I survey the evidence on patterns in U.S. high school graduation rates over the period 1970-2010 and report the results of new research conducted to fill in holes in the evidence. I begin by pointing out the strengths and limitations of existing data sources. I then describe six striking patterns in graduation rates. They include stagnation over…

Ever since achieving a high school credential by passing the GED[R] test became widely institutionalized through adult education programs in the United States, outcomes for GED test credential recipients have continued to be of great interest to the adult education community and the general public. Very few studies of GED test credential…

This article discusses competing perspectives on the value of the General Educational Development (GED) credential. Although scholars and journalists debate the worth of the credential, urban youth continue to pursue the GED, especially as proxy for inadequate schooling. Using qualitative data from a participatory action research project, the…

The Census Bureau has historically grouped high school diploma holders along with those who hold "high school equivalent" credentials. Among these is the credential earned through successfully passing the General Education Development (GED) test. Interest in identifying those with GEDs has recently increased, in part from debate within…

For many years, the General Educational Development (GED) credential has been viewed as the high school dropout's safety net. Though not as well regarded as the high school diploma, the GED has opened up educational and economic opportunity for millions of young people and adults who did not finish high school. Nearly 680,000 people take the full…

This report presents information about selected characteristics and experiences of high school sophomores in 2002 who subsequently dropped out of school. It also presents comparative data about late high school dropouts in the years 1982, 1992, and 2004. Three data sources provide the information for the report: the High School and Beyond…

While high school attrition is a critical issue in the ongoing effort to reduce disparities in educational equity across race and class, rhetoric on the "high school dropout crisis" frequently overlooks the large number of students who reenroll in school or earn their credentials in alternative schools or GED programs. The number of…

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates in 2007, provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last 3 decades (1972-2007), and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts…

This brief calculates graduation rates for the state of Florida using longitudinal data. The authors describe their measurement strategies and compare them with the state's official measurement procedures. They calculate the diploma and General Education Development (GED) attainment rates of six separate cohorts of Florida 9th graders who began…

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates in 2006, provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last 3 decades (1972-006), and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts…

The 2006 GED[R] Testing Program Statistical Report is the 49th annual report in the program's 65-year history of providing a second opportunity to adults without a high school diploma to earn their jurisdiction's General Educational Development (GED) credential, and, as a result, advance their educational, personal, and professional aspirations.…

The American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on Educational Credit and Credentials adopted a plan for a 5-year review of the General Educational Development (GED) program. This review process was intended to ensure that the GED program, which operates in Canada and other countries, as well as in the United States, will address and measure…

Interviews with 40 students planning to take the General Education Development test disclosed that less than half had been involved with gangs. Most saw urban teachers as powerless, mentioned adverse circumstances and feelings of hopelessness, and viewed the GED program as a rite of passage and achievable goal. (MLH)

To identify characteristics of students in Florida's Early Exit Program (EEP) with respect to their performance in high school, names and General Educational Development (GED) test scores were obtained for all students who passed the GED tests as part of the EEP between January 1, 1981, and May 1, 1983. Four districts were identified that had…

This study compares performance on the GED (General Educational Development) Tests, U.S. edition, across three groups of examinees: (1) graduating high school seniors in the GED U.S., 2001 norm group, (2) GED Tests candidates who took one or more tests in the United States between 2002 and 2004, and (3) GED Tests candidates who passed the tests in…