SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 281 grantees throughout the state will receive $22.4 million in California Partnership Academy grants. For the complete list of grantees, please visit Funding Results: California Partnership Academies.

"California Partnership Academies are an important cornerstone of my high school reform initiative that have proven to increase rigor in the curriculum, prepare students for careers in the real world, and increase graduation rates," said O'Connell. "Funding from the state for this grant confirms the need for smaller learning communities provided by these academies. However, funding has not increased since 1993, and legislation I sponsored last year to expand the number of academies failed to muster enough support. So in the next legislative session, I will continue to fight for more funding and expansion of this vital program."

Annual evaluations of California Partnership Academies consistently show improved student performance on attendance, credits earned, grade point averages, and graduation rates. High school seniors in these academies graduate at a rate of 95 percent. The success of this model prompted the Superintendent's California P-16 Council to recommend expansion. Also, the James Irvine Foundation recently released a poll that showed ninth and tenth grade students are more willing to be motivated in school if rigorous coursework was tied to future jobs.

The California Partnership Academies surfaced in the state in the early 1980s, but originated in Philadelphia in the late 1960s. The academies are an effective school, district, and business partnership that provide integrated academic and career technical instruction to students at risk of dropping out of school or unmotivated by traditional curriculum. The model is a three-year program for students in grades ten through twelve, structured as a school-within-a-school. 

The California Partnership Academies are a key strategy in O'Connell's high school reform initiative that is focused on smaller learning communities and designed to engage students, personalize their learning, and promote strong relationships between student and teacher. Academy components include rigorous academics with a career focus, a team of teachers, and active business involvement, including the commitment of local industry and business partners to match the grant 100 percent. 

Students in these academies learn through cross-curricula projects and from mentors in hands-on, real-world experiences to become better communicators, better problem-solvers, and better thinkers – all skills demanded in the workplace and higher education.

In this round of grants, no new funding was available to expand the California Partnership Academies program. Eligible applicants included local educational agencies with comprehensive high schools and an existing California Partnership Academy. There are 290 California Partnership Academies in the state, but nine vacancies currently exist, leaving 281 academies funded in this round of grants.  In order to receive continued funding, the grantees are required to comply with the Education Code requirements, including filing a budget and submitting data on student academic progress that are used to calculate the grant amount.

For more information on the California Partnership Academies, please visit Funding Results: California Partnership Academies.