This Spring you will see a new layout of the Admins and Educator section of the GED website. The reasoning behind this revamp was to create a version that is more intuitive, easier to navigate and reflects a design that parallels the main GED.com homepage. Most importantly, all existing content will remain but may be recategorized. If pages have been removed, it is because they were found to be outdated. Your previously bookmarked URLs will automatically redirect – no worries about losing your most visited pages.

While it may take a bit of relearning to navigate this updated layout, know that user input and research were central to the process. Please take some time to explore the new webpage.

At GED® Testing Service, we thrive on empowering people’s lives through education. A great example of how we celebrate Women’s History Month is the GED Community Partnership Program with the Houston Tutorial Association and the Mission of Yahweh, a non-profit community organization that primarily serves women in Houston.

The Houston Tutorial Association provides Houston area students with exceptional services based on a core of founded study skills training and instruction. They focus on students’ academic challenges, encouraging and challenging students in their endeavors. From private tutoring to group courses, the Houston Tutorial Association can help students gain independence academically. Their services are available at the student’s home, school, or a preferred public location.

The Mission of Yahweh is a shelter that has been empowering, enriching, and restoring the lives of homeless women and children, providing outreach services to communities in need since 1964. It offers many life-changing programs focused on ending the cycle of homelessness and dependency, including educational and vocational support, an emergency shelter, and a transitional living program.

GED Testing Service launched this GED Community Partnership last year with its first cohort of ten Mission of Yahweh participants. These young women were assigned a mentor to help with leading the project efforts, as well as providing on-site access to resources, including computer laptops, in-person tutorials, and weekly accountability, supporting the program plan and desired outcomes. The impact of initiatives, such as this one, becomes even more evident when we receive initial reactions from a participant, “Y’all would do this for me? I’m so thankful. Graduating from this program will help me and my family in so many ways.”

“As I oversee the curriculum instructional support, program design and logistics, I find
immense reward in knowing that our efforts are empowering these women to reach their
educational goals and beyond, ” said Sophie Muhlherr, GED Mission Of Yahweh Director of Instructional Oversight, Houston Tutorial Association Managing Director of Programs

Ali Bobo, the Primary Instructor at the Mission of Yahweh, said, “I believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness, and it’s heartwarming to see the dedication and enthusiasm these women bring to their studies. They are mothers, daughters, and sisters working hard to provide a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

Adora Beard, GED Testing Service State Relationship and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager said “the GED Community Partnership with The Mission of Yahweh is inspiring and we are in anticipation of celebrating with the program’s participanting students that will soon become GED graduates. We look forward to following the success stories of more program participants and cheering their efforts and accomplishments.”

As we celebrate National Women’s History Month in March, I want to honor the successes and sacrifices of our U.S. women. The origin of this celebration dates to March 8, 1857, when hundreds of women from New York City garment and textile factories rallied to protest harsh working conditions. 52 years later, in 1909, New York City became the site of the nation’s first Women’s Day celebration, a year after 15,000 women marched to demand shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor, and the right to vote. More than seven decades later in 1981, Congress set aside the second week of March as National Women’s History Week. Six years later, Congress expanded the week to a month. Celebrating Women’s History Month, we reflect on women’s advances, including increased earnings, educational attainment, and job opportunities.

While we continue with our busy lives, I want to take a moment to reflect on the contributions of other women who have gone before us so we can have the opportunities we now have. This includes the suffragettes, who fought tirelessly until finally, in 1920, women in the USA were granted the right to vote. This is especially meaningful this year in the USA, with our upcoming presidential elections this November.

Some data that might be of interest when we talk about the impact and significance of women in our country:

• there were 168 million and about 165 million males in the United States as of July 1, 2022.¹
• 3 million females aged 16 and older participated in the civilian labor force, comprising 58.6% of the population.

Here at the GED Testing Service, we know that 50% of our learners are women; their average age is 23, and they are parents. In celebrating women this March, I want to specifically honor women in education, where 74.3% of all teachers are women, and, 67% of adult educators are women.

This month let’s rally to do our part in celebrating women, by supporting women’s causes, women-owned businesses, authors, and educators. Let’s honor and celebrate each other and stay informed of issues still facing women of all ages, including our learners.

“Women’s history is a woman’s right – an essential, indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.” – Dr. Gerda Lerner, a pioneer in the field of women’s history.

¹ based on US Census data. For more information visit census.gov.

GED graduates get free access to a world-leading online training program for jobs in the technology field. Students can join for free.

HOW IT WORKS
https://withyouwithme.com/join-the-ged-tech-apprenticeship-program/

It’s time that we got serious about close reading. Survey responses received from you echoed a desire for more strategies to improve Reasoning Through Language Arts results. Over the past few years, we have focused on mathematics. We’ve worked hard to help students build their math skills – and we are seeing results. Now, we need to transfer some of that instructional energy to reading. Join us as we explore strategies to help students build their reading skills. We will explore reading skills students need across the content areas.

GED Tech Apprenticeship Program Update

The GED Tech Apprenticeship Program, a partnership between WithYouWithMe and GED Testing Service, continues to build momentum since the successful Job Fair held in Los Angeles in October 2023. Join Gregory Larson, GED Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty at Los Angeles City College (LACC), Vicki Greene, and Tom Moore as Gregory reflects upon the impact the program is having on participating LACC students following the Job Fair.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: February 27, 2024 02:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://pearson.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlduqspjgsEtD49HFr6RAezyVQ8HMaNTP1#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We are thrilled to join the Coalition on Adult Basic Education once more. COABE’s mission is to inspire educators so adults succeed, and communities thrive. This closely aligns with the GED Testing Services’ mission of helping adults gain their high school equivalency diploma and improve their lives. Whether the learners’ goal is a new career, college, or climbing the job ladder, our GED program is designed to help students develop the critical thinking skills and self-confidence needed to help them flourish. We share COABE’s goal of enriching the lives of our learners by opening doors and offering innovative prospects. So, we salute and congratulate the COABE leadership, staff, and board on their 25th Anniversary and look forward to the next 25 years of this collaboration!

This year we are proud to host the “Connecting GED Grads to Job Opportunities” general session on March 19. For this session, we have convened leaders who can share their expertise, including Greg Larson, a California adult educator whose students work with WithYouWithMe, our GED Tech Apprenticeship program. We are also delighted to share the panel with Kelly Mobray, Director of Adult Education in Salina Public Schools in Kansas, to hear about their successful employment pathways for their students.

At the GED Testing Service, we seek innovative tools to help our learners and collaborate with partners to serve the changing adult education ecosystem best. Join our GED team of subject matter experts at our numerous concurrent presentations on topics spanning the range of GED 101 to Extended Response Writing tool; to Proven Partnerships and Solving the 3 of 4 Dilemma, and the best way to navigate GED Manager.

For detailed information on sessions and the schedule visit COABE at a Glance.

Expanding the reach of the GED to learners in remote locations

Do you want to reach more learners? Mobile testing centers are helping address capacity issues, especially in areas considered “testing deserts” or remote areas where adult learners have fewer options or may have transportation issues getting to a traditional adult education facility.

A mobile test center is a set of testing computers and necessary equipment that allows organizations to reach learners to take the GED test in remote locations. These testing centers are usually created as satellites of existing fixed testing centers.

Celebrating Black History Month, Honoring Dr. Naomi Scales

In celebrating Black History Month in February, we highlight community leaders, especially the pioneers in the educational field. We are honored to be able to recognize Dr. Naomi Scales from the Alabama Community College System. Dr. Scales is Alabama’s longest-term adult education employee, with 56 years of service. She is currently an Adult Education Administrator for the Alabama Community College System, and her dedication to student success is unquestioned. Dr. Scales started in adult education in 1966 as she believed that “adult education makes a tremendous impact on individual lives and the lives of their families. We value Dr. Scales’ emphasis on lifelong learning.

Dr. Scales earned a Master of Education Degree from Alabama State University and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Administration and Higher Education from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Most importantly, she has always sought to set an enthusiastic example for her students and coworkers of how adult education can be. Her motto is to “pay it forward” and she feels that it’s easy to reach out and help somebody who might not have had the same opportunities as others.

Her inspiration includes community leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who she believes set a foundation that has allowed her and others to build upon. During her tenure, Dr. Scales has seen her program grow and now offers opportunities and career pathways that didn’t exist when she started.

The Alabama Association for Public Continuing and Adult Education (ALAPCAE) is a non-profit organization that actively encourages young people to obtain their high school equivalency and continue pursuing higher educational goals. ALAPCAE has created a new High School Diploma Option scholarship and aptly named it the Dr. Naomi Scales scholarship, recognizing Dr. Scales as having been the catalyst behind the success of many students and adult education in Alabama. The legacy she has created will continue in perpetuity through the funding of this honorary scholarship.

We hope you enjoyed the holidays and have had a chance to rest and refresh. During 2023, we cherished the opportunity to meet with so many of you, our education partners and state administrators, at virtual meetings, in-person events, and our annual GED conference. On behalf of our team at the GED Testing Service, I wanted to thank each one of you, our adult education partners, for walking hand in hand with us in our mission to encourage progress through learning and improve the lives of learners through education, opportunities, and the empowerment that comes from accomplishing what we set out to do.

You may recall last October, here in InSession, I invited you to embrace the momentum and to end the year strong. We certainly did our best to do so and are proud to highlight some accomplishments:

• GED added six new states: Indiana, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Missouri, West Virginia, and Montana to the GED family
• Our GED marketing team highlighted their many accomplishments in this short video
• We received three graphic design awards – check out Graphic Design USA
• We supported initiatives and new products, including a Credly badge refresh, GED student handbook, new math practice product, science reference sheet, and accessibility work.
• Over 20,000 learners have completed the WithYouWithMe (WYWM) learning styles assessments; over 1,000 GED graduates have engaged in the WYWM apprenticeship program.

We urge you to note our award-winning infographics, the adult learner, and the GED Testing Service, as they allow us to share vital information in a more accessible, engaging way.

Here are some of the innovations we will introduce in 2024:

• A completely redesigned website, easier to navigate for educators and learners
• A mobile app that will make our content much more accessible to all students
• Official launch of the GED TestPrepped Coaching Program
• Job expos to provide a shared space for learners, educators, and employers to meet

We are so excited for the year ahead and the opportunities to serve our learners in a collaborative, synergistic way with you, our educator partners!

The GED Testing Service strives to empower learners to improve their lives through the GED credential. With over 21 million graduates and counting, we remain committed to helping students develop the skills needed for further study or to gaining access to wider career opportunities. When the GED was created in 1942, its sole purpose was to serve as a second chance opportunity for returning veterans. Today, many decades later, we continue to transform students’ lives in the US and around the world.

As you’ll see on our website: “We believe that everyone, no matter their creed, challenge, or circumstance, should have the opportunity to pursue the college and career of their dreams.” We stay true to this promise as the only high school equivalency program that is recognized by 97% of employers and colleges nationwide.

This belief resonates with the legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left following his untimely passing. As we commemorate his birthday and MLK Day in the US, we should take a moment to reflect on the profound impact that he had on education equality and equal opportunities for all. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided a voice for national consciousness regarding opening doors for equal access to education and employment. His efforts were recognized and celebrated when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent resistance to racial oppression and his advocacy for economic and social justice, as well as peace and human rights. His tireless efforts continue to inspire educators and policymakers to this day, as we all work towards ensuring that every student has access to a quality education.

Working in education, you directly impact students’ lives every day, regardless of where you work or the role you play. You are part of bringing quality education and a life-changing opportunity to someone’s life each day. This responsibility is not something that should be taken lightly, as we look toward honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy every day.

As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, we invite all educators to take a moment to reflect on your contribution toward being a conscious contributor towards education equality. How will you contribute toward changing a student’s life?

Our Braille Services team ensures blind and visually impaired learners have the best experiences to learn and succeed during their GED journey.

We could not have picked a better success story to further celebrate MLK Day as an organization on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, with the mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin started in 1892 to offer resources to women and their families – from the first auto mechanics training for women in the 1920s to the first racially integrated cafeteria in the Midwest to today’s innovative and progressive initiatives.

Through this partnership, participants represent individuals who have been historically marginalized within Wisconsin’s traditional education systems. At YWCA SEW, the leadership strongly believes that genuine equity is realized when those most marginalized can access exceptional resources, leading to outcomes that nurture a future abundant with opportunities.

Jacob Gorges, Mission Program Director at the YWCA SEW, said “this collaboration has positively transformed the lives of nine families in Southeast Wisconsin. This mission was accomplished because of the partnership with GED Testing Service. Through the resources provided by GED Testing Service, the YWCA SEW delivered the highest level of GED products to 131 students.”

The GED Testing Service and YWCA staff members eagerly anticipate the continued progress toward a brighter future for all. The staff and students of YWCA SEW appreciate the collaboration with GED and look forward to the opportunity to work together to advance a more just society by expanding opportunities through equitable educational attainment.

The YWCA SEW gathered over 50 demographic touchpoints of all program participants. Some of the key demographics for the participants in this partnership were:

• 94% of program participants were people of color
• 79% self-identified as female
• 21% self-identified as male
• 73% were single parents

The GED Community Partnership Program was launched in late 2021 as part of the GED’s ongoing commitment to underserved and marginalized communities. The program aims to increase access while investing in community organizations that provide education, training, and other critical services.