Dropouts encouraged to 'drop-in' to finish education

By: SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer
3 N. County adult schools to participate in statewide event | Wednesday, January 16, 2008 12:21 AM PST ∞

NORTH COUNTY -- Adult education programs throughout North County will be open Thursday to residents who would like to finish their high school education.

Adult school programs in Poway, Valley Center and San Dieguito will take part in an annual statewide campaign to inform people of the classes adults can take if they return to school and earn any class credits and time they may have lost as teens.

At each campus, school officials said, there will be additional staff members and counselors on hand to enroll students and answer questions about programs for diplomas, including the GED diploma, and the California High School Exit Exam -- a high-stakes exam in math and English that high-schoolers are required to pass to graduate. No appointments are necessary.

Some school officials said they will also give prospective students tours of classes that are in session.

"It's an opportunity to get the word out and make people aware of where the adult schools are and what we offer," said Dave Boulaware, assistant principal of the adult school in the Poway Unified School District. "We are trying to make it comfortable for people to come back."

With the exception of North County's largest adult education programs in Vista and Escondido -- both of which serve thousands of students -- most adult school officials in the region will participate. The goal, educators said, is to draw as many new students as possible and educate many others about the programs they provide.

Adult education programs in North County offer an array of classes for residents who want to finish their high school course work, improve their English or Spanish speaking abilities, build computer, math and other skills for business, or explore an interest in the arts and other hobbies.

Thursday's "Drop-In Day," as it has been named by state educators, is geared toward enrolling dropouts, adults who left high school without a diploma or a GED.

In 2005-06, 1,212 North County students were labeled by the state as dropouts, up about 28 percent from the 872 teenagers counted as dropouts in the 2004-05 school year.

Finding ways to alter that trend, even if it means catching students later in life, is what the programs statewide are shooting for, said Denise McAndrews, the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District's coordinator of adult education. A number of studies have shown that dropouts, particularly from minority populations, are more likely to be unemployed or get lower pay.

"Many students feel like it's important to have that piece of paper that says you have completed high school," said Manuel Zapata, assistant principal of San Dieguito Adult School. "It doesn't matter how old you are. We just had a 92-year-old complete the program."

-- Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.

North County's participating adult schools:

Poway Adult School

13230 Evening Creek Drive, Suite 220

San Diego, CA 92128

(858) 668-4024

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Valley Center Adult School

Oak Glen High School

14172 Oak Glen Road

Valley Center, CA 92082

(760) 749-4218

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

San Diego Adult School

San Dieguito High School Academy

800 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas CA 92024

(760) 753-7073 Ext. 5103

1 to 7 p.m.

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