YES Prep Public Schools is a public charter school system composed of eight campuses that serve predominantly low-income African American and Latino students in the Houston area. With core values such as “Achieve excellent results through continuous improvement” and “Create opportunities that would otherwise not exist,” YES Prep provides a free, college-prep education for all 4,200 of its students. YES Prep has a six-component education model which includes a class cap size, facilitating advanced course work by enabling eighth grade students to take high school courses, a comprehensive support system for students and their families including parent outreach and health services, placing junior and senior students into internship programs, students logging volunteer hours, and students receiving more personalized college counseling that continues into their university studies. YES Prep’s curriculum also includes an extended school day and year.
Learn More: YES Prep’s Website | YES Prep’s Facebook
About YES Prep – College Signing Day
Successes
- YES Prep’s 2010 Annual Report
- 100% of graduates have been accepted to 4-year universities.
- The graduation rate of YES Prep is 20% higher than the Houston Independent School district. 90% of Yes Prep students graduated compared to 70% in the HISD.
Studies
- The effect of charter schools on traditional public school students in Texas: Are children who stay behind left behind?, October 2007
- YES Prep Public Schools (formerly YES College Preparatory School) Honing the Pathways of Growth, February 2006
In the Press
- Oprah Gives $1 Million to Houston Charters, Texas Tribune, September 2010
- Newsweek Ranks YES Prep As One of the Best Public Schools in the Nation, YES Prep, June 2010
- Can an Inner-City Prep School Succeed? Answer is YES, Associated Press, January 2010
Facts
Founded: 1995
Reach: YES Prep serves 4,200 students in eight campuses in the Houston area. To meet the growing demand (YES Prep has a waitlist with 4,000 students), YES Prep has an enrollment target of 10,000 students by growing to 13 schools.
About: YES Prep schools are tuition-free, open enrollment public charter schools. There are no academic or admission requirements. A student’s acceptance in to YES Prep is contingent on whether they are promoted to the next grade during the current academic year. Students are accepted based on a lottery system.
Student Demographics: 90% of YES Prep students are first-generation college-bound students
80% of YES Prep students are economically disadvantaged; 95% of YES Prep students are Latino or African American
What’s Different: At YES Prep, the students have a more personalized college counselor relationship. The student -to-college counselor ratio is 30:1 (compared to the state average of 400:1). The college counselor assists students with college research and applications, scholarships, and financial aid, and parent awareness. They even provide alumni support.
Source: YES Prep
