Hi Everyone,

While Barb is still snowbound, I have at least found her opening message for this discussion. It is pasted below. For those who don't know, Barb Garner was the editor of all 31 issues of "Focus on Basics", and co-author with Sara Fass of "Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices about the GED and Your Future." Having studied statistics with researcher John Tyler, she enjoys working with him to make sure his research findings reach the adult basic education community.

All the best,
Julie

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>From Barb:


It’s pretty common knowledge these days that at least some college is necessary for economic success. Growing numbers of ABE programs are putting into place transition programs to help their learners enter and succeed in postsecondary school. And, many GED students cite entry into college as one of the reasons they’re getting their GEDs.  With all that motivation, one might think that GED holders would be enrolling in postsecondary schools in droves. 

Are they? 

Researchers John Tyler and Magnus Lofstrom examined the impact that earning a GED has on the postsecondary enrollment of high school dropouts, relative to what would have happened to dropouts had they stayed in school. Setting up the research question this way, they hoped to capture the role of the GED (vs. other factors) in postsecondary enrollment. 

Their study, using data from Texas, revealed that only 20 percent of Texas GED holders enrolled in a postsecondary institution in Texas within three years of getting a GED.  In contrast, 38 percent of high school completers with profiles similar to the GED holders were enrolled in postsecondary education within 3 years. Other data show that GED holders were achieving Associate’s degrees at lower rates than high school completers with similar profiles.

Why are GED holders failing to enter college at the rates one might assume (and hope) they would? Tyler notes that the data they used was from 2001, and therefore wouldn’t reflect growing attempts on the part of ABE programs to ensure that students enter and succeed in postsecondary. 

What do you know about the students who earn GEDs at your program? Are they entering college? If not, what's keeping them from doing so? What might help them?

Since more high school completers with academic skills similar to those of GED holders enter college than do GED holders, a case could be made that more emphasis should be placed on re-enrolling high school leavers back into high school. Any thoughts on this?

Barb Garner

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Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org