Noteworthy Practices Brief: GED 2002
Prepared by Marguerite Lukes and Ira Yankwitt
Introduction
Changes in the GED
The 21st Century Workplace
Best Practices
General Resources on the GED
Recent Research on the GED
Introduction
The series of GED tests introduced in January 2002 presents both challenges and opportunities for GED instructors. On the one hand, the alignment of the new tests with rigorous state and national standards places greater demands on teachers, who often have limited classroom resources, preparation time, and few opportunities for professional development. On the other hand, because the new test places increased emphasis on content knowledge and higher order thinking skills, it allows instructors to move beyond a traditional “skill and drill” approach and emphasis almost solely on test preparation. In contrast, teachers who want to engage their students by approaching instructional holistically to teach meaningful content and stress critical analysis rather than isolated skills now have the incentive and the rationale to do so.
The educational standards movement in the U.S. has affected GED programs in at least two significant ways:
- The establishment of more rigorous high school graduation standards is the driving force behind the redesign of the GED Test.
- Older adolescents who recognize that they are not likely to meet state standards by passing high school exit exams are dropping out of school and entering GED programs in record numbers.
Both changes reflect a significant shift with impact on the population of young adults and out-of-school youth who seek the GED credential. With these increased standards and fundamental changes, the GED has gone from being a fairly painless path to a high school equivalency credential to becoming a challenging and comprehensive test that is by no means an “easy out.” Older adolescents who enroll in GED programs typically come with a distorted preconception about the ease of the GED test. They also tend to come with great wariness and bitterness toward formal schooling. This emotional element compounds the challenges for GED instructors. These teachers not only need to re-envision their approach to curriculum and instruction, but also must find ways to contend with a host of social and psychological issues they typically did not have to confront in classes composed primarily of older adults. Research has shown that GED obtainers have earnings that are higher than that of dropouts on average, but that high school completers’ earnings are higher still. (NCSALL, “Beyond the GED,” April 2000).
Changes in the GED
The major changes to the GED 2002 series tests are:
- testing of skills across several content areas
- increased emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving
- new scoring system for the essay writing section of the language arts test
- calculator use on the mathematics test
- alternate format questions on the mathematics test
- greater emphasis on workplace and higher education skills
- greater focus on ability to understand graphics and “visual literacy”
Because of the complexity of the changes to the test, all of the specifics cannot be discussed in detail here. There are several changes in the Language Arts section of the test. In the past, the writing component was scored on a six-point scale. The writing rubric has been changed to a four-point scale. No matter what a test-taker’s score on the multiple choice part of the Language Arts test, he/she must pass the essay writing test in order to pass the GED. In addition to informational content, the test includes business communications, how-to texts, organization and expository writing. Behavioral science concepts are woven into the areas of law, race, culture, status, civic participation, social participation, religion and interdependence. More questions are based on graphics or visual material, and more content than in the past focuses on U.S. and world history. The science portion of the test has an increased emphasis on science in everyday life. Half of the questions measure conceptual understanding, while the other half measure problem-solving.
Twenty-five percent of the math section now emphasize data analysis skills. Half of the math items require a calculator, while half do not permit calculator use. Although 20-30% of the test items focus on number operations, students are no longer be able to pass based on correctly answering these items only. In other words, students must have a working knowledge of data analysis, algebra and geometry to be able to pass the test. Finally, one-fifth of the items on the math portion will be “alternate format,” meaning that students will not pick a multiple choice answer, but will have to enter a number answer by hand or enter coordinates on a graph.
The 21st Century Workplace
The changes in the GED reflect not only changes brought about via the educational standards movement, but also as a result of changes in the workplace and how we view work in the 21st century. Ultimately, employers expect new high school graduates to have mastered a set of skills and competencies that make them “work ready.” In 1991, the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Basic Skills outlined what has now come to be a foundational set of standards for the field of adult education and workforce development. The SCANS skills reflect an understanding of both technical and “soft skills” needed for workplace success and retention in jobs, regardless of level. Skills enumerated by the SCANS include resource and information management, interpersonal skills and social interaction, systems behavior, and technology utilization. The SCANS also outlines three foundational skills, which are basic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking and math); higher order thinking skills (reasoning, problem-solving, etc.) and character traits (maturity, responsibility, and self-esteem).
Best Practices
In the spring of 2002, the Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) set out to address some of these issues by developing a five-day GED Lesson Planning Institute. Funded in part by the New York City School-to-Work Alliance, the Institute specifically targeted practitioners working with 16-24 year olds. The goals of the Institute were to
- Introduce teachers to promising instructional practices that incorporate “active learning” methods
- Develop model peer-reviewed GED instructional plans that integrate these approaches
The underlying premise of the Institute was that active learning methods are not only most effective for preparing students for the content and thinking skills tested on the GED, but also most effective for engaging those students who come to programs deeply alienated from the educational process.
Practitioners gathered to examine promising practices in youth and adult education, and to develop model GED instructional plans that incorporate these approaches. Below is a list of features that institute participants determined to be promising practices in line with the new GED. The importance of these factors is borne out in recent research on the GED. (See subsequent section on Recent Research on the GED )
- Emphasis on interdisciplinary learning—as indicated in research, the development of integrated cognitive skills that are key to success in the workforce can be attained through realistic or “authentic” units and themes that emphasize collaborative, project-based and cooperative learning
- Increased retention and motivation, which are key to success for GED test-takers, can be supported by student input into the planning process, including choosing themes and materials, identifying learning strategies, and selecting types of activities designed to demonstrate and assess learning
- Key to developing cognitive skills important to workplace success is the promotion of “metacognition” (thinking about thinking and learning) and emphasis on higher order thinking skills,
- Emphasis on real world issues and activities promotes a sense of inquiry, risk-taking, appreciation of different perspectives and approaches, and, ultimately, encourages life-long learning
Additional research bears out that both the writing and the math test present the greatest challenges for test-takers (see Tyler, J. ). As such, extra emphasis on both writing and math, ideally within the context of authentic interdisciplinary instructional units, would be highly beneficial for learners and help strengthen skills needed for those portions of the test.
General Resources on the GED
- Information on the GED from the U.S. Department of Education This site provides comprehensive information on research, noteworthy practices and links to important organizations that administer the GED.
- The official site of the GED Testing Service In addition to being the official site on the GED exam, this site is a resource center for adult learning in general. You can find information about the GED, distance learning, and other materials of interest to both adult learners and their teachers. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about the GED or use the links on the left to navigate the site’s information about programs, publications, and distance learning.
- State of Florida GED Website This comprehensive website, although designed for Florida educators and test-takers, provides useful, comprehensive and easy-to-navigate information on the test, lesson plans for both GED and pre-GED, and professional development on the web for GED instructors.
- GED as Project: Pathways to Passing the GED This comprehensive website, developed by Virginia’s Workforce Improvement Network (WIN), includes project-based student activities to help learners develop a comprehensive set of skills to help them pass the GED test. GED as Project presents a new approach that emphasizes higher order thinking skills, problem solving and application through a series of comprehensive learning activities.
- Instructional Resources for GED Preparation This is a comprehensive list of resources for all subject areas of the GED, and includes reference materials, language arts, social studies and math.
- What’s So New About GED 2002 This PowerPoint presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the new GED, complete with Internet links to a host of resources including publishers, lessons plans, and websites for instructional content.
- GED Lesson Planning Institute This professional development institute, held at the Literacy Assistance Center in 2002, sought to introduce teachers to promising instructional practices that incorporate active learning methods and to help them develop model peer-reviewed GED instructional plans that integrate these approaches.
Recent Research on the GED
Fass, S. and Garner, B. (2000). Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices about the GED and your Future. Lesson plans and Materials for the GED Classroom. NCSALL, April 2000.
Tyler, John, The Economic Benefits of the GED: A Research Synthesis
Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (2000) Cognitive Skills Matter in the Labor Market, Even for School Dropouts (NCSALL Report #15)
Baldwin, J., Kirsch, I.S., Rock, D., & Yamamoto, K. The Literacy Proficiencies of GED Examinees: Results from the GED-NALS Comparison Study. (Washington, DC: American Council on Education and Educational Testing Service, 1995). Available from GED Fulfillment Service, (301) 604-9073 or fax (301) 604-0158.
NCSALL (2003), Focus on Policy: The GED and Beyond. Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2003. A series of articles on research, practice and policy presented by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy at Harvard University.
Johnson, M., & Valentine, T. Outcomes of GED Graduation: An Annotated Bibliography of Research Reports. Athens, GA: University of Georgia, Department of Adult Education, College of Education, 1992.