The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) is a state grant program administered by the California Department of Education. The CCSPP aims to support schools’ efforts to partner with community agencies and local governments to align community resources to improve student outcomes. These partnerships provide an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. The CCSPP’s latest application for another round of implementation grants was recently released. Have questions? Send us a note.

LEAs (school districts, charter schools, or county offices of education), consortiums of LEAs and/or LEAs with cooperating agencies, and/or school sites that meet the California Department of Education’s "Qualifying Entity" definition should apply for the grant. Note: Their school district would still be the technical "applicant” that 1) understands the Community Schools (CS) Framework as a school transformation approach, 2) has done foundational collaborative planning work to prepare for the implementation of the Community School Framework at their sites/district, and 3) has the commitment and buy-in to use the CCSPP Implementation Grant funding to collaboratively and strategically rollout the CS framework over the next five years.

For the CCSPP Implementation Grant, an applicant must be a/an: (1) LEA, defined as a school district, charter school, or county office of education, (2) consortium of two or more LEAs, or (3) consortium of one or more LEAs that partners with one or more cooperating agencies (a federal, state, or local agency, or public or private nonprofit entity).

To be meet the CCSPP Implementation Grant eligibility requirements, the California Department of Education (CDE) defines a "Qualifying Entity" as:

1. An LEA or a consortium that meets any of the following 4 criteria, as applied to the entire population of students enrolled in the LEA or consortium:

   1. Fifty percent or more of the enrolled pupils at the LEA or the consortium are unduplicated pupils.

   2. The LEA or the consortium has higher than state average dropout rates.

   3. The LEA or the consortium has higher than state average rates of suspension and expulsion.

   4. The LEA or the consortium has higher than state average rates of child homelessness, foster youth, or justice-involved youth.

2. An LEA or consortium, on behalf of one or more schools within the LEA or consortium that satisfy any of the criteria listed above (note that the LEA is still the technical applicant for the qualifying schools).

The LEA has to meet eligibility criteria. Once they do, note that the sites named in the application must meet site-level requirements. If you’re including a school under the 50% threshold, spell out in the narrative which other requirement your school meets and why you’re including that school. You may still apply for a school that’s eligible (even if the LEA is not) but you should pose this question to the CDE.

Yes, you can use the needs assessment from your planning grant…but this is also a great opportunity to revisit that process. Did you capture the breadth of voices and views you wanted to? Are there people you might engage now? Get resources to support your needs assessment and asset mapping process.

Awards are based on school site enrollment numbers.