The San Clemente Auto Tech Partnership Academy is one of over 300 California Partnership Academies. The ATPA is funded and operates in accordance with the requirements of Education Code 54690-54697. The California Academy model grew out of the Philadelphia Academies that began in the 1960s, and spread to California in the early 1980s. 

The ATPA, which was the first CUSD state-funded academy, began in 1998. It incorporates many of the recommendations of the high school reform movement including creating a close family-like atmosphere, integrating academic and career-technical education, and establishing viable business partnerships. Academies throughout the nation and the state have been evaluated extensively and have been found to have positive impacts on students’ school performance.   

The Auto Tech Academy is a three-year program, in grades 10-12, structured as a school-within-a-school incorporating:

•  Curriculum focused on automotives as a career theme, coordinated with academic classes;
•  A voluntary student selection process that identifies interested ninth graders;
•  A team of teachers and staff who work together to plan and implement the program;
•  An extensive list of active business partners who provide financial, technical, and advisory support;
• A variety of motivational activities including parental support, a well-developed reward structure, guest speakers, field trips, a mentor program, work experience, and regular monitoring of progress with feedback to students.