SACRAMENTO—Sixty-seven California school districts will receive more than $3.3 million in Specialized Secondary Programs (SSP) grants to help them develop innovative programs to help high school students learn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. AUHSD has been awarded a $50,000 grant.

"This grant has a long history of helping support innovative high school programs that help students develop real-world 21st century skills," Torlakson said. "Now that these funds are available again, California will carry on its work of developing cutting-edge programs so students can explore areas of study in a deeper way while developing their talents and skills for college or career."

Funds for the SSP, which is authorized by the California Education Code, were "flexed" in 2009 during the state budget crisis, meaning the funds could have been used for any general educational purpose instead of just for creating advanced programs. However, flexibility for SSP expired at the beginning of this month.

The 67 grantees may use the funds for programs that provide high school students with advanced learning opportunities in a variety of subjects. These subjects include English-language arts, mathematics, science, history and social science, foreign language, and visual performing arts, among other subjects. These programs may include Linked Learning pathways, career academies, and arts-integrated models. The programs must be rich in content, models for providing instruction based on California’s standards, and use varied instructional methods.

The grants range between $20,000 and $50,000 for one year and must be used for initial planning. Schools may apply for an implementation grant as funding becomes available. Since its inception in 1984-85, the SSP has funded more than 200 programs.