In a quiet classroom tucked away in the corner of the North Area Community School campus, teacher Craig Bradford meets with a student to review her assignments. While he reads, the student sways while holding her baby. In the same room, several classmates work independently. Their work ranges from finishing English compositions to filling out job applications.
This is a typical day at the Senior Extension Program, developed by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to help students who need extra time to graduate from high school.
Senior Extension Partners
- Another Choice Another Chance
- Birth and Beyond
- Greater Sacramento Urban League
- Northern California Construction Training (NCCT)
- OMNI Youth Programs
- Sacramento County Probation Department
- Sacramento Employment Training Agency
- WEAVE
“We were finding that some of our kids were taking a little longer…maybe getting re-incarcerated, kids, jobs, whatever,” said Bradford. “We needed a way to…allow them to get their high school diploma.”
SCOE launched its Senior Extension Program during the 2015–16 school year with the goal of re-engaging students who are in jeopardy of dropping out of high school, or who have been out of school and want to return to complete their graduation requirements. Since the program’s inception, more than 100 students have earned their high school diplomas.
Senior Extension graduate Angelina Lucero said, “I’m proud of myself—and for my children—because now they have someone to look up to. You had all of these obstacles and you still made it. You still achieved what you needed to do.”
Another Senior Extension graduate, Joelle Cry, said “Do you want to be sitting at home every day? Or do you want to be out doing what everybody else is doing: getting a job, finishing school, and doing what you want to do in life?”
Senior Extension students are referred to SCOE by their local school districts. They receive personalized education plans through SCOE’s community schools, allowing them to earn credits required for graduation through a combination of independent study and classroom work. The pace of the program allows students to earn credits while still meeting work and family obligations that would otherwise prevent them from completing their education.
For more information about the Senior Extension Program, email or phone Craig Bradford: (916) 228-2073.