A mixed methods framework utilized quantitative and qualitative data to determine whether statistically significant differences existed between high school and GED[R] student perceptions of credential value. An exploratory factor analysis (n=326) extracted four factors and then a MANOVA procedure was performed with a stratified quota sample…

This article discusses competing perspectives on the value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential. Although scholars and journalists debate the worth of the credential, urban youth continue to pursue the GED, especially as proxy for inadequate schooling. Using qualitative data from a participatory action research project, the…

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to provide verifiable data regarding the impact Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have on student achievement in the Juvenile Court School (JCS) system. A second purpose was to measure staff perceptions regarding their support and beliefs about the use of PLCs in the JCS setting. Methodology: This…

While high school attrition is a critical issue in the ongoing effort to reduce disparities in educational equity across race and class, rhetoric on the "high school dropout crisis" frequently overlooks the large number of students who reenroll in school or earn their credentials in alternative schools or GED programs. The number of…

Research on incarceration and educational access continues to reveal the stark reality for many adjudicated youth: without access to educational opportunities recidivism is probable. Yet conventional methods of teaching critical reading, writing, and thinking skills are not always successful for juveniles who have found little success (or hope) in…

This article describes an action research at an alternative high school which explores drop-out prevention strategies with first-year students. Student retention is extremely challenging for alternative schools. Because their mission is to provide a second chance to students who could not succeed in a regular setting, those schools regularly must…

"YouthBuild" offers low-income youth both education and job training services. "YouthBuild's" education component emphasizes attaining a GED or high school diploma, typically in alternative schools with small class sizes and an emphasis on individualized instruction. In "YouthBuild's" job-training program,…

Examines the paradox of strong individual demand and strong institutional support for the General Educational Development (GED) credential despite educational and economic returns markedly lower than those of traditional high school graduates, suggesting that the GED program is a low-cost way to integrate thousands of off-track individuals back…

Project Re-Entry was a follow-up study of the status of more than 5,000 former students of the Tri-County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who either never completed the entire General Educational Development (GED) test battery or completed the entire GED battery but still lacked enough points to earn a GED…

During Spring 1982, a follow-up to the Spring 1980 national survey of General Educational Development (GED) examinees was conducted to determine which GED examinees enrolled in postsecondary educational programs, the types of programs selected, and if there were differences between the GED examinees who enrolled and those who did not. Variables…

Dayton (Ohio) Public Schools have two new programs for potential dropouts, called University Prep Program and New Options for Work, that take the students out of classes with younger students and treat them as the young adults they are. (MLF)

"Middle College High Schools" are alternative high schools located on college campuses that aim to help at-risk students complete high school and encourage them to attend college. The schools offer a project-centered, interdisciplinary curriculum, with an emphasis on team teaching, individualized attention, and development of critical…

Based on the Appalachian Adult Education Center's experience in a comprehensive demonstration and study of the utilization of an adult educational television series (a high school equivalency examination preparation series in Kentucky), the author outlines formal support systems needed for successful state adult education programs on open…

Employment Plus is an intervention program offered by the Chesapeake Public School Division (Virginia) that targets high school students who are at risk of educational failure. The program is provided by the Department of Vocational Education and is offered in all high schools. Employment Plus offers an alternative to the traditional high school…

This booklet commemorates the General Educational Development (GED) Testing program's first 50 years. Included are the following: (1) a description of a GED graduation; (2) reminiscences of three GED administrators; (3) success stories from five GED graduates; (4) descriptions of eight special GED programs; (5) an explanation of how the GED system…