Chronicle of Higher Ed. article

Submitted by John Schlueter on Wed, 06/10/2015 - 20:02
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  • 3 Comments

Hello All,

I wanted to share an article I wrote for the Chronicle of Higher Ed. on the GED exam and college readiness:http://chronicle.com/article/To-Get-More-College-Ready/230819/

Hopefully you find it interesting! 

Thanks,

John

Comments

John, the article you posted makes excellent and well-illustrated points throughout. Thanks. I believe the following paragraph provides readers here with the gist of the argument, which I hope we discuss more fully here.

"But what makes having a GED relevant any more? In this new economy, we are constantly being told that a high-school degree is not enough: Students and adults need some type of postsecondary training to make a sustainable living. If this is true, then it seems to me that the GED itself is outmoded. The only thing it’s doing is making it more difficult — and since the revamp, much more difficult — for students and adults to gain access to more advanced training and certification courses. Not only that, it is an artificial barrier to getting into college." http://chronicle.com/article/To-Get-More-College-Ready/230819/

You are encouraged to specifically comment on how  the writing and reading skills required for passing the GED compare to what is required in entry-level, high-demand, high-paying occupations, especially those in much promoted STEM industries? Is there a way to match instruction to meet both demands?

Leecy Wise
Moderator, Diversity and Literacy and
Reading and Writing Communities

Thanks, John, for posting the link to the Chronicle of Higher Education article.  It raises a good case for why the GED may not be the best choice for students seeking an entry point into a career pathway.  The author makes a suggestion for an alternative assessment which, to answer Leecy's question, may be a better marriage between the demands of both academics and the workplace.  The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is administered by ACT, and includes three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. The ACT says these assessments measure candidates' ability to do the following: (Boldface text indicates literacy-related assessment areas.)

  • Perform basic mathematic operations relevant to the workplace
  • Read and understand documents commonly found in the workplace
  • Find information presented in common workplace graphics
  • Set up and solve complex work-related math problems
  • Determine the relevance of written information to work-related tasks
  • Apply information derived from graphics to work-related problems

These reading skills reflect more what employers need from candidates than their ability to analyze source texts and write an extended response.  The NCRC is awarded at four levels, based on candidates' composite scores.  This tiered rating system allows for a greater overall 'success' rate for candidates taking the NCRC, and also serves to support employers and training program's freedom to match their entrance requirements with differing skill levels, based on these scores:

          Platinum: Scores of Level 6 or higher on all three exams

          Gold: Scores of Level 5 or higher on all three exams

          Silver: Scores of Level 4 or higher on all three exams

          Bronze: Scores of Level 3 or higher on all three exams

I think the NCRC provides for a more relevant assessment of candidates'  literacy skills, and employers'  demands for entry into jobs, and career pathways programs.  It is true that some careers may require GED-level skills for advancement in the field, but requiring that level of academic proficiency at the outset may function more as a gatekeeper, rather than a true measure of a candidate's ability to benefit from employment, or post-secondary education and training in high demand careers.  

Mike

Career Pathways Moderator

michaelcruse74@gmail.com