"We believe there is scope for special schools to benefit from the same opportunities available to mainstream schools in order to raise standards for all their pupils," said the School Standards Minister, Estelle Morris.
Two of schools made a joint application - Abbey Hill School in Stockton-on-Tees and Beaumont Hill School in Darlington.
The third, Crosshill School in Blackburn, was also a joint application, with a mainstream school in the town, Queen's Park High.
Altogether, 37 more secondary schools are joining the programme - 27 becoming technology colleges and 10 language colleges - bringing the total number of specialist schools in England to 400. The government intends to have 800 specialist schools by 2002.
Standards drive
This will include 268 technology colleges, 70 language colleges, 33 sports colleges and 29 arts colleges.
All state secondary schools can apply for specialist status - which will bring them a £100,000 capital grant and £120 per pupil per year, up to a maximum of £120,000, initially for three years. After that they must apply to have the status renewed.
The schools have to raise £100,000 themselves in private sponsorship. They must prepare development plans with measurable targets in teaching and learning in their specialist subject area, and show how they would involve other local schools and the wider community.
Higher achievement
"Specialist schools are an important part of our standards agenda and our approach to modernising comprehensive education," Ms Morris said. "Specialist schools are achieving improved standards and making a valuable contribution to their communities."
The Department for Education points to Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland as an example of good practice.
It became a technology college in 1995 and provides information and communications technology training to 150 staff in 11 primary schools that send pupils to it. The school has also established an 'open learning' site which is used by the wider community.
Ms Morris cited an analysis of GCSE results undertaken by the Technology Colleges Trust, which shows that 55% of the schools designated as technology colleges in 1994 had improved their performance by more than 20% by last year, in terms of the number of pupils getting at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C.
Here is the full list of 37 new specialist schools:
TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES:
NORTH EAST
Abbey Hill School, Stockton and Beaumont Hill School, Darlington
Grangefield School, Stockton-on-Tees
St. Leonard's RC Comprehensive School, Durham
EASTERN
Reepham High School, Norfolk
Shoeburyness County High School, Southend-on-Sea
LONDON
Parliament Hill School, Camden
Queensmead School, Hillingdon
NORTH WEST & MERSEYSIDE
Crosshill School and Queen's Park High School, Blackburn
Brine Leas County High School, Cheshire
St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Salford
Ribblesdale County High School, Clitheroe
Woodham Comprehensive School, Durham
SOUTH WEST
Crispin School, Street, Somerset
Dene Magna School, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
Dorcan School, Swindon, Wiltshire
Downend School, South Gloucestershire
Gordano School, Portishead, North Somerset
WEST MIDLANDS
Aston Manor School, Birmingham
The Heartlands High School, Birmingham
Chase High School, Malvern, Worcestershire
Joseph Leckie School, Walsall
South Bromsgrove High School, Worcestershire
EAST MIDLANDS
The Robert Manning School, Bourne, Lincolnshire
YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER
Moor End High School, Kirklees
Winifred Holtby School, Kingston-upon-Hull
LANGUAGE COLLEGES:
LONDON:
Our Lady's Convent High School, Hackney
EAST MIDLANDS
Judgemeadow Community College, Leicester
Kingsthorpe Upper School, Northamptonshire
NORTH WEST
Little Lever School, Bolton,
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE
Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley
The Holy Family School, Keighley
NORTH EASTERN
Ryton Comprehensive School, Gateshead
SOUTH EASTERN
Saint George's Church of England School, Gravesend
The Holt School, Wokingham
Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls, Tonbridge