Opinion
College & Workforce Readiness Letter to the Editor

Changes in GED Should Force Government Policy Decisions

December 13, 2011 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

The article “GED Revision Opens Path to Higher Ed.” (Nov. 16, 2011) describes the current efforts to redesign the test of General Educational Development. The GED is an important gateway to higher education and many jobs, and although its average impact has been debated, it has shown that it helps individuals for whom exam preparation requires improving their literacy and math skills. Improving and modernizing the exam’s content is a valuable goal. The article illustrates some of the important proposed revisions to the exam, but does not mention the even-greater shifts in GED policy that are on the horizon.

For years, the exam had been developed and provided to states (for a fee) by the GED Testing Service, a unit within the American Council on Education, a national nonprofit organization. But this year, the GED Testing Service was acquired by Pearson, a for-profit organization. Pearson’s changes to the exam will roughly double the price for the exam.

New York state, which fully funds the price of the exam, using its current budget, would be able to test roughly half of those who now take the test each year. As public budgets continue to be weak, many states, including New York, are looking for ways to shifts the costs of the exam to GED consumers. Given the value that the GED entails to individuals and the resulting economic benefits to the public, this represents an unwise barrier to the exam.

The changes in the exam will also require increased support to the many organizations that help people prepare for the GED in classes that range from literacy to test-prep, in settings that include community groups, libraries, and schools. These programs already faced limited public support despite increasing demand for their services; states and localities will need to consider how they can support these organizations in this important work.

As a large corporate entity, Pearson has strong lobbying abilities and relationships with public education officials. Pearson has the power to influence public policy and budgeting in both the testing and preparation aspects of the GED. As such, we should be sure to turn our attention not only to the proposed changes in the content of the exam, but also to the shifts in how our governments support people looking to use the GED test or an alternative pathway as a second chance to succeed in education and careers.

Lazar Treschan

Director, Youth Policy

Community Service Society of New York

New York, N.Y.

A version of this article appeared in the December 15, 2011 edition of Education Week as Changes in GED Should Force Government Policy Decisions

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Teaching Students to Use Artificial Intelligence Ethically
Ready to embrace AI in your classroom? Join our master class to learn how to use AI as a tool for learning, not a replacement.
Content provided by Solution Tree
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar
Empowering Students Using Computational Thinking Skills
Empower your students with computational thinking. Learn how to integrate these skills into your teaching and boost student engagement.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
IT Infrastructure & Management Webinar
The Reality of Change: How Embracing and Planning for Change Can Shape Your Edtech Strategy
Promethean edtech experts delve into the reality of tech change and explore how embracing and planning for it can be your most powerful strategy for maximizing ROI.
Content provided by Promethean

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness These Students Are the Hardest for Schools to Track After Graduation
State education chiefs are working with the Pentagon to make students' enlistment data more accessible for schools.
5 min read
Students in the new Army prep course stand at attention after physical training exercises at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Aug. 27, 2022. The new program prepares recruits for the demands of basic training.
Students in the new Army prep course stand at attention after physical training exercises at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Aug. 27, 2022. State education leaders are working with the Pentagon to make graduates' enlistment data part of their data systems.
Sean Rayford/AP
College & Workforce Readiness As Biden Prepares to Leave Office, He Touts His 'Classroom to Career' Work
At a White House event, the president and first lady highlighted their workforce-development efforts.
3 min read
President Joe Biden speaks at the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 13, 2024.
Ben Curtis/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Can the AP Model Work for CTE? How the College Board Is Embracing Career Prep
The organization known for AP courses and the SAT is getting more involved in helping students explore potential careers.
5 min read
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024. Long an institution invested in preparing students for college, the College Board increasingly has an eye on illuminating career options.
Ileana Najarro/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness The Way Schools Offer CTE Classes Is About to Change. Here's How
The revision could lead to significant shifts in the types of jobs schools highlight, and the courses students are able to take.
4 min read
Photo of student working with surveying equipment.
E+