Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy International High School (KAPPA)

KAPPA International admits students with a wide range of skills and prepares them for some of the country’s most selective colleges. The school offers a demanding curriculum, with lots of class discussion and assignments that include long research papers. On the top floor of the Theodore Roosevelt Educational Complex, KAPPA looks bright and cheery despite the general gloom of the building that houses six small schools. Potted plants and comfy chairs line the hallways.

KAPPA offers an International Baccaulaureate diploma, a degree widely accepted at universities in more than 100 countries. More demanding than a standard Regents prep curriculum, the IB program requires students to show competency in a foreign language, write a 15-20 page research essay, make an oral presentation, and pass various subject exams. KAPPA students must take four years of a language: Spanish, or French. Students must also complete 150 hours of community service. KAPPA International High School was founded in 2007 and originally modeled on the KAPPA (Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy) middle schools, which were designed to prepare low-income students for demanding colleges. High school students wear a uniform of a KAPPA polo shirt (light blue or dark blue) and khaki pants or skirt.

Sharing space with five other small school has its challenges, and students must pass through metal detectors at the entrance of the building. Still, students feel safe, according to school surveys. 

Students have been admitted to selective schools such as Colby, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Skidmore, often with substantial scholarships.

Special education: Collaborative team teaching (CTT) and (SETTS) are offered. All teachers prepare slightly different lessons to accommodate the wide range of abilities within their classes, including advanced students, regular students, those receiving special education services and those studying English as a Second Language.

Admissions: The school does not screen applicants for admission. It has two programs, one in science and math (which admits students by lottery) and one in humanities (which admits students according to the ed opt formula designed to ensure a balance of low- and high-performing students) (Clara Hemphill, March 2012, updated with web reports October 2018)