This article discusses competing perspectives on the value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential. Although scholars and journalists debate the worth of the credential, urban youth continue to pursue the GED, especially as proxy for inadequate schooling. Using qualitative data from a participatory action research project, the…

Since its establishment in 1996, the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) has actively conducted and disseminated research to help build effective, cost- efficient adult education and literacy programs for adults who have low literacy and math skills, limited English skills, and/or no high school diploma. Funded as…

This final report documents the development of a workplace literacy program for 100 employees of the Geriatric Authority of Holyoke, Massachusetts (GAH), a major nonprofit nursing home and rehabilitation facility. It describes how GAH employees received instruction in English as a Second Language, adult basic education, and General Educational…

The "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program" is a residential education and training program designed for youth ages 16 to 18 who have dropped out of or been expelled from high school. During the 22-week residential period, participants are offered GED preparation classes and other program services intended to promote positive youth…

The GED (General Educational Development) Tests are widely used to certify a high school level of academic knowledge and skills. The popularity and profound influence of the GED Tests have solicited numerous studies on the outcomes of obtaining a GED credential. Most studies on labor market outcomes for GED credential recipients have targeted…

This study uses data from the Canadian panel of the International Adult Literacy Survey to examine the relations between schooling, literacy and occupational assignment and to determine the extent to which returns to over- and under-education are in fact returns to literacy skills. Two measures of required training time for the job are used, both…

The Florida Department of Corrections Distance Learning Program consists of the Corrections Distance Learning Network; offender programming; staff development; and the Agency Strategic Plan. The Corrections Distance Learning Network offers academic, vocational training, and life management skills programs for offenders and staff development and…

Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes. For example, the average income of persons ages 18 through 65 who had not completed high school was roughly $20,100 in 2005.1 By comparison, the average income of persons ages 18 through 65 who completed their education with a high school credential, including a General…

The General Educational Development (GED) testing program is frequently used to earn a high school diploma, since about 14 percent of diplomas issued in this country during 1981 were based on the GED tests. A study was conducted to assess the impact that passing the GED tests has on adults' employment and participation in educational activities.…

This Policy Brief takes a first look at a newly identified national population of GED holders, who are compared with their counterparts who received a high school diploma as well as with their counterparts who have no high school credential. The focus of these comparisons is on long-term postsecondary education outcomes. Because these…

This annotated bibliography includes a separate entry for each of 57 research reports written about the General Educational Development (GED) tests. For inclusion, documents were required to meet three criteria. They must: (1) focus on outcomes of GED graduation; (2) present some form of empirical, research-based evidence concerning the outcomes…

The 12 programs selected as 1996 winners of the Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs illustrate a diverse range of promising practices for the 21st century. Winners were selected based on the presence of 10 elements, including the following: effective and potentially replicable practices; measurable objectives…

The Workplace Education Program (WEP) was a literacy partnership between Emily Griffith Opportunity School and 5 business partners at 11 sites in Denver, Colorado. All of the business partners were in the health care sector. A total of 907 individuals were served during the project grant period. Of those individuals, 226 attended supplementary…

There is a strong and growing argument for higher educational attainment in the United States. The jobs that are expected to support the economy in the coming years will depend on a skilled workforce that is able to learn and adapt quickly to new challenges. However, demographic patterns demonstrate that relying on the traditional K-16 pipeline to…

In the new economy, Americans need a strong foundation of basic skills and education to succeed in their adult roles as workers, family members, and citizens. Analysts estimate over 20 percent of Americans lack the foundation of basic skills and education they need. One way to understand how basic skills lead to success in the 21st century is to…