Student Programs & Services works with a broad base of community agencies to provide support and services for students in the schools and programs we operate. We serve some of our county's most at-risk students, including:

Incarcerated students Students on probation Students released from incarceration Students not well-served in traditional school settings Students with drug dependencies or behavioral problems Infants and pre-schoolers with special needs Teen parents and their families Foster youth

Middle school and high school students are referred to us by community agencies, school districts, Juvenile Probation, and Juvenile Court. ACOE/SPAS provides a range of specialized support services to these students and their families. Many students enter with multiple needs and below-average academic skills. They stay with us for as little as a few days, but on average 11 days, before they are transitioned back to their home district.

In each of our schools, teachers provide classroom instruction that allows  individualized attention. Our Character-Based Literacy (CBL) Program, a collaboration with Santa Clara University, is standards-based English/Language Arts instruction that emphasizes socially appropriate values and behaviors.

SPAS partners with many community organizations to provide a broad range of services for our students and their families. We also partner with local businesses and other providers to help students gain key technical, vocational, and artistic skills.