Bill Overview
Title: Graduate on Your Own Schedule Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Education to make grants to local educational agencies for assisting eligible secondary school dropouts in reentering a secondary school or entering a general educational development program and providing these individuals with support services. Eligible secondary school dropout refers to an individual who is between the ages of 16 and 24 and who is not enrolled in a secondary school or general educational development program.
Sponsors: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Target Audience
Population: Secondary School Dropouts Aged 16-24 Not in School or GED Programs
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill is targeted towards individuals who have dropped out of secondary school.
- According to UNESCO, the global number of out-of-school adolescents and youth of upper secondary school age was 138 million in 2018.
- Many of these individuals may not qualify as dropouts according to the specific criteria of the bill, but they represent a starting point for estimation.
- The bill targets a subset of these individuals, specifically those between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not enrolled in any secondary or general educational development (GED) program.
- It is difficult to obtain an exact number globally due to lack of specified data, but the number of out-of-school youth in this category is substantial.
Reasoning
- The target population is young individuals who have dropped out of high school in the U.S., estimated at about 2 million.
- The policy provides grants and support services to help re-enter education, either traditional high school or a GED program, aimed at improving opportunities and outcomes for these individuals.
- Budget limitations mean not all eligible young adults can be reached initially, so impact will vary across individuals.
- We include people not directly impacted by the policy either because they are not eligible or have already achieved similar support through other means.
- Interviews cover a diverse group within the eligible and non-eligible populations to understand varying perspectives and potential program reach.
Simulated Interviews
Unemployed (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the policy will help people like me to get back into school.
- I've been wanting to take the GED but couldn't afford it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Part-time retail worker (Austin, Texas)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems like a great opportunity to get back on track.
- I had no idea how to return to school before.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Manufacturing worker (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've wanted to go back to get my GED but life gets in the way.
- If this program can help with time and cost, I'd be very interested.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Aspiring musician (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 20 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I probably won't take advantage of this policy because it's not aligned with my goals.
- I see value, but not for me personally.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Freelancer (New York, New York)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the policy considers alternative learning environments.
- Support services could help me if they include mental health support.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Entrepreneur (Miami, Florida)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm doing well on my current path, so I don't need the program.
- For others more focused on traditional employment, it could be very beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
None (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I really want to finish school to get a decent job.
- The support services are key for people like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Barista (Portland, Oregon)
Age: 21 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The idea of getting help to get qualifications is appealing.
- It could open doors for better jobs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Farmhand (Rural Alabama)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 2
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to education in a supportive environment would be amazing.
- I hope the policy includes rural areas like mine.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
High school dropout, currently unemployed (San Francisco, California)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could really help with my current situation.
- I need more than just education, psychological support too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000000 (Low: $4000000000, High: $6000000000)
Year 2: $5200000000 (Low: $4200000000, High: $6200000000)
Year 3: $5408000000 (Low: $4368000000, High: $6408000000)
Year 5: $5820870000 (Low: $4700870000, High: $6820870000)
Year 10: $6748872650 (Low: $5510872650, High: $7778872650)
Year 100: $215901854671 (Low: $176081854671, High: $249701854671)
Key Considerations
- The success of the program depends largely on dropout reengagement and completion rates, which are historically challenging to achieve at high levels.
- Programme effectiveness in providing the necessary support services to tackle the multifaceted challenges faced by dropouts.
- Potential overlaps with existing state and local educational initiatives offering similar services.