An editorial published this week in New Jersey’s Star-Ledger supports the move by a Newark social-service agency to offer testing for Latinos to get a General Educational Development certificate, known as a GED, in Spanish. (Hat tip to Colorin colorado.)
The editorial argues that getting a Spanish GED can be an important step for an immigrant toward educational or job improvement, such as being able to enroll in a community college to begin courses in English as a second language.
While I’ve reported research findings on this blog that show a GED isn’t nearly as valuable as a regular high school diploma, I also have written for EdWeek about teenagers who got a GED in Spanish and then went on to attend community college. See “For Some Students, GED Test in Spanish Is Best Alternative.”
The Star-Ledger also published a news article this week about the new testing center that is opening up for the Spanish GED. The article says that to pass the Spanish GED in New Jersey, you also have to pass a basic English-fluency test.