African American men have among the worst high school completion rates of any population in the United States. The consequences of dropping out of school are serious and include high levels of unemployment and incarceration. Attempts at recruiting these men to return to complete a high school credential have not been broadly successful, and the…

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and perceptions of some of the stakeholders directly involved in a GED® program located in a county jail. The researchers investigated the perspectives of the jail's Chief of Programming, GED® supervisor, teachers, and inmates participating in the program. Although gathering data from the…

Given the changes made to the GED® test in 2014, one concern among state policy makers, adult educators, and GED® service providers has been the impact of these changes on students as well as teachers, staff, volunteers, and other GED® program stakeholders. Using a qualitative, case study research approach focused on one GED® test preparation site…

The General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is a credential created to help individuals that did not or could not complete a high school education and receive a high school diploma. Individuals can obtain their GED by returning to school with enrollment in Adult Education Programs and GED classes; however, many individuals without a high school diploma…

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe how inmate students incarcerated in an Alabama Department of Correctional Services (ADOC) work release facility, and who are enrolled in a prison-based GED program, perceive the role of education in curtailing criminal activity among prisoners who are released back into society.…

Schools face the dilemma of transforming both the trend of students dropping out of school and the associated negative socioeconomic outcomes into a positive path of persistence and school completion. Despite ongoing efforts of the federal and state government, as well as those of the local school districts, this problem continues to burden the…

For seven years, the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) was the primary standardized assessment instrument used by the adult education program of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV (MIUIV) of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education. While reviewing its current assessment procedures, the MIUIV's…

A project was conducted to determine the thoughts and feelings of probationers (mostly white males ranging in age from early 20s to early 50s) mandated by a judge to complete their GED (General Educational Development) diploma or their high school diploma at a local adult education program mostly attended by middle-aged white female displaced…

GED [General Educational Development] Tests offer many young adults who have left school a second chance to gain a credential, yet many educators have concerns about policies for very young test-takers and how they perform on the GED Tests. The GED Testing Service sets the absolute minimum age for taking the GED Tests at 16 years of age. However,…

Issues surrounding teaching competencies in family literacy programs were examined in a study of two well-established Even Start sites in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The program, which served 34 ethnically diverse adult learners, offered 25 hours of adult basic education, general educational development (GED), and…

A study used the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Force Experience Youth Cohort to determine the labor market consequences for young people of acquiring a General Educational Development (GED) degree in 1985. Three major consequences of receiving a GED were examined: labor force participation, employment status, and hourly wages. The…

A study was conducted to determine whether the General Educational Development (GED) Test credential was acceptable to employers in hiring and promoting employees. Major employers in the Denver Metropolitan area were surveyed to determine (1) whether or not there are policies regarding GED credentials versus high school diplomas in governing the…

A study sponsored by the Bureau of Adult and Community Education, Florida Department of Education, was conducted by the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning at Florida State University to compare the success of General Educational Development (GED) and traditional high school graduates in Florida's work force. (GED graduates account for about…

The General Educational Development (GED) testing program has been a part of the Alberta High School Equivalency Program since 1981. Between December 1981 and December 1983, 4,333 applicants passed the GED in Alberta, and 802 applicants failed to pass the test. Random samples of 200 individuals from each of these groups were studied to determine…

An experimental study compared the effectiveness of a traditional General Educational Development (GED) curriculum with a literacy curriculum based on applied literacy skills. An experimental group of 34 adult students received GED instruction emphasizing functional and workplace contexts and supplemental instruction, whereas the 35 students in…