Because housing instability can make it difficult for students to attend school, students experiencing homelessness (SEH) may become chronically absent. For this reason, SEH have lower graduation rates than their housed counterpants. Germany's second-chance schools give students an opportunity to catch up on their learning so they can take final…

This is an excerpt from "Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education" (The New Press, 2012). It concludes that GED programs need more resources, not less. The programs tend to be populated by low-to-modest income people who failed school the first time around and now are considered less worthy of investment. GED…

The author discusses what she learned about General Education Development (G.E.D.) programs before teaching in one and while teaching in one. (IRT)

Florida and California are the leaders in setting new, lowered age levels at which students may take high school equivalency tests. (IRT)

Teachers at Lakeside School in Indiana State Prison must cope with students' discouragement, bureaucratic obstacles, disruptive prison routines, funding problems, overcrowding, tension, stress, and violence. Nevertheless, prisoners are receiving General Equivalency Diplomas and preparing for brighter futures in society. (PB)

In this article, the author reflects on her teaching experience at the Onondaga County Justice Center, a maximum-security facility where she taught in the women's pod. She says that every day she encountered students who were eager to learn and glad for the simple materials she brought. She rediscovered pure, joyous teaching. In that stark…

Interviews with 40 students planning to take the General Education Development test disclosed that less than half had been involved with gangs. Most saw urban teachers as powerless, mentioned adverse circumstances and feelings of hopelessness, and viewed the GED program as a rite of passage and achievable goal. (MLH)