Instructional Standards

Students have many options for continuing their education after high school. SSFUSD offers a range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities to help students explore their interests and passions while they are in middle and high school. Students should consider their interests, skills, and goals when deciding what path to take after high school. 

Students apply to college during their senior year. Most 4-year colleges and universities have specific course and credit requirements that students need to work toward over their four years of high school. SSFUSD school counselors work with students each year to monitor their progress toward meeting high school graduation requirements and minimum college eligibility requirements. 

University of California: admissions information

California State University:  admissions information

California Community Colleges: admissions information

SSFUSD partners with the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to provide students and families with college and career exploration, planning, and application resources through CaliforniaColleges.edu. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, counselors will be introducing students to this online system as part of the counseling curriculum. Students and families will be able to access college and career exploration and planning resources including transcript-informed tools, available only to partner districts. Parents/guardians who do not want their student to have access to these transcript-informed college and career planning tools must indicate their preference in the Annual Enrollment Update completed prior to the start of the school year.

More information about the CaliforniaColleges.edu resources will be shared with students and families as SSFUSD begins implementation of this helpful tool. 

In 2021, Assembly Bill 469 was passed, which requires all California 12th graders to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or an application for the California Dream Act (CADAA). This bill was passed in part to address the financial barrier that many students face when pursuing post-secondary education. As part of this legislation, schools are required to provide information to students and families about financial aid options for post-secondary education and to provide support for students and families in completing the applications. 

SSFUSD high school seniors will receive information about financial aid, including support for completing the FAFSA or CADAA, through senior class presentations delivered by our school counseling teams and College and Career Advisors. 

Helpful links to financial aid resources

• California Student Aid Commission
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): application site | video
• California Dream Act: application site | video
• CalKIDS
• College Scorecard

SSFUSD encourages all students to consider their future goals and possible career as they matriculate through our schools. In middle school, career exploration may begin with Career Day, interest surveys, and opportunities for students to take elective courses that align with their interests. In high school, students are guided to consider their possible career goals when making course programming decisions as part of their academic planning. In the 2023-24 school year, SSFUSD counseling teams will begin introducing students to college and career exploration tools in CaliforniaColleges.edu and California Career Zone in partnership with the California College Guidance Initiative.