In 2017 GED Testing Service celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since the release of the first GED® test in 1942, it has evolved from a high school equivalency credential created for U.S. service members to a comprehensive program aligned with college and career readiness standards. The GED® program has evolved over time, and 2017 is certainly no exception. Below are some of the highlights from this past year.

In 2017 we continued to explore ways to equip GED® graduates with the skills needed to be successful in the workforce, postsecondary education and career training programs.

This work included a focus on creating connections to help graduates navigate the many options they can pursue with a GED® credential, and better positioning them for 21st Century job opportunities.

We continued to focus on ways to help educators recruit students into adult ed programs through growth and enhanced visibility of GEDPrep Connect™–which also helps educators manage their students and programs. During 2017 the number of new students who opted to connect with a local adult education program and share their scores soared to 245,190!

We also continued our commitment to helping adult educators further develop their familiarity with the GED® test and hone classroom strategies with new PD resources and presentations. We welcomed our second Train the Trainer cohort at our annual conference. These GEDTS trained and endorsed trainers are valuable assets that live and work in virtually every state, and are being deployed to deliver PD content. We also continued our popular Tuesdays for Teachers webinar series.

Our State Relationship Managers and supplemental trainers provided in-person professional development presentations and updates in local, state, and national meetings that touched virtually every GED®-offering state at least one. Our early estimates tell us that at least 20,000 individuals were exposed to GED®-related information and professional development presentations. The State Relationship Managers and Technology Operations teams also provide support to a record number of educators, test centers, students, policymakers and a variety of other stakeholders this past year–while receiving high customer feedback ratings.

In 2017 we learned that more than ever GED® graduates are interested in pursuing postsecondary education and career training programs. From a survey conducted with GED® graduates since the release of the 2014 test, we found that 2 out of 3 express interest in college. More than 35% enroll in a college program within a year of earning their credential, and at least 41% enroll in college within two years of earning their GED® credential.

GED® graduates are also seeing positive results in the classroom. Persistence is at an all-time high with 90% of GED® graduates continuing to enroll semester to semester. Contrast this with a 29% persistence rate under the 2002 GED® exam series, and you’ll see how far you and your students have come in readiness for career and college programs.

In 2017 Massachusetts added the GED® program as an option for students seeking a high school equivalency diploma, in large part due to the outcomes data in GED® states. And, the College Ready and College Ready + Credit recommendations continued to be turned into policies that allow GED® grads to bypass placement exams, bypass the developmental education trap by placement into credit-bearing courses, and possibly even earn college credit. Read more about this topic in this month’s InSession article Adoption of the GED® College Ready and College Ready + Credit Score Levels.

Performance measures on the GED® test continued to increase in 2017 as well. The average passing score for Science was 156, Social Studies was 155, RLA was 155, and Math was 153. The overall scores for all test takers (passing and non-passing) was Science (154), Social Studies (153), RLA (152), and Math (150).

The visibility of the GEDWorks™ program continued to grow, as did our engagement with employers. In November 2017 we celebrated over 2,000 students earning their GED® credential through participation in the employer-sponsored program. We are also added new employers to the GEDWorks™ family last year. Sheetz, Scholastic, Pizza Hut, Jiffy Lube and Royal Cup began offering the GEDWorks™ program to employees in corporate and store locations.

On May 18, 2017 we held our second GED® Grad Day celebration and we saw participation grow tremendously. The #GEDGradDay hashtag was used over 800 times on Grad Day which resulted in a donation to the National Center for Families Learning. We also had more than 30 adult education centers participate on Facebook and Twitter.

We hosted the GED Testing Service Annual Conference, July 26th through 28th at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. Over 400 attendees joined us for three days of networking and professional development workshops and presentations. The conference boasted our largest attendance to date with adult educators, GED® administrators, vendors and education professionals all convening in one place. We trained our second group of trainers, recognized our GED® Graduate of the Year scholarship award winners, and conducted 24 information sessions and professional development workshops. This video recaps some of the highlights from last year’s event.

None of work in 2017, or our continued work in 2018 would mean anything without the perspiration, inspiration, feedback–and at times tears–of adult learners and adult educators across the country and world. We thank you for the continued opportunity to serve you and adult learners, and we look forward to continuing our work in 2018.

The GED® College Ready (CR) and GED® College Ready + Credit (CR+) score levels were created to move students more quickly into and through college certificate and degree programs. It was also a way to give students an added boost of confidence about their readiness for credit-bearing college courses, and incent them to take that big step of enrolling at their local college.

Since the introduction of the score levels in 2016, more students are earning their GED® credentials with the opportunity to earn credit for college courses, saving time and money as they work toward a degree or certificate. College leaders, elected officials and policymakers are increasingly interested in how they can help put these recommendations into practice.

To date we are aware of more than 200 colleges across 15 different states that have implemented policies to allow students at the CR level (165 or higher) to bypass all or part of their placement exams and be placed in credit-bearing courses–skipping the remedial education trap. Some colleges are also awarding college credit for CR+ scores (175 or higher).

To date, the Colorado Community College System, Connecticut higher education system, Rhode Island colleges, Technical College System of Georgia, Virginia Community College System, and most recently the Ohio Board of Regents (four- and two-year institutions) have implemented CR and/or CR+ policies. In addition, schools in Arizona, New Hampshire, Kansas, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, and others are accepting the CR and/or CR + Credit score. Other state systems are also in the process of studying, or preparing to implement, the recommendations. And, these are only the schools we know of.

If you know of a local college that has adopted CR or CR+ policies or have questions about these score levels contact us by email.

Why momentum is growing: Students are succeeding

Since 2014 GED® grads are significantly more likely to be prepared for, enroll in, and persist in college and career training programs. Within just two years of launching the new program more than 41% of grads have enrolled in local college programs, and more than 90% remain enrolled from semester to semester. To draw a comparison between pre and post 2014 — a shockingly low 29% remained enrolled from one semester to the next vs. today’s 90%.

This is a trend line that is heading in the right direction. Adult learners are in a strong position to compete with traditional high school grads for jobs. They’re also in a much stronger position to fill the new jobs being created over the next two decades that require more than a GED® or high school diploma. Put simply, outcomes data show that GED® grads are succeeding like never before and have stronger job and wage potential.

—CT Turner, Senior Director of State Accounts & Government Relations for GED Testing Service

GED® candidates are making new year’s resolutions to get their GED® this year, and this promotion can help!

48% of GED® candidates report that their work schedule or responsibilities interfere with class time. The GED® Start-to-Finish Bundle can keep students on track to meet their goals, and can be used to supplement class time.

The Bundle includes GED Live™ Comprehensive -live teacher-led, mobile-enabled classes in all subject areas, and 4 prepaid GED® test vouchers. Four GED Ready® practice tests will be included free (a value of $24). The GED® Start-to-Finish Bundle can be ordered at http://www.gedmarketplace.com/GED-Start-to-Finish-Bundle-p/ged-start2finish-bdl_p.htm, and will be available at the discounted price until Feb 28. Prices vary by state.

Is your program looking for innovative ways to supplement your current GED® prep curriculum?

Adult education programs that are interested in tapping into new distance learning curricula are invited to participate in the GED Live™ Distance Learning Pilot, getting underway this month.

This is a great way to supplement program curriculum and help students get the seat hours they need to fulfill program requirements. There is a cost to participate, but the cost is reimbursed in GED Ready® vouchers for the program. Adult educators will get reporting on their students’ attendance in live and recorded programming and have an opportunity to shape the program solution for the product. The GED Live Distance Learning Pilot flyer has more information.

GED Live™ has demonstrated efficacy in early trials. During a GED Live™ student pilot conducted in 2017, results showed improvement of about 10-13% on scores related to the Math topics taught during the GED Live™ Math classes, among the students that attended class. Improvement in confidence-level related to passing the GED® Math test also improved by 40%. Interestingly, confidence in passing other subjects of the GED® test – Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), Science, and Social Studies – also improved. Students studying independently and with adult education programs in VA attended the student pilot in 2017, with positive impressions of the teachers and the knowledge gained in a short amount of time.

The new year is bringing some updates to the accommodations scheduling process and additional testing options for eligible GED® candidates.Candidates with approved accommodations have always had to call the accommodation scheduling team to make a testing appointment. Beginning mid-January, many accommodation candidates will be able to web schedule. Candidates that are approved for extra time, breaks and/or other items that do not require manual intervention will be directed in their approval letter to their GED® account to schedule. Candidates approved for a reader and/or recorder, private room or assistive technology will be directed in their approval letter to the accommodated scheduling phone line. This is a great enhancement that will allow the majority of our accommodation candidates to schedule their appointments online.

Candidates that are blind now have a new option for testing. JAWS, our screen reading technology, is available for candidates that are JAWS proficient. After receiving an accommodation approval for JAWS, the candidate will receive a keyboard shortcuts reference sheet and a link to a JAWS enabled practice test.

If you have any questions, please email us at accommodations@gedtestingservice.com

—Debbie Bergtholdt, Accommodations Manager for Pearson VUE

How long have you been working with GED Testing Service?

I started working at GED Testing Service in August 2011.

What do you enjoy most about your job as a State Relationship Manager?

I strongly believe in our mission and I like talking and presenting to people about what we bring to the table to help more people obtain their GED® credential and go on to postsecondary education and careers. Also, in this job I’ve had the opportunity to travel to places in the U.S. that I’ve never traveled to before from big cities to rural communities and everything in between. I currently work with the states of Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin so look for me in one of these states!

What kind of work did you do before coming to GED Testing Service?

Before coming to GED Testing Service I worked with Pearson Education. In that role I worked with faculty from 2 & 4 year colleges to create customized print and digital instructional materials and classroom resources.

Where is your hometown?

Pembroke, MA

Favorite travel spot?

California

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work?

Movies, reading, politics, Crossfit, and social media

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?

Film director

Who is the best teacher you ever had? Why?

I’ll say my senior year high school English teacher. Of course we did lots of reading and writing, but she also made us present in front of the class regularly and it forced you to develop some presentation skills and become more confident at it.

What is the best book you have ever read?

To Kill a Mockingbird

What characteristic do you most admire in others and why?

Another difficult question. I’ll say self-deprecation.

What two things would you buy or do if you won the lottery?

I would love to share some of the winnings with family and friends. Also, I see a lovely home in Malibu or perhaps somewhere in the Caribbean if I won a large sum of money. I could list a lot more than just 2 items…lol.