Committed to the philosophy that there are no shortcuts to success and happiness in life, KIPP was founded as a pilot school in 1994 in Houston, Texas by Teach for America (TFA) alumni David Levin and Michael Feinberg. In 1995, Levin moved to New York and founded KIPP Academy in the South Bronx. These two original KIPP Academies became the starting place for a growing network of schools that are transforming the lives of students in under-resourced communities, and redefining the notion of what is possible in public education. Levin and Feinberg believed that under-served kids needed more time and instruction spent on math and language skills to address their historic education gap. KIPP students are in school learning 60 percent more than average public school students, typically from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, every other Saturday, and for three weeks during the summer. Rigorous college-preparatory instruction is balanced with extracurricular activities, experiential field lessons, and character development. In spite of the long hours, average daily attendance at KIPP schools is 96 percent.

In the spring of 2000, Don and Doris Fisher, founders of Gap Inc., made it possible for KIPP to replicate its success nationwide by funding the creation of the KIPP Foundation, a national non-profit organization that recruits, trains, and supports educators of talent and dedication as they found and run new KIPP schools across the country. Today, 99 public KIPP schools serving more than 27,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Since their founding, the original KIPP Academies have sustained track records of high student achievement. While less than one in five low-income students typically attends college nationally, KIPP's college matriculation rate stands at nearly 80 percent for students who complete the eighth grade at KIPP. In addition, KIPP alumni have earned more than $20 million in college scholarships. The success of KIPP's network demonstrates that the actual proves the possible and demographics are not destiny. In 2003, the Todd Wagner Foundation partnered with KIPP to bring the KIPP TRUTH Academy public charter school to Dallas. KIPP TRUTH Academy offers a proven, fundamentally different approach to education and our children’s potential. The Dallas school, which began with a fifth-grade class of 60 students when it opened in 2003, added a grade every year and now offers classes for 5th-8th grade students. In 2010, with significant support from the Todd Wagner Foundation, KIPP TRUTH Academy doubled the size of its facilities – adding approximately 14,000 square feet in order to serve even more students.

KIPP TRUTH Academy is a free, public charter school that receives state and federal money, though it also relies on donations from private individuals and organizations for approximately 18 percent of its annual budget. Over the years, the Foundation has provided grants totaling nearly one million dollars to KIPP TRUTH. In 2008, the Foundation continued its investment in the Dallas charter school by providing in-kind professional services such as information technology assistance and marketing and public relations support. In 2010, the Foundation continued its investment in the Dallas charter school by providing in-kind professional services such as information technology assistance and marketing and public relations support. In addition, Foundation President Kevin Parke serves on the KIPP TRUTH Board of Directors, offering leadership and guidance to the Academy’s hard-working staff.

In July 2006, the founding team of seven staff members opened KIPP LEAD College Preparatory Charter School in Todd Wagner’s hometown of Gary, Indiana, serving 80 fifth graders. Known as the "Class of 2014," which is the year they will attend college, this inaugural group of students jumped from the 27th to the 49th percentile in reading, from the 37th to the 74th in math and from the 50th to the 68th percentile in language as measured by the Stanford-10, a nationally norm-referenced exam. KIPP LEAD will serve more than 320 students in fifth through eighth grade in 2010.