We are fortunate to have so many public educational options here in rural Colorado, ranging from district and charter schools to vocational, two-year, four-year and master’s level college programs. Unfortunately, there isn’t a public option for those who left high school for whatever reason or those who immigrated to the United States and want to learn English. These learners are grouped together in a category and taught under the heading of “adult education.”
Colorado is one of only two states in the U.S. that does not fund adult education. That means that Colorado does not directly provide education for high school dropouts (in 2012, that averaged 25 percent of Colorado’s high school students), English education for immigrants, or education to fill the gap between school and work or school and college. Despite great teaching in our public schools and plentiful alternatives, many people still have life circumstances that prevent them from finishing high school. How do these people get prepared for work or college?
Fortunately, the GED is still a viable option, one that demonstrates a nationally recognized standard level of knowledge. The stigma in some people’s minds about the value of the GED (officially called “General Educational Development” test) is unfounded. The current test is difficult enough that 40 percent of high school graduates can’t pass it. As well, the GED is accepted by nearly all employers and colleges.
Since the GED first began in 1942, the test has been revamped three times. Each time, the test was adapted to the changing educational skills ultimately needed for the workforce. In just a few months, the GED exam will change yet again. This time, beginning Jan. 2, the new tests will be more rigorous, the content will be more relevant, and all tests will be taken on a computer.
Passing the GED 2014 will require a greater depth of knowledge, more writing skills, critical thinking ability, deeper mathematical reasoning, greater academic and subject-specific vocabulary, and sound computer skills.
The new GED test is being aligned with the Common Core State Standards that are being adopted by K-12 schools across the country, including Colorado.
GED 2014 will include a total of four tests: math, social studies, science, and reading and writing. Seventy-five percent of the test will be information-based reading, and writing will be required for social studies, science, and the Reasoning through Language Arts test, which will entail a 45 minute analytical written response.
Will the credential be harder to earn? Absolutely. And with that increased level of difficulty, we think the reputation and the credibility of those GED earners will rise. As educators, our ultimate goal is to see our students succeed in college and in the workplace and we are committed to making that happen.
“That’s our goal, too,” said Norm Jones, executive dean of Southwest Colorado Community College. “With the new rigorous GED standards, we are looking forward to integrating the GED graduates more seamlessly into college classes.”
The staff at the Durango Education Center, a nonprofit organization that has been teaching GED preparation since 1987 and offers GED testing, has been gearing up for the GED 2014 for over a year.
Teachers have been learning new content and modifying instruction based on content and skills needed for the new exam. The Center has become a certified Pearson-Vue computer test center and began offering computer-based testing options last spring.
While gearing up for the new test, the teachers are also helping students complete the current version of the GED test before it expires Dec. 31. For students who have already started the GED and have passed one or more of the current tests, the teachers are eager to help them finish. By the end of this year, all five tests must be passed or the tests will expire and students will have to start the testing process again in 2014.
Despite the lack of state funding, the Durango Education Center secures grants, partners with local school districts and raises money from our community in order to teach our area’s adult learners. To help students complete their education, the Durango Education Center is offering GED testing scholarships for students who register before Oct. 1.
If you know people who dropped out last year or even in the last century and want to complete this phase of their education, please send them to us. We’re here to help.
Teresa Malone is the executive director of the Durango Education Center. Reach her at tmalone@durangoedcenter.org.
