About YES

YES Prep Public Schools exists to increase the number of low-income Houstonians who graduate from a four-year college prepared to compete in the global marketplace and committed to improving disadvantaged communities.

YES Prep began in 1995 as a district charter school program called “Project YES” in Houston’s East End community. In 1998, YES Prep expanded to serve students in grades 6th-12th and became a state charter school. Over the last twelve years, YES Prep has grown into a charter school system that today serves 4,200 students on eight area campuses. YES Prep is a replicable and sustainable model for what is possible within the public education system: a system of free, open-enrollment, high-performing schools that provide a college preparatory education for ALL students. For a more detailed account of YES Prep’s growth, please visit our History of YES.

OUR CORE VALUES

• Achieve excellent results through continuous improvement
• Attract and develop high-caliber people as the sources of our strength
• Build and maintain positive relationships
• Create opportunities that would otherwise not exist
• Achieve social justice

OUR STUDENTS

• 90% of YES Prep students are first-generation college bound
• 80% of YES Prep students are economically disadvantaged
• 95% of YES Prep students are Hispanic or African American
• Most students enter YES Prep at least one grade level behind in Math and Reading

EDUCATIONAL MODEL

YES Prep’s comprehensive educational program includes the following six components:

1. Small and Integrated 6th-12th Grade Schools
   Each campus accepts 140 students into each sixth grade class and caps school capacity at 825 students.
2. Rigorous College Prep Curriculum
   Students begin taking high school courses in the eighth grade to allow for more advanced coursework later, i.e., Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual-enrollment courses.
3. Student Support System
   Students have access to campus health services, academic and behavioral intervention, crisis intervention, counseling, and parent outreach services. All teachers are given cell phones so that students and families can contact them anytime for additional support.
4. Enrichment Opportunities
   - Student opportunities match rising juniors and seniors with internships/summer programs at businesses, nonprofits, and colleges worldwide.
   - Annual research trips give most students their first opportunity to travel outside of Houston and visit colleges around the country.
5. Service Learning in Low Income Communities
   Every student logs hundreds of volunteer hours through a range of service learning opportunities integrated into the curriculum.
6. Personalized College Counseling & Support Through College
   At YES Prep, the student-to-college counselor ratio is 30:1 (compared to the state average of 400:1) and the program includes: assistance researching colleges and completing applications; help with securing scholarships and financial aid; parent awareness; and alumni support.

In addition to the components described above, the YES Prep model includes a longer school day and school year, after-school and weekend enrichment, onboarding/induction for rising sixth graders, a more rigorous teacher selection and evaluation model, and structured parental involvement activities.