The YES College Preparatory School opened its southwest campus (YES Southwest) in Richmond, Texas in 2004 with 88 sixth-graders at a comprehensive educational charter facility. It currently serves 150, sixth- and seventh-graders. Fully operational, the school will serve students grades 6-12. Its current student population is 83% Hispanic, 15% Black, and 2% non-Hispanic White; 33.2% of its students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, and the school reports a 12% mobility rate.
YES Southwest is fully committed to the implementation of a comprehensive educational program, including rigorous academics and a longer school day, summer and Saturday school programs, after-school programs, field trips, and college research trips. This comprehensive educational program prepares low-income students for success in a four-year college. Its charter mandates that students must be accepted to a four-year college to receive their high school diploma. The ultimate goal of the YES model is to create a critical mass of college educated students who can make real change to their underserved neighborhoods and communities.
The success of YES Southwest’s operation demonstrates the power of the YES model when it is implemented in close collaboration with the community. Students frequently engage in community service across Fort Bend County. These projects include collecting 1,500 pounds of canned food for the hungry, adopting the main road in the city for beautification, creating an educational exhibit at a local museum, writing letters to military troops in Iraq, creating relief packets for tsunami victims, volunteering at local senior citizen homes, and organizing materials at a local library. Other activities have included trips to Austin, San Antonio, and College Station. In addition to visiting the State Capitol, nature exhibits, and historical landmarks, students toured Texas A&M University, University of Texas, and Trinity University.
Through ambition and diligence, the school has proven successful through test results, such as the 2005 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam; 89% and 84% of the students obtained a passing grade in reading and in mathematics, respectively. YES College Preparatory students have also received “commended performance” status from the Texas Education Agency. The school itself was awarded Gold Performance Acknowledgments for Attendance (2003-04) and Commendations on Reading/ELA, Mathematics, and Writing by the Texas Education Agency.
In addition, YES Southwest’s Parent Advisory Association has demonstrated tremendous dedication to the school’s mission and vision. YES Southwest parents frequently volunteer on campus and have undertaken ambitious efforts to publicize the school in target communities across the county. They have also sponsored events for teaching staff, culminating in a teacher appreciation day celebration in mid-May. The year’s successes have led to positive word-of-mouth across Fort Bend County.
