For many years prior to my employment with the federal government, I
directed a university learning center that offered developmental classes,
ran the university's placement testing program, and offered tutoring, ESL
classes, and services for those with learning disabilities and other
physical disabilities.  Over a 20 year period I saw the test results for at
least 15,000 students and I can say without any doubt that having a GED was
NOT a guarantee that an entering student had the reading, writing, or math
skills that were required as the basic skills before attempting
college-level classes.  We saw many adults enter college with a GED who had
large gaps between what we anticipated would be the skill level of high
school graduates and those who just passed high school with minimum skill
levels.  And, unfortunately, we saw many of them leave college in academic
difficulty - and with debts for tuition. (I was the person, in the end, who
interviewed all these people and had to send the final letters of
dismissal.)

Adults who wish to go on for more education need to be advised that having a
piece of paper that says you have a high school diploma is not sufficient.
There are basic skills and then there are more advanced skills and the
person who will be successful at the college level has to be able to perform
competently from the beginning.  Just as about 1/3 of high school graduates
are not ready for the level of work required at a college, the GED does not
adequately prepare most students.  If we could connect jobs to skill levels
and make this clear to students and parents and employers and employees,
this would be a real boon to the American economy and school system.

Perhaps it is time to consider levels of readiness and make it clear to high
school students and to adults in adult education that there are varying
levels depending on the end goal.  People need to know how they need to be
able to perform for the goals they set for themselves.  Paper just doesn't
do it; performance is the key to success. 
June Crawford