This Research Brief highlights key findings from a study that examined the labor market attachment of male dropouts who obtained the GED credential in Florida between 1994 and 1998. I compared these credentialed dropouts to the men who attempted, but failed, the GED exam during the same period. Credentialed dropouts had a higher probability of…

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth for 1979 through 1991 are used to demonstrate that acquisition of the General Educational Development (GED) credential is associated with an increase in the rate of wage growth for male high school dropouts. (SLD)

A multidimensional follow-up study of three categories of Florida high school graduates focused on early exit General Educational Development (GED), second chance GED, and conventional graduates. The research provided the first comprehensive overview of the demography, educational experiences, aspirations and post-graduation activities of both GED…

In 1995, nearly three-quarters of a million high school dropouts took the General Educational Development (GED) tests. The half million individuals who passed the test accounted for approximately one-sixth of all high school diplomas issued that year. On average, GED recipients perform as well as graduating high school seniors on the five tests…

Nearly 15 percent of the high school diplomas issued in the United States in 1981 were based upon performance on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED). The purpose of this study is to describe: (1) the ways that adults prepare for the test; (2) the test performance of population sub-groups, and (3) the test candidates employment and…

Newly revised to include new data and information on the Internet, this guide for GED instructors offers lesson plans and helps teachers develop as professionals. It also gives adult learners an opportunity to practice writing, use graphs, read charts, and analyze research findings on the economic impact of the GED. The original version of this…

In 1996, follow-up questionnaires were mailed to a racially and ethnically stratified sample of 328 Coloradans who had earned General Educational Development (GED) diplomas in October-December 1995. Although responses were received from 235 (70%) of those surveyed, the response rates for African-Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders were too low…

Differences in education and labor market outcomes across groups completing high school at different ages and by different means (e.g., by graduation as compared with receiving a general education development diploma) may be due to a variety of factors, including all those that influence a person to leave school early. For an early school-leaver,…

In 1995, nearly three-quarters of a million high school dropouts, age 16 and above, took the General Educational Development (GED) tests in pursuit of alternative secondary certification. The GED performs the following functions: stimulate human capital investment; measure and assess cognitive skills; certify dropouts with specified skill and…

A series of follow-up studies were conducted to examine the employment, education, and training activities of persons who had taken the General Educational Development (GED) Tests in the spring of 1980. The first two studies, conducted in the fall of 1981 and the spring of 1982, were nationwide surveys that analyzed the survey responses of 458 and…

In an attempt to draw valid conclusions concerning the ways in which American Indian/Alaskan Natives who took the General Educational Development (GED) Tests differed from the non-Indian examinee population, questionnaire responses of 319 candidates who identified themselves as American Indians/Alaskan Natives were compared with those of 11,583…

Data on the sophomore cohort of the original High School and Beyond (HS&B) study were analyzed to determine the value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential versus that of the conventional high school diploma in explaining the earnings of 27-year-old males in the early 1990s. The study sample consisted of those 4,899 male…

The economic benefits of the General Educational Development certificate (GED) were examined through a review of four published papers and four unpublished working papers on the GED's benefits. Key findings were as follows: (1) a GED provides economic benefits only to low-skilled dropouts; (2) economic benefits of a GED appear over time--often…

Most of the job losses that occurred in New York City after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center occurred in low-wage jobs held by lower-skilled workers. Many of those affected faced multiple obstacles limiting their employment prospects, including limited literacy and English language skills and a lack of "connections" to…

This booklet contains profiles of nine outstanding adult learners from eight Pennsylvania counties who have been recognized for their educational achievements and for acknowledging the power of education in their lives and overcoming great personal difficulties to improve and enhance the quality of their lives and those of their families and…