THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: The Peninsula Academies program helps educationally disadvantaged youth overcome the handicaps of low academic achievement, lack of skills, and chronic unemployment. This is accomplished by providing a high school curriculum that is clearly related to work, training in specific job skills, emphasis on key academic disciplines (English, math, and science), and exposure to real jobs in needy companies through work experience and paid summer employment. The final incentive is that of a job waiting when the student successfully graduates from the program and from high school. Two fields have been selected for the focus of the program: computers and electronics. The program is based at Menlo-Atherton High School (Computer Academy) and Sequoia High School (Electronics Academy); accommodates 30 students per year per academy, beginning with tenth graders; and provides training for three years, through the twelfth grade. It began in the fall of 1981 with the first tenth-grade class, and has expanded to 90 students in each academy this school year. Area firms are contributing loaned lab instructors, funding, equipment, mentors, speakers, field trip sites, and summer jobs. Over twenty such companies are involved, including Hewlett-Packard, Varian, Lockheed, Ampex, and Raychem. Two interim reports on the progress of the students in the Peninsula Academies have been issued by the American Institutes of Research. The conclusions have been very positive. Academies students have better attendance than their host school counterparts, drop out of school less frequently, and are improving their grades and proficiency test pass rates significantly. This is in spite of the fact that most Academy students are minority and/or disadvantaged, and were selected because they were thought to be dropout-prone. In addition, students' enthusiasm for school and learning is increasing, and their parents are pleased with the program. Both the school district and the industry representatives agree that a partnership is forming between them. While the program is still in its tryout phase (September 1981 - June 1984), it appears to have an excellent chance for success. This document was selected by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Task Force on Public Confidence as descriptive of a promising practice or exemplary project worthy of highlighting for the California educational community. (Author)