At the end of 2021, GED Testing Service started a working group with state leaders who were interested in helping to address the high number of GED students who had passed 3 of 4 tests but never passed that last test. Our data shows that over 157,000 individuals need to pass just one remaining test to earn their GED credential, with 80% of these individuals needing to pass the math test.

Math isn’t the only thing keeping students from graduating. Some students may lose motivation or interest in completing the entire GED test series after passing three exams. They might feel satisfied with their progress and believe that three tests are sufficient for their immediate goals. Some students mistakenly think that they have to start over if too much time has gone by since taking their last test subject. In most cases, they can pick up where they left off and complete one final test subject to graduate. Time and scheduling constraints also play a role. It’s not always easy to balance work, family responsibilities, and other commitments.

Luckily, dedicated individuals in education across the country are making a difference, helping motivate students to pass the final test. Sue Grosdidier Associate Director, High School Equivalency Kansas Board of Regents, was a pioneer in getting students to the finish line. She called over 100 students personally! Her dedication changed the lives of hundreds of GED students in Kansas. Ms. Grosdidier shares her reflections on the 3 of 4 project below:

“When we started this journey in Kansas, we had some very distinct “aha” moments that made it ALL worth the time and effort. We found that students thought in many cases that they had more than one test to take. It was also surprising to find duplicate accounts, that once merged, the individuals had credentialed. But more students than I had expected thought their scores were no longer valid; they thought they would need to start all over. These individuals were just shocked at the opportunity presented to them and the support they were being provided. As a State Administrator, I do not get the daily doses of student interaction that I once did, and I miss it. The 3 of 4 project allowed me to connect with the students and provide resources and encouragement to obtain their credential.” — Sue Grosdidier Associate Director, High School Equivalency Kansas Board of Regents

Inspired by people like Sue, more and more states are climbing the charts in GED graduation numbers. Progress is being made nationwide. 14 states — and counting! — implemented targeted campaigns in their states to encourage these students to finish the last test. To date, these efforts have helped around 3,500 students pass that last test and earn a credential.

It was an honor to have Dr. Rolundus R. Rice speak at the virtual commencement ceremony on GED Grad Day 2023 earlier this month. You can partake in the inspiration by watching the recording of his speech here.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Rice as the keynote speaker at the GED Conference this July in New York City. He is a thought leader, orator, professor and university administrator. His own journey from the GED credential to a Ph.D. degree has inspired thousands of students.

Dr. Rice’s childhood and youth presented challenge after challenge. During school, he spent years going through behavior and learning disorders programs in the Dekalb County School System in Metropolitan Atlanta before dropping out of high school. Later on, pursuing his GED got him back on track and his career in education and beyond has flourished ever since.

Dr. Rice graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude. He then earned the Master of Arts in History from Alabama State University and the Doctor of Philosophy in History from Auburn University — the first GED recipient to earn a Ph.D. in Auburn’s 166-year history.

As a historian, Dr. Rice taught undergraduate courses in World History, U.S. History, The Civil Rights Movement and American Religious History. His research focused on the Modern Civil Rights Movement. CNN interviewed Dr. Rice as a subject-matter expert on the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Montgomery Advertiser.

Dr. Rice’s book, Hosea Williams: A Lifetime of Defiance and Protest was the first scholarly biography on one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest lieutenants and organizer of “Bloody Sunday” and the subsequent Selma to Montgomery March.

His work in the non-profit sector includes organizing strategic initiatives for the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute in Montgomery, Alabama. He has also worked at The Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia; his role there was Special Assistant to Dr. Bernice King – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King’s youngest child. Following Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, Dr. Rice traveled with Ms. King and a team of civil rights activists and trainers to engage with educators, law enforcement officers, civic leaders, gang members and business leaders in the philosophy and techniques of her father, MLK.

As a university leader, Dr. Rice was appointed Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama at the age of 33. He is one of the youngest academic deans at an accredited four-year institution in the United States. Furthermore, as President and CEO of The Dapper Dean Education Empowerment Firm, Dr. Rice sees the world as a global classroom and grooming ground for greatness.