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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris "CT" Turner
(202) 939-9720
cturner@acenet.edu

Sept. 10, 2010

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH FROM GED® TESTING SERVICE ANSWERS OUTCOMES QUESTION FOR GED GRADS

Report released during National Adult Education & Family Literacy Week

Washington, D.C. (September 10, 2010)—Yes, GED® graduates earn college degrees. GED Testing Service today announced a groundbreaking research report showing that more than 17,000 GED graduates from 2003 have since earned a college credential. The report, Crossing the Bridge: GED Credentials and Postsecondary Educational Outcomes, answers the question of outcomes for GED® graduates with greater certainty than any other research to date.

Data from Crossing the Bridge show that when given enough time, most 2003 GED Test passers with post-secondary education goals and aspirations (71.5 percent) followed up on those goals. The majority (77.8 percent) of postsecondary students who had passed the GED Tests enrolled in community colleges, or similar types of institutions. This is an important finding given the increasing need for postsecondary education in America's workforce. A June 2010 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects that the share of all jobs available to workers with at least an associate degree will jump from 28 percent in 1973 to 63 percent by the year 2018.

"Crossing the Bridge provides crucial insight into the extended path GED graduates follow to enroll in and complete postsecondary credentials," said Daphne Atkinson, Deputy Executive Director for GED Testing Service. She added, "Although there is much work to be done to increase the number of GED Test passers who successfully earn postsecondary credentials, this research is an indicator of the capacity of adults to pass the GED Tests and attain the postsecondary credentials necessary to earn a sustainable living wage."

According to Crossing the Bridge, approximately half of GED Test passers who enrolled in a college education and training program returned for a consecutive second semester (50.4 percent). The most popular majors for these students were nursing, nurse assistant/aide, criminal justice/law enforcement, emergency medical technician and business administration.

Stephanie B. Morgan from Georgia is one of those GED graduates who pursued her educational goals after taking the GED Tests. After earning her GED credential, Stephanie enrolled in Savannah Technical College and later transferred to Armstrong Atlantic State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing this past May and plans to continue her education in hopes of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Although 1.3 million students drop out of high school each year, a substantial gap exists in federal and state efforts toward the recruitment of adults into postsecondary education, with most effort going toward recruitment via the traditional pipeline of graduating high school seniors. Data from this report indicate there may be another pipeline worth pursuing in the future.

Crossing the Bridge is the first in a multi-year series of reports aimed at learning about the effect of the GED credential on postsecondary enrollment, persistence and completion in the GED testing population. GED Testing Service researchers completed the report by matching 2003 data from the GED Testing Service International Database (IDB) with postsecondary enrollment and completion records as of September 2009 from the National Clearinghouse (NSC). This type of population research has never been completed on a national level.

The full report and an abstract of Crossing the Bridge are available for online viewing and download at www.GEDtest.org under Publications & Research. For monthly updates on new research, marketing and testing news sign up for The Community e-newsletter.

About GED Testing Service
GED Testing Service® is a program of the American Council on Education (ACE) which develops, delivers, and safeguards the GED Tests, setting the policy for and ensuring compliance of GED test battery administration. GED testing is administered by each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Canadian provinces and territories, the U.S. insular areas, U.S. military and federal correctional institutions. Each jurisdiction manages its own GED testing program.

About ACE
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

About National Adult Education & Family Literacy Week
National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, September 13–17, 2010. This Congressional declaration, H. Res 1472, was sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO] and is the culmination of literacy advocacy and outreach resulting in twenty co-signers in the House. Congressman Loebsack [D-IA] and Congressman Guthrie [R-KY] spoke in support of its passage. Adult education and family literacy programs serve adult students who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for community college or vocational training. According to the latest national survey of adults, over 93 million American adults have Basic or Below Basic literacy skills that limit their ability to advance at work and in education, help their children with school work, interact with their health care professionals, and participate in their communities.

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Frequently Asked Questions about GED testing

What does "GED" stand for?
GED—A trademarked acronym used for the General Educational Development Tests, stands for a battery of examinations administered by states and jurisdictions to measure the skills and knowledge similar to a high school course of study. GED graduates earn a GED credential. The type of credential issued, diploma or certificate, varies by state. Learn more about state by state policies at www.GEDtest.org/policies.

When and why did GED® testing begin?
At the request of the military, the GED Tests were first developed in 1942 to help returning World War II veterans finish their high school studies and reenter civilian life. The GED Tests first became available to civilians in 1947 when the state of New York implemented a program to award its high school diploma to those who passed.

What are the GED Tests?
The Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests) are designed to measure the skills and knowledge equivalent to a high school course of study. The five subject area tests which comprise the GED test battery are Mathematics; Language Arts, Reading; Language Arts, Writing (including essay); Science; and Social Studies. Watch the video: What are the GED Tests?

Who produces the GED Tests?
The GED Tests are developed, delivered, and safeguarded by content specialists, researchers, psychometricians, and other staff of GED® Testing Service, a nonprofit program of the American Council on Education®. The tests are owned by ACE.

How does the GED testing program work?
The GED testing program is an international partnership involving GED Testing Service, each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, the Canadian provinces and territories, the U.S. insular areas, the U.S. military and federal correctional institutions, and the veterans administration hospitals.

GED Testing Service establishes the test administration procedures and passing standard. All jurisdictions administer the GED Tests and award their high school credentials to adults who meet the GED Tests passing standards and any other additional jurisdictional requirements.

How many people take the GED Tests?
In 2009, more than 788,000 adults worldwide took some portion of the GED test battery. Of that total, more than 680,000 completed the battery of five tests and 472,000 (69%) earned passing scores on the five-test battery.

What does it mean to "pass" the GED Tests?
In order to pass the GED Tests, an examinee must have a combined passing score of 2250; in addition, each individual subject area test score must be 410 or greater. Those passing the GED Tests have demonstrated a level of knowledge equal to or greater than 40% of graduating high school seniors. Watch the video: What do I need to do to pass the GED Test?

What should I tell someone who's interested in GED testing?
Please direct GED test-takers to our website at www.GEDtest.org or to the GED hotline at 800-626-9433.

Please direct questions about this page to:
help@GEDtestingservice.com
This page last updated on 09/14/2010