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Cov: Specialized Secondary Programs

Letter Head: Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education

September 26, 2008

Dear County and District Superintendents and High School Principals:

2008-09 SPECIALIZED SECONDARY PROGRAMS PLANNING GRANT

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the availability of funds through the Specialized Secondary Programs (SSP). Funding for this Request for Application (RFA) for planning grants is contingent on approval of the state budget with SSP funds intact.

Application materials are available on the RFA Web page.

Additional background information about the SSP may be accessed on the SSP Web page.

Please consider the following guidelines when responding to the RFA:

  • The CDE will review only one application per school district. Districts with more than one eligible high school must choose which school should apply.
  • Applications must demonstrate substantial promise of providing high school students with a new, advanced program that is rich in standards-based curriculum content and offers varied, innovative instructional methodologies and or organizational structures.
  • High schools that currently receive SSP funding are not eligible to apply for funding even in another content area.
  • School districts that have previously received SSP funding for a particular pathway focus cannot apply for SSP funding at another school site in the district with the same pathway focus.
  • High schools that currently have a California Partnership Academy may apply for an SSP grant providing the focus of the SSP is clearly different from the partnership academy.
  • Continuation high schools that are unable to provide a new advanced program for a cohort of students over two consecutive years in grades nine through twelve are ineligible to apply.
  • Charter schools that receive the categorical block grant are ineligible to apply since these schools already receive SSP funds through the categorical block grant.

There will also be three technical assistance workshops regarding the SSP RFA. Information about these workshops can be found on the SSP Web page.

If you have any questions regarding this RFA, please contact Jack Mitchell, Education Programs Consultant, High School Initiatives/Career Education Office at 916-319-0504 or by email at jmitchell@cde.ca.gov or Jerry Winthrop, Education Programs Consultant, High School Initiatives/Career Education Office at 916-319-0457 or by email at jwinthrop@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

JACK O’CONNELL

JO:jm

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