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GED Candidates and Their Postsecondary Educational Outcomes: A Pilot Study. GED Testing Service[R] Research Studies, 2009-5

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Title: GED Candidates and Their Postsecondary Educational Outcomes: A Pilot Study. GED Testing Service[R] Research Studies, 2009-5
Language: English
Authors: Patterson, Margaret Becker, Song, Wei, Zhang, Jizhi, American Council on Education, GED Testing Service
Source: GED Testing Service. 2009.
Availability: GED Testing Service. Available from: American Council on Education. One Dupont Circle NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-939-9490; Fax: 202-659-8875' e-mail: ged@ace.nche.edu; Web site: http://www.GEDtest.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2009
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Credentials, Postsecondary Education, Educational Objectives, Outcomes of Education, Testing, High School Equivalency Programs, College Bound Students, Enrollment Rate, Educational Assessment, Educational Indicators, Transitional Programs, Pilot Projects, Student Characteristics, Enrollment Trends
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: General Educational Development Tests
Abstract: For most high school non-completers, the GED[R] credential is the bridge to postsecondary education, but little is known about how successfully they could make that transition and whether their participation shifts across time. The American Council on Education (ACE) has begun a three-year longitudinal study to understand the effect of the GED credential on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion. This study is in support of GED 20/20, a new comprehensive initiative to transition adults without a high school diploma to the GED credential and career and college readiness via accelerated learning. A first step of the study involved piloting the work with a random sample of 1,000 U.S. GED candidates in September 2008. The pilot reports the latest data available from a 2003 cohort of GED candidates who tested shortly after the introduction of the new rigorous 2002 test series. The 307 GED candidates in the pilot attended a total of 369 postsecondary institutions in 44 states. (Some students attended more than one institution.) The vast majority of students who had taken the GED Test initially attended colleges offering programs of two years or less; 78 percent attended public two-year colleges. GED candidates who enrolled in postsecondary institutions enrolled mostly within the first three years after taking the test (i.e., 2003, 2004, or 2005). The vast majority (77 percent) enrolled for a single semester only. Ten of 17 graduates were male, and graduates were either African American, Hispanic, or white. It took graduates an average of 3.8 years to complete their degree program. Major findings of interest in this pilot study reflect a positive relationship between the GED credential and entering postsecondary education. GED credential recipients enrolled in postsecondary education at a significantly higher rate than did non-passers. Women with a GED credential enrolled at a higher rate than male GED credential recipients. Approximately half of GED credential recipients who indicated Enter Two-Year College and Enter Four-Year College as reasons for testing enrolled in postsecondary education after testing. These comparisons suggest that GED credential recipients with the intention to enroll in a two-year or four-year college when testing are more likely to actually do so, compared with GED credential recipients who do not state these goals. Those who earned the GED credential while working part time were more likely to enroll in postsecondary education. GED credential recipients who enrolled in postsecondary education tended to have higher standard scores on the GED Test in all five content areas, and those with higher standard scores were more likely to enroll. A discussion of findings and their implications for future longitudinal research follows. (Contains 5 tables.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 22
Entry Date: 2010
Accession Number: ED510083
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: GED Candidates and Their Postsecondary Educational Outcomes: A Pilot Study. GED Testing Service[R] Research Studies, 2009-5
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Patterson%2C+Margaret+Becker%22">Patterson, Margaret Becker</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Song%2C+Wei%22">Song, Wei</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Jizhi%22">Zhang, Jizhi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22American+Council+on+Education%2C+GED+Testing+Service%22">American Council on Education, GED Testing Service</searchLink>
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  Data: GED Testing Service. Available from: American Council on Education. One Dupont Circle NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-939-9490; Fax: 202-659-8875' e-mail: ged@ace.nche.edu; Web site: http://www.GEDtest.org
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  Data: 21
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Credentials%22">Credentials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Objectives%22">Educational Objectives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Testing%22">Testing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Equivalency+Programs%22">High School Equivalency Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Bound+Students%22">College Bound Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Enrollment+Rate%22">Enrollment Rate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Assessment%22">Educational Assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Indicators%22">Educational Indicators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transitional+Programs%22">Transitional Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pilot+Projects%22">Pilot Projects</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Enrollment+Trends%22">Enrollment Trends</searchLink>
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– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: For most high school non-completers, the GED[R] credential is the bridge to postsecondary education, but little is known about how successfully they could make that transition and whether their participation shifts across time. The American Council on Education (ACE) has begun a three-year longitudinal study to understand the effect of the GED credential on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion. This study is in support of GED 20/20, a new comprehensive initiative to transition adults without a high school diploma to the GED credential and career and college readiness via accelerated learning. A first step of the study involved piloting the work with a random sample of 1,000 U.S. GED candidates in September 2008. The pilot reports the latest data available from a 2003 cohort of GED candidates who tested shortly after the introduction of the new rigorous 2002 test series. The 307 GED candidates in the pilot attended a total of 369 postsecondary institutions in 44 states. (Some students attended more than one institution.) The vast majority of students who had taken the GED Test initially attended colleges offering programs of two years or less; 78 percent attended public two-year colleges. GED candidates who enrolled in postsecondary institutions enrolled mostly within the first three years after taking the test (i.e., 2003, 2004, or 2005). The vast majority (77 percent) enrolled for a single semester only. Ten of 17 graduates were male, and graduates were either African American, Hispanic, or white. It took graduates an average of 3.8 years to complete their degree program. Major findings of interest in this pilot study reflect a positive relationship between the GED credential and entering postsecondary education. GED credential recipients enrolled in postsecondary education at a significantly higher rate than did non-passers. Women with a GED credential enrolled at a higher rate than male GED credential recipients. Approximately half of GED credential recipients who indicated Enter Two-Year College and Enter Four-Year College as reasons for testing enrolled in postsecondary education after testing. These comparisons suggest that GED credential recipients with the intention to enroll in a two-year or four-year college when testing are more likely to actually do so, compared with GED credential recipients who do not state these goals. Those who earned the GED credential while working part time were more likely to enroll in postsecondary education. GED credential recipients who enrolled in postsecondary education tended to have higher standard scores on the GED Test in all five content areas, and those with higher standard scores were more likely to enroll. A discussion of findings and their implications for future longitudinal research follows. (Contains 5 tables.)
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2010
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  Data: ED510083
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED510083
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Credentials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Postsecondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Objectives
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      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
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      – SubjectFull: Testing
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      – SubjectFull: High School Equivalency Programs
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      – SubjectFull: College Bound Students
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Assessment
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Indicators
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      – SubjectFull: Transitional Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pilot Projects
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Enrollment Trends
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      – SubjectFull: General Educational Development Tests
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      – TitleFull: GED Candidates and Their Postsecondary Educational Outcomes: A Pilot Study. GED Testing Service[R] Research Studies, 2009-5
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