• Save on GED Ready – Be sure to tell your students that from September 15 – 22, they can get 50%off. GED Ready with promo code SAVE50 at checkout, valid for single subject purchases and 4-subject bundles.
• MythBuster – Some people in the education world have speculated there will be a new version of the GED Test in 2024 – NOT true! AT GED Testing we are continuously updating our content and looking at innovations to make the GED better suited to test takers but there will NOT be a new version of the GED in 2024.
• ICYMI – Check out the recap of the GED Annual Conference in July 2023 with the theme “YouInspire” in this video. Also, Save the Date for next year: July 23 – 25, 2024 in Long Beach, CA.

September kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) around the country. This annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latino and Hispanic communities commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period in 1988.

September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of the independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Indigenous People’s Day and Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which are October 12, fall within this 30 day period.

For some context on the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, the Hispanic population makes up 19.1% of the United States, making it the nation’s most significant racial or ethnic minority.

There are 13 states with one million or more Hispanic residents in 2022 — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. The nation’s most significant increase in Hispanics was in Harris County, Texas 1.7%. from July 1, 2021-July 1, 2022.

The median age of the Hispanic population in 2022 is 30.7, up from 30.4 in 2021. The vast majority of U.S. Hispanics are U.S. citizens. About 81% of Hispanics living in the country in 2021 were U.S. citizens, up from 74% in 2010. U.S. citizens include people born in the U.S. and its territories (including Puerto Rico), people born abroad to American parents, and immigrants who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization.

Some Hispanic groups aged more than the overall U.S. Hispanic population between 2010 and 2021. The median ages of Puerto Ricans and Venezuelans living in the U.S. rose by more than four years, from 26.8 to 31.0 years and 31.3 to 36.0 years, respectively. In contrast, Hondurans’ and Spaniards’ median ages fell from 27.4 to 26.9 and 34.6 to 34.2, respectively.

The share of U.S. Hispanic adults with a bachelor’s degree is growing. One in five Hispanics aged 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2021. While this share was less than that of the overall U.S. population (38%), it was up from 13% of Hispanic adults in 2010. For additional information visit census.gov.

GED is pleased to celebrate the heritage and diversity of one of its most prominent groups of test takers!

GED Testing Service welcomes Ana Mostaccero as the new Communications Manager. Ana is originally from Peru with professional experience in education and communications in Spain, Belgium and the United States. She has dedicated her career to engaging all community members in transformational public projects with local, state and federal agencies. Ana served as Multicultural Engagement Manager and Spanish-language Spokesperson for the Colorado Attorney General most recently.

She has collaborated with nonprofits that offered the GED as a tool for immigrant integration and social mobility. Ana is delighted to join the GED Testing Service as she firmly believes in the power of education to enrich and transform people’s lives. Ana is bilingual in English and Spanish and speaks conversational French. She holds an MBA from Boston University Brussels and is a Certified Court Interpreter by the Colorado Judicial Branch. During her free time she enjoys traveling, dancing, Zumba fitness, and hiking with her dogs, Kai and Maeve.

September is a great month to begin the GED® journey! As education systems get into full swing, we want to acknowledge our educator community and wish you the best for this school year. We appreciate your hard work, guidance and support of our adult learners.

Educators like you reassure all of us of the great opportunities that education provides. You help us excel in the education ecosystem and allow us to keep inspiring and encouraging adult learners towards lifelong learning for personal and community enrichment!

During my decades of leadership at GED Testing Service®, we’ve worked closely with educators and administrators to develop programs that are best suited to the changing nature of adult learners, the tools we have available and our environment. We have also embraced the many different learning styles that exist. Since 2014 when we revamped the test to a computer-based format and aligned the content to match college and career readiness standards. We have developed numerous study tools and preparation programs. I am so proud of how we continue to assess the needs and realities of our diverse learners so we can better adapt how we can support learners of all ages wherever they are in the US or around the world throughout their GED journey and beyond.

I want to reassure our educators, administrators, and learners of our commitment to fight injustice and promote equity and social mobility. We will continue to invest in partnerships with local and national organizations that align with our mission to provide support and resources to underserved students. We have also recently joined forces with WithYouWithMe (WYWM) to provide digital tech skills and be inclusive of all learners at any point in their career journey. You can learn more about this partnership here.

In closing, in September we also observe Adult Education and Family Literacy Week from September 17 to 23. Adult Education and Family Literacy Week activities will focus on the pivotal role of adult education in enabling equitable access to societal resources, employment opportunities, and full participation in community life.

News and updates for August 2023:

GED Administrator of the Year — Congratulations to Sue Grosdidier, recipient of the GED Administrator of the Year award. This award recognizes administrators that have helped support GED test takers through contributions related to expanded testing opportunities, increased testing volume, innovative outreach and marketing initiatives, and innovative training and monitoring practices. Check out the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in NY — At this year’s conference, three GED graduates from New York received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Abir Hossen Apon, Andrea Scioli and Naisha Torres. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in CT — At this year’s conference, two GED graduates from Connecticut received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Jessica Nicholas and Raeann Gilbert. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

CSU Transfer Success Program — Are you an adult educator in CA? We’re partnering with California State University to introduce the new Transfer Success Program, designed to help recent grads smoothly transition from community college to any CSU university. GED grads from 2022-2023 are encouraged to apply by Sept. 30. Please help spread the word to your recent grads who are interested in their post-secondary education journey. Learn more.

News and updates for August 2023:

GED Administrator of the Year — Congratulations to Sue Grosdidier, recipient of the GED Administrator of the Year award. This award recognizes administrators that have helped support GED test takers through contributions related to expanded testing opportunities, increased testing volume, innovative outreach and marketing initiatives, and innovative training and monitoring practices. Check out the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in NY — At this year’s conference, three GED graduates from New York received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Abir Hossen Apon, Andrea Scioli and Naisha Torres. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in CT — At this year’s conference, two GED graduates from Connecticut received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Jessica Nicholas and Raeann Gilbert. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

CSU Transfer Success Program — Are you an adult educator in CA? We’re partnering with California State University to introduce the new Transfer Success Program, designed to help recent grads smoothly transition from community college to any CSU university. GED grads from 2022-2023 are encouraged to apply by Sept. 30. Please help spread the word to your recent grads who are interested in their post-secondary education journey. Learn more.

News and updates for August 2023:

GED Administrator of the Year — Congratulations to Sue Grosdidier, recipient of the GED Administrator of the Year award. This award recognizes administrators that have helped support GED test takers through contributions related to expanded testing opportunities, increased testing volume, innovative outreach and marketing initiatives, and innovative training and monitoring practices. Check out the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in NY — At this year’s conference, three GED graduates from New York received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Abir Hossen Apon, Andrea Scioli and Naisha Torres. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

GED Graduates of the Year in CT — At this year’s conference, two GED graduates from Connecticut received the 2023 GED Graduate of the Year award: Jessica Nicholas and Raeann Gilbert. This award recognizes students who recently earned their GED credentials, displayed exceptional dedication during the preparation and testing process, and demonstrate outstanding stewardship in their community. Read the press release.

CSU Transfer Success Program — Are you an adult educator in CA? We’re partnering with California State University to introduce the new Transfer Success Program, designed to help recent grads smoothly transition from community college to any CSU university. GED grads from 2022-2023 are encouraged to apply by Sept. 30. Please help spread the word to your recent grads who are interested in their post-secondary education journey. Learn more.

Once again, the GED Conference was a huge success – thanks to your inspiration and dedication to building brighter futures through education. It was amazing to see everyone in New York City last month.

More than 700,000 students who take the GED® test each year will soon have access to powerful insights that will help them be successful, thanks to a new initiative aimed at improving student learning outcomes.

GED Testing Service® is partnering with WithYouWithMe, a social impact tech company, to provide students with free access to its world-leading learning preference assessment.

The partnership aims to support learners by providing insights — directly to the learner and available to educators — into their unique personal learning style and to select curated learning materials that will help them study for the exam. The GED learning preference assessment is currently in development and is expected to launch in July 2023.

WYWM CEO Tom Larter noted that understanding learning preference provides individuals with competitive advantage for the GED test and long-term education and employment opportunities.

“All individuals should have the opportunity to realize their potential and we’re proud to provide our learning preference assessment and other resources to GED learners, to help them gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed,” said Mr. Larter.

Each student has a unique way of processing, internalizing, and remembering information. Some individuals learn best through visual aids such as diagrams, while others may prefer auditory cues like lectures, or learn best through hands-on experiences.

By identifying their learning preference, individuals can tailor their study habits and strategies to be more effective and efficient.

By increasing the number of students successfully earning a GED diploma, we can help level up the workforce with greater diversity and equality by opening exciting new career paths that individuals may never have thought possible.

“The learning preference insights will equip learners with important information to not only support their GED preparation, but also broader life and career choices. We’re confident that providing them with insight into their learning style will set them up for success,” said Vicki Greene, President of GED Testing Service and SVP Workforce Skills.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans start their GED journey, whether it’s to go to college, prepare for a new job or simply to achieve this milestone. It’s incredibly important to provide these learners with a world-class service and positive learning environment to help them thrive.

GED Testing Service is also partnering with WithYouWithMe to launch the GED Tech Apprenticeship program which will support 300 GED students from diverse backgrounds into new tech careers. Under the GED Tech Apprenticeship program, students will have the opportunity to complete WithYouWithMe’s broader testing program to identify those with a high propensity to excel in tech careers. They’ll then have access to free accredited training to upskill them into high demand tech roles and find roles at leading companies in the United States.

We’re excited to be in New York City for the GED Conference this July. New York is the 3rd largest state for GED learners. We’re proud to be impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and millions of learners nationwide. This is all possible thanks to your inspiration and dedication to building brighter futures through education.

We are excited to welcome this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Rolundus R. Rice – thought leader, orator, professor and university administrator. His own journey from the GED credential to a Ph.D. degree has inspired thousands of students.

Here are three featured tracks among the many insightful sessions:

Solving the 3 of 4 Dilemma: Reengaging Students Who Are One Test Away from Earning Their GED Diploma

Does your state or adult education program have students that made it so close to earning their GED credential but never quite finished? There are thousands of students out there, who have completed 3 of 4 GED tests, but just never passed that last test. This session will address this problem and hear from 4 states that have launched campaigns to help these students finish. These state leaders will share best practice for outreach and engagement and leave plenty of time for questions. Learn how your state or program can do your own outreach to increase your GED graduate numbers.

Pearson Accelerated Pathways and Prior Learning Network: Turning Earners to Learners

Learn more about Pearson’s options for college success with low-cost options and prior learning credit that can give GED grads a head-start.

Tutorial for the Online Proctored Test to Ensure a Smooth Experience

As an educator or test center administrator, many of you offer guidance to students who choose to take the GED test online. You can guide and prepare students for all the possibilities and differences they may encounter PRIOR to their test to ensure a positive testing experience.

Committing to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness in the Classroom and Beyond

This session will help any professional working with learners assess how they can be better advocates for inclusive learning, implement changes at all levels of their organization, and commit to supporting diversity efforts.

See more details about all speakers and sessions here.

We hope to see you in July for two days full of inspiration.

Vicki Greene

President, GED Testing Service

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.