I think that last week there was a question about the reason for there
being more HS grads than GED grads going to college. 

I think that the reason is pretty obvious. Many immigrants and HS drop
outs seek to get employment. At some point they realize that it is hard
to get employed w/o a GED. They seek a GED certificate to improve their
chances to get employed or better paying jobs. Many do not see
themselves as college material. 

Transitional programs are an indispensable tool to ensure that GED
students consider college as an alternative. In our program we have been
transitioning students from GED to college for many years. We have
identified barriers that have to do with access as well as with
retention. 

In terms of access, GED grads do not generally see themselves as college
prospects. They are intimidated by the whole idea of the college setting
which represents an alien world to them. College admissions processes
are very intimidating, bureaucratic, harsh and unfriendly. They serve as
the first funnel. People need to be very committed to the whole college
idea before approaching such an environment. GED students and GED grads
are often reluctant about the idea of college. The first barrier that
faces them will lead to them giving up. 

A transition program needs to consider the above an integrate strategies
to address this. Moreover, it is better if the transition program is
integrated into the GED instruction. Once students get their GED
certificates they are gone. If students complete the whole admissions
process before they earn their GEDs, there won't be a gap that can
increase the chances of students not getting into college. 

In terms of retention, studies show that the first college semester has
they highest rate of drop outs. There are multiple reasons for this that
have to do with becoming a skilled student that go beyond academics.
Students that master these skills will succeed and those that don't will
have an awful time. A transition program ought to include a retention
component that supports the students for the first couple of semesters
and offers activities that build the students' skills.

Andres  

-----Original Message-----
From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Cynthia Zafft
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 9:45 AM
To: focusonbasics at nifl.gov
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 647] GED to Postsecondary Education -- Why so
few goon?

Hi Everyone:

While we wait for Barb to dig herself out of the snow, I was wondering
if others might want to just jump into the discussion.  What do people
think about the low number of GED holders that do go on?  I was actually
wondering if the "low" percentage of those enrolling in postsecondary
education in Texas, 20 percent, might sound "high" in some places.  And,
what does the term postsecondary education really include?

Do you find that more of your students feel the pressure to go on,
especially if many of the jobs that pay more than minimum wage require
postsecondary education?  Is it still a pretty hard sell?  And, if
students say they are going on, what do you hear back from them about
their experience?  For those of you with transition components, what
have you found?

Cynthia





Cynthia Zafft, Director
National College Transition Network (NCTN)
World Education, Inc.
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 482-9485
www.collegetransition.org
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