In 1979, when the author began as an academic instructor at the Central Coast Adult School, located inside the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, California, he saw his teaching role in the traditional sense of imparting knowledge through the school's curriculum. Over time, however, his viewpoint changed as he came to recognize that the…

This study was designed to measure the impact on the lives of Kentucky adults who were administered the General Educational Development (GED) Test during 1976. The impact is measured in terms of employability, productivity, and responsibility as outlined in the Adult Education Act of 1966, as amended in 1978. Elements of this survey in determining…

This report addresses the extension of selected educational benefits to the Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG). The current Army General Education Development (GED) program is described, and a literature review of the effects of education upon military performance is included. A concept of extending tuition assistance to the…

Five years have passed since the U.S. Census Bureau published synthetic estimates of work-life earnings by educational attainment. This paper updates those figures with the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual Current Population Surveys, and adds net present value analysis of the financial benefit of a college degree to the…

A random sample of 172 recent General Educational Development (GED) graduates indicated gains in 12 economic and noneconomic benefits were substantial. The 12 benefits were empirically reduced into four factors: job advancement, increased employment, improved self-image, and further education. Cluster analysis delineated five principal types of…

The United States has experienced a significant increase in educational attainment since the 1970s. Young adults in school today are more likely than their parents to finish high school, attend college, and graduate from college. Yet, in California the share of working-age adults who do not have a high school diploma or certificate of General…

A literature review explored the differences between the high school diploma and GED (General Educational Development) credentials and the value of receiving one in comparison to the other. The study found that GED recipients and high school seniors who take the five tests constituting the GED score similarly, but that test achievement does not…

A study examined evidence of any labor market payoff for school dropouts and if they acquire cognitive skills, and studied whether the payoff differs by gender and race/ethnicity. It analyzed data containing information on the universe of school dropouts in New York and Florida who took the General Educational Development (GED) exams between…

The General Educational Development (GED) testing program has been a part of the Alberta High School Equivalency Program since 1981. Between December 1981 and December 1983, 4,333 applicants passed the GED in Alberta, and 802 applicants failed to pass the test. Random samples of 200 individuals from each of these groups were studied to determine…

In 1996, follow-up questionnaires were mailed to a racially and ethnically stratified sample of 328 Coloradans who had earned General Educational Development (GED) diplomas in October-December 1995. Although responses were received from 235 (70%) of those surveyed, the response rates for African-Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders were too low…

The Palm Beach Post newspaper in Florida provides a workplace literacy program with six classes in three programs: adult basic education; English for speakers of other languages; and high school equivalency in preparation for a General Educational Development diploma. Employees receive work-release time or are paid to attend class. Class size is…

A 1980 survey of General Educational Development (GED) equivalency certificate recipients who completed the GED test in 1975 measured influence and impact of successful GED completion on the individual. The sample consisted of 101 former adult students whose records came from the Murray and Paducah, Kentucky, GED testing centers. The survey…

A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the short-term (2-year), intermediate (5-year), and long-term (10-year) impact of earning a high school equivalency diploma by taking the General Educational Development (GED) Tests in Iowa. The random sample of 2,500 GED graduates was drawn from each time cohort (individuals who had passed the GED…

A study investigated the occupational, educational, personal, and social benefits of obtaining the General Educational Development (GED) credential for Wisconsin GED recipients. It examined differences in the benefits experienced and factors that affected the nature and extent of these benefits. A questionnaire was mailed to 1,028 individuals who…

A series of follow-up studies were conducted to examine the employment, education, and training activities of persons who had taken the General Educational Development (GED) Tests in the spring of 1980. The first two studies, conducted in the fall of 1981 and the spring of 1982, were nationwide surveys that analyzed the survey responses of 458 and…