The problem addressed in this study was high school students delaying their entrance into a General Education Development (GED) program after dropping out of high school in the United States. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to describe high school dropouts' perceptions of what circumstances delay their enrollment into a GED…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore through platica (conversation), the life experiences of Latinx students who prepared for and completed the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) to critically understand both the risk and protective factors related to their ability to persist until the completion of their certificate.…

Ex-offenders are a vulnerable population in society who are at constant risk of reoffending. The initial purpose for the research was to examine if there is a difference in recidivism between ex-offenders who attend high school after release and those who do not, as well as whether there is a difference in ex-offenders' psychological and economic…

California law requires that school districts create clear and consistent identification, placement, and intake policies for the voluntary transfer of students to the legislatively-defined continuation schools (Cal. Educ. Code §48432.3). The intent of the law is to ensure fair and equitable access to continuation school opportunities that provide…

The study represented an examination of the factors influencing students' ability to successfully graduate from postsecondary institutions and whether this differs between high school equivalency credential earners and high school diploma earners. The study has clarified a predictive relationship among type of high school credential and graduation…

We explore the experiences of youth who disconnected from their local high schools and resumed their educations in community-based education (CBE) programs offering high school equivalency instruction. Drawing on focus-group interview narratives (N = 59) where youth describe the 'second chances' offered to them, we document supportive, encouraging…

The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in career and technical education (CTE) as a way to engage students, help people build the skills necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced economy, and meet employer demand for workers. MDRC--which has a three-decade history of developing and evaluating CTE programs, including a landmark…

Dropping out of school represents the culmination of a process that begins long before a student enters high school. It is estimated that a quarter of students with high potential leave school without a high school diploma; however, research on how high-potential students uniquely experience dropping out of school is in its beginning stages. This…

Multiple measures provide additional evidence a student may present, beyond an assessment score, that can indicate college readiness. This resource provides data on multiple measures that may be allowed to determine placement using the following categories: (1) other standardized and normed exams, or locally developed exams; (2) high school…

Leadership in the 21st century continues to be an ongoing concern and challenge for leaders and followers alike. According to the Servant Leadership Theory (SLT), individuals with a natural desire to serve have the potential to become servant leaders, lead unselfishly, and demonstrate leadership through authenticity, humility and trustworthiness…

This paper, which highlights the importance culturally relevant caring (CRC) in ensuring equitable educational opportunities for Black male students in alternative schools, contributes to literature on the Black male "overage, under-credited" and GED student populations. Our analysis provides insight into the following research question:…

There is a lack of standardized instruction among the different General Educational Development (GED) preparatory programs in the country as a result of different state requirements for taking the GED exams. As such, the purpose of this quantitative non-experimental correlational study is to examine if scores of students on GED Ready Opt and the…

This article explores the disjuncture between refugee's pre-migratory educational aspirations and their everyday encounters with urban public schools. This study engages with two main questions: How do refugee youth's experiences with their urban public schools act as barriers to their educational aspirations? How do these experiences inform their…

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,…

This 14-year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in Grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting…