Hewlett Foundation Selects SRI International to Measure Impact of High-quality Instruction on Student Learning

Evaluation of the "Knowledge Is Power Program" in the San Francisco Bay Area Will Help Guide Education Practices in Public Schools

MENLO PARK, Calif.--October 28, 2004--With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, SRI International, a leading independent research and development organization, will evaluate the "Knowledge Is Power Program" (KIPP), a nationwide model college-preparatory program for historically underserved students. Under the three-year project, SRI's Center for Education Policy will study the success of five KIPP schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. The evaluation will focus on the success of implementing the KIPP model, the impact on student achievement, and implications for other schools.

SRI researchers will examine the KIPP program's emphasis on high-quality instructional activities designed to raise student achievement. The evaluation will test the hypothesis that the rate of learning must increase if low-performing students are to catch up with their higher-performing counterparts. Of particular interest to the SRI team will be KIPP's success in accelerating that learning rate by increasing both the time and the efficiency of the learning experience.

"The primary goals of the evaluation are to describe how the KIPP model works on the ground and how it affects teachers and students, and to understand KIPP student achievement relative to similar students in traditional or other school settings," said Patrick Shields, director of SRI's Center for Education Policy. "If KIPP schools demonstrably increase student performance, they can provide a model from which other public schools can learn."

About SRI's Center for Education Policy

The focus of SRI's Center for Education Policy (www.sri.com/policy/cep/) is on reforms that hold promise for improving the K-16 system of schooling. The Center's staff conducts research and evaluations on the design, implementation and impact of a variety of educational programs, especially improvement efforts targeted on traditionally underrepresented students. Teacher professional development, mathematics and science education, and issues of adult literacy also are addressed.   The Center works for federal agencies, state departments of education, local school districts, private foundations and nonprofit groups.   The Education Policy staff includes experts in the reform of educational systems, curriculum and instruction, technical assistance to districts and states, and effective educational practices.

About SRI International

Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations.   Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 55 years.   The nonprofit research institute performs contract research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and private foundations.   In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships and creates spin-off companies.