Update On GED® Graduate Research and Outcomes

By Martin Kehe, VP of Assessment Services at GED Testing Service. Kehe oversees the creation of the GED® test and the professional development training and resources for GED® educators. The following is a portion of his recent column on the InSession blog

Since launching the new GED® program in 2014, GED Testing Service has been planning and conducting research on the outcomes of recent GED® graduates. More than two years have passed since our first test-takers graduated under the new testing program, and now it’s time for an update on the test-taker outcomes data we’ve been tracking.

About GED Testing Service Research

Our research is designed to document two main claims that we make about GED® graduates:  

  1. Their credential provides them the same opportunities available to regular high school graduates, and
  2. That performing at the GED® College Ready and GED® College Ready + Credit levels means that graduates demonstrate skills that show preparedness for credit-bearing work in postsecondary education.  

Our research to look for evidence of these claims is not a one-time proposition. It will continue and evolve over time just like our graduates.

Please click here to finish reading this column on InSession. Thank you!

Comments

Thanks for posting this, Jessica.  I also found the following interesting (from the website):

  • About two-thirds of GED® graduates are earning their GED® credential in order to go onto a postsecondary education program.
  • Several studies have confirmed that GED® grads are going on to college, and at higher rates than in the past. One study showed that 54% of respondents had applied to college and 89% of those had already been accepted (2015 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
  • Although 22% of our grads did have to take developmental education courses, 78% were taking credit-bearing courses (2015 Pilot Study).

Do you know how the new passing scores will be factored in to the research data?

Cynthia Zafft

Postsecondary Completion Moderator