The authors first examine the effect of failing the 10th grade mathematics examination. They then investigate students who fail their 10th grade test, examining their persistence and success on retests. Finally, they examine the effects of student performance on the 8th grade mathematics test. In all cases, the authors pay particular attention to…

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…

Training and education profiles estimated from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data 1979-1991 for 918 men and 699 women suggest that the probability that dropouts received postsecondary education or training was greater after receiving a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. However, fewer than half of GED recipients obtained…

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth show that acquisition of the General Educational Development (GED) credential results in wage increases for dropouts who left school with weak skills, but not for those who left with strong skills. Postsecondary education and training are associated with higher wages for male dropouts. (SLD)

For high school dropouts who last attempted the General Educational Development (GED) test in Florida and New York in 1989-1990, earnings of those without GEDs, least-skilled GED holders, and highest-skilled GED holders were compared. Higher GED scores were associated with higher earnings, except for white males. These earnings differences were as…

Young female dropouts may make several kinds of educational investments, all of which enhance earned income. Completing the General Educational Development (GED) Test increases income 25%; GED plus 1 year of training or college increases it 50%. How4ver, the increase in earnings is not enough to lift a family out of poverty. (Contains 312 notes…

Examines labor-market value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential for females. Finds that among females who dropped out of high school with weak basic math skills, those with a GED have accumulated more work experience and have higher labor-market earning in their mid-20s than have observationally similar dropouts lacking the GED…

While many previous studies have examined the economic impact of the General Educational Development (GED) on labor market outcomes, the results from these studies are all based on regression analyses that employ questionable comparison groups. As a result, all previous studies of the economic impact of the GED likely suffer from "selectivity…

As part of standards-based educational reform efforts, more than 40 states will soon require students to achieve passing scores on standardized exams in order to obtain a high school diploma. Currently, many states are struggling with the design of their examination systems, debating such questions as which subjects should be tested, what should…

Data on the sophomore cohort of the original High School and Beyond (HS&B) study were analyzed to determine the value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential versus that of the conventional high school diploma in explaining the earnings of 27-year-old males in the early 1990s. The study sample consisted of those 4,899 male…