This chapter on high school equivalency describes recent events involved in updating the adult education high school equivalency assessment services and the entrance of additional assessments into the field.

To guide designers developing open education resources for adults preparing for a high school equivalency exam, we developed six authentic personas that represented adults without high school diplomas. Our goal was to assist open education resources designers to develop empathy toward their learners and place themselves in their learners' shoes.…

For decades, the state of Arizona has used the General Educational Development (GED) Test to award the Arizona High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma, as the GED Test was the only test available, recognized and accepted in the United States as the measure by which adults could demonstrate the educational attainment equivalent to high school…

Washington is one of 36 states in the country that allows students to earn high school credit based on demonstrating subject area competency instead of completing hours of classroom instruction. Washington law (Revised Code of Washington [RCW] 28A.230.090) delegates to the State Board of Education (SBE) the responsibility of establishing…

In 2013, as new high school equivalency exams were being developed and implemented across the nation and states were deciding which test was best for their population, Washington state identified the need to adopt the most rigorous test so that preparation to take it would equip students with the skills to be able to move directly from adult…

This paper focuses on the potential of competency assessment to support the long-term growth of the labour market by facilitating the appropriate employment of skilled immigrants. A competency-informed approach involves looking holistically at an individual's ability to apply knowledge and skills with appropriate judgment in a defined setting. The…

The concept that "time is money" applies to the life outlook of community college students as much as anyone. Their success in completing a degree or certificate is often an equation that weighs their financial resources against how long they will need to finish. Prior learning assessments (PLA), which award academic credit for students'…

A recent overhaul to the GED exam has made it significantly more difficult for all students to pass, further adding to the burden of those who must take it in a second language. The revamped 2014 version of the exam highlights the need for accommodations for speakers of minority languages who must take the test in English. In fact, there is plenty…

Wisconsinites interested in pursuing a high school credential rely on the unique collaboration between the State GED Administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI), the State Director of Adult Basic Education (ABE) and staff of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), and the many providers of instruction throughout the…

This study examined the equivalence and reliability of the two versions of the Vocabulary Levels Test in an Iranian context. This study was motivated by the fact that the Vocabulary Levels test is increasingly being used in Iran for both research and pedagogical purposes without having been checked for validity and reliability in this context. The…

Earning a General Educational Development (GED) credential can have positive results in a student's life including higher wages and better job opportunities. The 2014 version of the GED exam changed the format from a paper-based test to a computer-based test. This change coincided with a 35% decline in the pass rate indicating not all students are…

Until 2014, the General Educational Development (GED®) test dominated the high school equivalency (HSE) test market throughout the United States, to the point that educational experts acknowledged the acronym "GED" had become synonymous with "high school equivalency." However, changes to the test, the way it is administered,…

College Preparatory Programs with Exams (CPPEs) include academically-rigorous high school classes that culminate in standardized exam-based assessments. Students take the classes as part of their high school schedule and apply them toward their graduation requirements, typically whether or not they take the exams at the end. Without the exam,…

The interaction between language and the learning of statistical concepts has been receiving increased attention. The Communication, Language, And Statistics Survey (CLASS) was developed in response to the need to focus on dynamics of language in light of the culturally and linguistically diverse environments of introductory statistics classrooms.…

The GED® test was built from the ground up to give students a test that measures the skills they need to succeed. The test focuses on the foundational knowledge and skills needed for career- and college-readiness, so colleges and employers know that students who pass the GED® test have the skills to excel on the job or in the classroom. This…