California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) & Framework

The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) supports schools’ efforts to partner with community agencies and local government 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.

Community school strategies can be an effective approach to mitigate the academic and social impacts of emergencies that affect local communities, improve school responsiveness to student and family needs, and to organize school and community resources to address barriers to learning.

The $4 billion CCSPP is the nation’s largest investment in the success of high-needs students through a whole-child approach and there are three separate funding opportunities for the CCSPP.

Planning Grants

The CCSPP Planning Grants are for local educational agencies (LEAs) with no existing community schools. The grant awards are up to $200,000 for up to two-years. There were two rounds for Planning Grants.

Implementation Grants

The CCSPP Implementation Grants are for new community schools, or for the expansion or continuation of existing community schools. The grant awards are up to $500,000 annually. There are multiple rounds for Implementation Grants.

Extension Grants

The CCSPP Extension Grants are for CCSPP Implementation grantees to extend CCSPP funding for an additional two years. The grant awards are up to $100,000 annually, beginning in the 2025–26 fiscal year. The California Department of Education will publish the CCSPP Extension Grant Request for Applications at a later date.

A Framework for Community Schools

The Capitol Area R-TAC approach to Community Schools is based on the Community Schools Forward Framework. Community Schools Forward is a coalition of experts and practitioners that has defined the essential elements and practices of effective Community Schools based on research and extensive experience in the field. The Community Schools Forward Framework includes and builds on the elements described in the California Community Schools Framework referenced by California Department of Education (CDE).

The community schools strategy transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. As partners, they organize in- and out-of-school resources, supports, and opportunities so that young people thrive.

Essentials for Community School Transformation

Source: Community Schools Forward (2023)

Download the full Framework: Essentials for Community School Transformation document. (698k PDF)