Here are 3 ways that a high-ranked Nashville high school is working to help its students

A recent ranking places KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School among the five best high schools in the city. The school’s principal credits expanding college prep work, a supportive staff and a positive outlook for the continued growth of this school, which serves primarily students of color.

The latest U.S. News and World Report measures factors like college readiness, graduation rates, advanced class offerings and state test scores.

Halima Labi, KIPP Collegiate’s principal, told WPLN News that the accolades are nice but that she’s more focused on how those rankings translate to real-life opportunities.

“Being proficient in English and in math, or getting a 21 or above on the ACT, that’s going to give them access to Hope Scholarships. That’s going to give them access to Tennessee Promise,” she said. These programs provide scholarships ranging from $1,600 to covering the full tuition for students enrolled in a Tennessee college or university.

“We’re talking about open accessibility for our students.”

This aligns with the mission of KIPP, which stands for the Knowledge is Power Program. The school is part of a national network of public charter schools focused on preparing kids in underserved and low-income communities for college and career success.

Labi said KIPP Collegiate had dwindling enrollment numbers before she joined the staff last year. She credits the turnaround to providing students with new opportunities that weren’t previously available. Those include implementing Princeton review courses for ACT prep, offering dual enrollment courses to earn college credits, and providing access to National Honor Society membership. Furthermore, students were put on blocked schedules – which means longer, uninterrupted class times.

Another component of the school’s success, Labi said, is the school’s commitment to recruiting staff members of color. Nearly 60% of KIPP’s Collegiate student body is Black and about 34% of the students are Hispanic.

The Atlanta native and mother of nine reflected on her own mother being the first in her family to attend college — highlighting how getting an education can change the trajectory of an entire family. She further stressed the importance of students seeing people that look like them obtain success.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, Ms. Labi, you’re rich, you own your own house, you have a car.’ No, baby, I’m not rich. But all of these things that I have is attainable for you,” she said.

Labi reminds her students that doing well in high school can set them on a path of financial security. And notes the sense of community that KIPP offers its students.

“The commitment is different. And the way you show up is different because I’m not just looking at you like you’re one of my students,” she said. “I’m looking at like you could be one of my children.”

Here’s a full list of the top ten public high schools in Nashville from U.S. News:

1. Hume-Fogg Magnet High School
2. Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School
3. Valor Flagship Academy
4. KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School
5. Republic High School
6. Early College High School
7. Nashville School of the Arts
8. LEAD Southeast
9. Hillsboro High School
10. LEAD Academy