The dramatic rise in the number of university students holding BTECs [Business and Technology Education Councils] raises important questions about the purpose of the qualification and whether it should be treated by policymakers as part of an academic or vocational pathway. Scott Kelly discusses these issues and makes a number of recommendations…

The General Educational Development (GED) credential is issued on the basis of an eight hour subject-based test. The test claims to establish equivalence between dropouts and traditional high school graduates, opening the door to college and positions in the labor market. In 2008 alone, almost 500,000 dropouts passed the test, amounting to 12% of…

This study analyzed the economic benefits of an increase in the proportion of Australian students achieving a 12th-grade equivalent education. Earlier research examined the direct costs and benefits of a program that increased 12th grade equivalent education for the five-year cohort 2003-2007. This study built on that by incorporating the indirect…

The education of students is fundamental to shaping a preferred provincial, national and global future. It is also essential in maintaining Alberta's standard of living and ensuring its global competitiveness. The education system must simultaneously prepare the citizens of tomorrow while equipping the students with the knowledge and skills they…

The level of equivalence was compared for three kindergarten through grade 12 exit programs: (1) the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program; (2) the Division IV program through the regular high school channel; and (3) the General Educational Development (GED) tests. Comparisons were made for: time spent in course completion; objectives; emphasis of…

Project Yi Jin was developed to provide an alternative route to higher education for students who failed the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination to gain academic status for and access to higher education. The project provides a 1-year full-time program that includes 600 contact hours of instruction in 10 subjects--7 core subjects and 3…

The 2012 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 48th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…