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South Bronx students can be chosen by lottery to attend KIPPS middle school (Knowledge is Power Program). The student body is African-American and Hispanic, most are from single-parent homes, nearly all are very poor. These kids excel at math. Gladwell says this is because the KIPPS program believes in the influence of cultural legacy, and instills one in its students.

Early school reformers (the product of that laid-back western culture legacy, remember) thought too much school was bad for children. Hence our long summer vacation and comparatively short school day. Asian students have longer school days in a longer school year. Western families who can afford it can approximate this by making sure their kids have educational activities (summer school and camp, music or dance lessons, etc.) when they aren’t in class. KIPPS students have school from 7:25 am to 5 pm, then homework clubs or sports until 7 pm, then several hours of homework each night. They also go to school on Saturdays (9 am to 1 pm) and in summer through July (8 am to 2 pm). This provides opportunity for a less hurried pace for teaching and learning, space for kids to reflect and synthesize, and for focus on academics. The new kids have trouble adjusting to this rigorous schedule, but eventually see the benefit of sticking with it.

Because of their math scores, KIPPs graduates get scholarships to “better” private high schools and more than 80% of them go to college, apparently not a traditional destination for kids from the South Bronx. “Success follows a predictable course. It is not the brightest who succeed…Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities – and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them (p. 267).” Gladwell tells us this is the secret: to replace the lucky accidents of birth timing and location, and the accidental presenting of opportunities, with socially provided situations that level the playing field. Situations like KIPP, which brings ”a little bit of the rice paddy … [and] the miracle of meaningful work (p. 269).”