Great news from Chris Barbic, the founder of the YES Prep network of schools in Houston:

 

I thought this information might be interesting to the folks on your list -- another "proof point" for what is possible.  Our Southeast campus is the first campus we opened and this is the 10^th graduating class.  Our college persistence rate at this campus (students either still enrolled in college or have already graduated) is 82%.  Our North Central campus, is the second school we opened back in 2003.  This is their first graduating class:

 

YES Prep Public Schools - Southeast Campus

Class of 2010 Admissions Decisions - Admitted Colleges

(as of Thursday, April 29, 2010)

BREAKDOWN OF COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

- 671 applications submitted by 83 seniors (average of 8 applications per student)

- Applications submitted to 150 colleges/universities nationwide

- Class of 2010 members admitted to 113 colleges and universities

- Class of 2010 applied and were admitted to 12 new colleges/universities

- 80% overall acceptance rate (471 acceptances, 116 denials, 34 waitlists/deferred, 46 unknown decisions)

- 99% of the seniors have been accepted to at least 2 colleges/universities.

- To date, financial aid awards, in the form of scholarships and grants from colleges, universities

and outside organizations total over $3.7 million.

- Over 90% of the Class of 2009 are first-generation, college-bound students.

 

And:

 

YES Prep Public Schools - North Central Campus

Class of 2010 Admissions Decisions - Admitted Colleges

(as of Thursday, April 29, 2010)

BREAKDOWN OF COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

- 413 applications submitted by 43 seniors (average of 10 applications per student)

- Applications submitted to 109 colleges/universities nationwide

- Class of 2010 members admitted to 80 colleges and universities

- Class of 2010 applied and were admitted to 14 new colleges/universities

- 77% overall acceptance rate (267 acceptances, 78 denials, 22 waitlists/deferred, 46 unknown*)

- Over 93% of the seniors have been accepted to at least 3 colleges/universities.

- To date, financial aid awards, in the form of scholarships and grants from colleges, universities and

outside organizations total over $2.5 million dollars.

- Over 88% of the Class of 2009 are first-generation, college-bound students.