Report on the Come Back Kids Program and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Program Overview and Mission

The Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) has instituted the Come Back Kids (CBK) Charter School Program, an academic initiative designed for adults who previously dropped out of high school. The program’s primary objective is to provide these individuals with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, thereby enabling pathways to higher education, technical training, or improved workforce participation. This initiative directly addresses the significant local challenge of 900 to 1,100 students dropping out of Stanislaus County high schools annually.

Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The CBK program is a direct implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The program’s structure is specifically designed to remove barriers for non-traditional adult learners.

• Inclusive and Flexible Learning (Target 4.3): The program utilizes a community college model with an independent study format, accommodating students with existing job and family commitments.
• Customized Educational Paths: Students can choose between online or textbook-based courses, supplemented by small group support classes and one-on-one teacher appointments.
• Lifelong Learning: While initially targeting recent dropouts, the program has expanded to serve an older demographic, with students in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s and 60s, embodying the principle of lifelong learning.

Contribution to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By equipping students with both academic credentials and vocational skills, the CBK program makes a significant contribution to SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

• Enhancing Employability (Target 8.6): The program directly reduces the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) by providing a clear path to a high school diploma.
• Relevant Skills Training (Target 4.4): A partnership with the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds provides a venue for vocational training. Students interested in construction learn practical, in-demand skills.
• Examples of Vocational Training:
  1. Proper installation of solar panels.
  2. Forklift operation certification.
  3. General construction skills, such as building picnic tables.

Impact on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The program serves as a critical tool for social mobility, directly addressing SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). By providing a second chance at education to a marginalized group, SCOE is actively working to reduce educational and economic disparities within the community. Earning a diploma significantly increases an individual’s earning potential, providing a pathway out of poverty for themselves and their families.

Program Growth and Impact Metrics

The program has demonstrated exponential growth since its inception, far exceeding initial expectations and highlighting the significant need for such services. This growth underscores its success in re-engaging a significant portion of the county’s dropout population.

• Initial Enrollment: The program projected 25 students in its first year but enrolled 75 by September.
• Graduation Growth:
  1. First Year: 105 graduates.
  2. Second Year: 251 graduates.
  3. Third Year (Projected): 350 to 400 graduates.
• County-Wide Impact: The CBK program’s enrollment now constitutes approximately 40 percent of all SCOE programs, despite being less than three years old at the time of reporting.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  This is the primary SDG addressed. The article focuses on the “Come Back Kids Charter School Program,” which provides a second chance for high school dropouts to earn their diploma. This directly relates to SDG 4’s goal to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The program offers flexible, customized education to adults, including those with jobs and families, embodying the principles of inclusive and lifelong learning.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article connects education to employment outcomes, which aligns with SDG 8. The program’s stated purpose is to help graduates “move on to college, technical school or the workforce.” It also provides specific vocational training in construction, teaching skills like installing solar panels and operating forklifts, to make students “employable.” This directly supports the goal of promoting “full and productive employment and decent work for all.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

  The program is a pathway for adults to re-enter the education system. By helping them earn a high school diploma, it prepares them to “move on to college, technical school or the workforce.” The specific course at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, which provides construction training, is a direct example of offering vocational education to this demographic.

• Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

  This target is directly addressed through the program’s vocational training component. The article explicitly mentions that students “receive necessary training in order for them to be employable.” Examples of these relevant skills include learning “how to properly install solar panels, operate forklifts and make picnic tables.”

• Target 4.6: Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.

  Earning a high school diploma is a fundamental measure of achieving literacy and numeracy. The “Come Back Kids” program specifically targets adults who dropped out, providing them with the opportunity to attain this foundational level of education, thereby increasing the proportion of adults with these essential skills.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).

  The program directly tackles this issue by targeting “recent dropouts,” a group at high risk of being NEET. By re-engaging them in an educational program that leads to a diploma and provides job-specific skills, the initiative actively reduces the number of adults who are outside the education and employment systems. The article notes that Stanislaus County has “approximately 900 and 1,100 students who drop out” annually, and this program brings them back into education or training.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of adult learners completing secondary education.

  The article provides explicit data that can serve as an indicator for progress towards Targets 4.3, 4.4, and 4.6. It states, “Our first year we graduated 105 students and last year we graduated 251… I’m anticipating we are going to graduate 350 to 400 students this year alone.” This increasing number of graduates directly measures the program’s success in helping adults complete their high school education.

• Participation rate of adults in formal and non-formal education and training.

  The article implies this indicator by highlighting the program’s growing enrollment. It mentions that in the first year, they “were hoping to enroll 25 students” but “by September, the program would draw in 75 recent dropouts.” The statement that the program’s “overall enrollment is about 40 percent of all of the County’s programs” further quantifies its significant contribution to adult education participation.

• Reduction in the number of individuals not in education, employment, or training.

  While not providing a direct percentage, the article implies this indicator for Target 8.6. It establishes the scale of the problem by citing the “900 and 1,100 students who drop out” annually. The program’s success in enrolling and graduating hundreds of these former students is a direct measure of reducing the number of people in this category within the county.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: turlockjournal.com