I've heard about similar programs in the US.
I've never heard of one on that big a scale, or that well run.
But I may be biased, I went to Esquimalt highschool as its [link|http://esquimalt.sd61.bc.ca/jazz/JAzz/jazz.html|musical reputation] was just starting to be created. Literally just started - I was in jazz choir the first year that we won a competition and got to go to the nationals. Which we then proceeded to do repeatedly, and winning a number of medals there.
In my last year we had an unbelievably good band teacher join, and the band side of the school almost immediately was better than the choral group. In his first year he figured that he was going to have to do some building because he started with so little, so he focussed on junior jazz band. Half of them had never even held instruments before. At the end of the year that band, and several small ensembles from it, won their respective categories at nationals. In every category that they entered. By the time I left Victoria, kids went of their way to go to Esquimalt because they wanted to have the chance to work with him!
Cheers,
Ben