work, and remediation. By using individual student data, instruction is targeted to better meet individual student needs. In addition, teachers use tracking tools that keep both student and teacher informed of standard mastery and progress at the individual level. Teachers do not work to finish a textbook; rather, they assess student skills and deficits to target instruction appropriately.
Teachers set big goals for student achievement and then build pacing guides, unit plans, and daily lesson plans to lead their students to significant gains. Each subject area in every grade level may have an adopted textbook, but the amount of use of that textbook is up to the teacher’s discretion. In essence, teachers teach the standards the best way, often utilizing a wide variety of available resources, and teachers often create their own resources to best meet the needs of our students.
Character
KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy believes that for its students to become successful, contributing members of society they must also achieve non-academic goals. By the end of eighth grade, KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy students will:
- Students will have an appreciation for the humanities and show respect for diverse cultures
- Students will complete a service-learning project each year
- Students will possess a life-long love of learning
- Students will possess a strong desire to serve the community in which they live
