For Immediate Release
(Updated May 22, 2012)
Uplift Education Schools Named Among Best in the Nation by
The Washington Post and Newsweek
Three Uplift high schools also named as Newsweek “Transformative Schools”
(Dallas, Texas) – Uplift Education, one of the nation’s most recognized charter school networks and the largest charter school network in North Texas, adds to its national honors by being listed by both The Washington Post and Newsweek for high schools which are among the best in the nation.
“We are extremely pleased that our high schools continue to receive this type of national recognition,” said Uplift Education CEO Yasmin Bhatia. “Our students and teachers have proven again that the Uplift Education model is successfully applied in both suburban and urban settings,” she added.
The Washington Post “High School Challenge”
In an impressive accomplishment, all of Uplift Education’s five eligible high schools were named to the top 70 high schools in the nation. It is especially notable that four of the schools have a low-income student ratio of 70% or above. (Uplift North Hills Prep has a 4% low-income student body.)
§ Uplift North Hills Preparatory, located in Irving, Texas, was ranked as #24
§ Uplift Summit Preparatory, located in Arlington, Texas, was ranked as #29
§ Uplift Peak Preparatory, located in East Dallas, was ranked as #34
§ Uplift Hampton Preparatory, located in Southwest Dallas, was ranked as #41
§ Uplift Williams Preparatory, located in West Dallas, was ranked as #69
The High School Challenge formula for ranking schools is a calculation of the college-level tests administered by the school in 2011 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
Newsweek/The Daily Beast “America’s Best High Schools”
Four Uplift Education schools were nationally ranked, with Uplift North Hills ranked among the Top 15 high schools in the nation. Uplift Peak, Uplift Summit and Uplift Williams, which made the list for the first time, were also were named as “Transformative Schools.” (see below.)
§ Uplift North Hills Preparatory ranked as #14 nationwide
§ Uplift Summit Preparatory, located in Arlington, Texas, ranked as #59
§ Uplift Williams Preparatory, located in West Dallas, ranked as #264
§ Uplift Peak Preparatory ranked as #537
The criteria for the Newsweek/The Daily Beast ranking is a combination of examining the four-year, on-time graduation rate, the percent of 2011 graduates who enrolled immediate in college, college level tests per student and other criteria.
Newsweek Transformative Schools
Three Uplift Education schools were granted the additional honor of being named to the Newsweek list of the nation’s Transformative Schools. These transformative schools are defined as those which accept students from all skill levels and from all strata, and turn out uniformly qualified graduates. The list takes into account the percentage of students who are low income.
Uplift Summit Preparatory Transformative School #3
Uplift Williams Preparatory Transformative School #8
Uplift Peak Preparatory Transformative School #16
These recent accolades cap a successful year for Uplift Education, including its continued legacy of 100% college acceptance for all seniors (with an impressive $40 million in scholarships and grants this year); a National Excellence in Urban Education Award for Peak Preparatory, U.S. News ranking of Peak Preparatory as a Gold Medal school; the Texas Education Agency recognition of Peak as a Distinguished Title I Campus; the charter network’s announced expansion into Fort Worth; and the successful issuance of a $80+ million dollar bond package.
About Uplift Education
Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a network of 20 tuition-free, college preparatory, public charter schools in Dallas, Arlington and Irving. Its schools provide a rigorous, multidisciplinary curriculum, with an emphasis on college preparation – 100% of graduates are accepted to college. Uplift Education currently educates more than 5,700 students, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information, visit uplifteducation.org or facebook.com/uplifteducation.
