Compared recidivism rates of inmates who earned their General Educational Development (GED) certificate while incarcerated (n=2,330) with those who were released with no degree (n=9,419) and those who already had a high school diploma (n=4,868). Findings indicate that those who earned a GED had a significantly lower recidivism rate. (Contains 13…

In this paper, we examine the antecedents and consequences of timing in the transition from high school to college. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), we find that 16 percent of high school graduates postpone enrollment by seven months or more after completing high school. Delayers tend to have some common…

Health literacy is important for all adults. Because lower health literacy is associated with lower educational attainment, many adult basic and literacy education programs increasingly provide health education to low-literate adults to improve their health literacy. Using data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), this study…

Discusses a study of completers of the General Educational Development (GED) program. Concluded that (1) adult education is cost-effective; (2) concern for cost-effectiveness should not detract from other benefits; (3) completing the GED provides motivation to continue education; and (4) many perceive the GED certificate as a "second…

A General Educational Development (GED) certificate is not rigorous enough to substitute for a high school diploma and does not help the recipient economically or in college. Either stronger standards should be developed for GEDs, or dropout-prevention programs should be intensified. (SK)

To serve adults with disabilities without a high school diploma, the federal government and states have funded adult education and literacy programs that provide services to accommodate the needs of those adults. In addition, the Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests) provide adults with disabilities with testing accommodations to…

Human capital investment, in the form of education and training, is the key to improving labor market outcomes for high school leavers. GED certification provides an opportunity for education and training, but is no substitute for it. The GED credential is only a starting point. GED holders are not equivalent to high school graduates. (MLH)

In September 2006, the State Board approved a new System Direction to guide the two-year-college system for the next ten years. One of three primary goals for the system is to increase educational attainment for the economic development of the state and the economic well-being of Washingtonians. Since 2000, State Board staff has provided periodic…

The literacy skills of General Educational Development (GED) program graduates were compared to those of high school graduates and high school dropouts who did not pass the GED test. The sample of 1,012 young adults (ages 21 to 25 years) studied was obtained by selecting all Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics who were studied in the Young…

There is a strong and growing argument for higher educational attainment in the United States. The jobs that are expected to support the economy in the coming years will depend on a skilled workforce that is able to learn and adapt quickly to new challenges. However, demographic patterns demonstrate that relying on the traditional K-16 pipeline to…

A followup study of the 1966 and 1967 graduates of the registered nurses program at Foothill College (Calif.) sought to identify characteristics which distinguished students who completed the program from those who did not graduate, analyze scores on the state licensing examination for the licensing of nurses to determine what significant…

After all had completed community college remedial reading courses, 47 General Educational Development graduates and 92 traditional high school graduates, all high risk, were compared. No significant differences appeared in grade point average, total credits, degree credits, retention rate, or average grade in English and health classes. (SK)

Health literacy is important for all adults. Because lower health literacy is associated with lower educational attainment, many adult basic and literacy education programs increasingly provide health education to low-literate adults to improve their health literacy. Using data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), this study…

Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes. For example, the average income of persons ages 18 through 65 who had not completed high school was roughly $20,100 in 2005.1 By comparison, the average income of persons ages 18 through 65 who completed their education with a high school credential, including a General…

A study examined the educational experiences of all 759 youth released from Wisconsin's two juvenile correctional institutions during 1979. School records, including transcripts from schools attended before and after release, were reviewed for each youth. Parole officers were interviewed whenever school records were in question. Only 3 percent of…