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1.3.0 General Educational Development (GED) Test |
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Louisiana Statewide Transition Project and Louisiana: Healthy and Ready to Work Fact Sheet Series |
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7/12/99 |
I. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The General Educational Development (GED)
Tests provide individuals who exit school without a high school diploma the
opportunity to obtain a high school equivalency diploma. Educators and
employers recognize the GED diploma nationwide. This recognition affords
individuals access to post-secondary education and employment options that
would otherwise be inaccessible.
II. KEY POINTS
The GED Tests are actually a battery of five
sections or tests comprised of writing skills (including an essay component),
social studies, science, mathematics, and literature and arts. This battery of
tests takes approximately 7 1/2 hours to complete.
Eligibility Requirements:
Individuals wishing to take the GED Tests
must meet the following eligibility requirements:
·
The individual is not
enrolled in high school.
·
The individual is not a
high school graduate.
·
The individual is at
least16 years old.
·
The individual is a
resident of the state in which he/she will be tested.
·
The individual must have
taken either the California Achievement Test (CAT) or the Test of Adult Basic
Education (TABE) and scored at least 12.9.
Preparation Sources:
Individuals are highly encouraged to prepare
for the GED Tests. There are many programs and agencies that help individuals
prepare for the GED Tests, or individuals may prepare on their own. The
following are resources designed to help individuals prepare for the GED:
Adult Education and GED Classes - All parishes in Louisiana have instructional
centers that provide free classes and materials to help individuals prepare for
the GED. These classes and materials are individually paced depending on the
needs of the individual. A number of private and community organizations also
provide instruction in order to help individuals prepare for the GED.
Self-Study - Local libraries and bookstores have GED preparation
materials. Of particular note are the publications from Prentice Hall
Regents and Steck-Vaugh. These materials include, but are not
limited to, workbooks and practice tests in the actual GED format.
GED on TV - Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) television
stations air an instructional program called GED on TV on Saturdays from
6 a.m. - 7 a.m. The program is divided into 42 weekly sessions designed to
cover all aspects of the GED Tests. Three workbooks have been developed
specifically for the GED on TV series and are available for $9.00 each
from LPB as a supplement to the TV programs. For more information, see the LPB
contact information in the Resources/Contacts section of this fact sheet.
Taking the Test:
Testing Centers: Some (but not all) parishes have testing centers.
Testing centers may charge a fee for administering the GED Tests. Testing centers
may offer evening sessions. Some GED testing centers require that the
individual take all five sections of the GED in one or two sessions, while
others are more flexible. Some testing centers even allow individuals to take
single sections over five testing sessions. Fees for taking the GED Tests vary
considerably, depending on the testing center, but usually are around $35.00.
It is important to remember that the fee charged is for the administration of
the GED Tests not for the instruction given to prepare for the GED Tests.
Accommodations/Modifications: GED applicants with disabilities may request testing
accommodations. Documentation of the presence of a disability may be required,
and each request is considered on an individual basis. In order to request an
accommodation, individuals must complete and submit an accommodations request
form at their local GED testing center. There are two different forms: Form
L-15 for individuals with specific learning disabilities and Attention Deficit
Disorder/Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Form
SA-001 for individuals with emotional and/or physical disabilities. If
approved, possible modifications include:
·
a Braille edition of the
test;
·
an audiocassette edition
of the test;
·
a large print edition of
the test;
·
extended time to take
the test;
·
supervised breaks during
the testing periods;
·
use of a calculator;
·
use of a scribe; and/or
·
testing in a private
room.
Due to the nature of the test, certain
accommodations are not permitted, including oral testing and the use of
dictionaries or spell checkers.
Successful Completion of the GED Tests:
To successfully complete the GED Tests, a
minimum score of 40 is required on all five tests, with an overall score of 45
across the entire battery of tests. The highest score possible is 80 on each
test. Test scores can be obtained by filing a Form 400T. Scored test results
may take several weeks to be returned. If an individual does not pass one or
all of the GED Tests, they can take it again, but additional fees and wait-time
will be incurred. Upon successful completion of the GED tests, the Louisiana
Department of Education will issue a GED diploma.
III. ROLES/NEXT STEPS
Students/Young Adults:
For young adults who exit school without
receiving a diploma, the GED is a viable alternative that is equivalent to a
high school diploma. Most post-secondary institutions (95% of universities and
nearly all technical colleges in the United States) will admit applicants with
a GED diploma. GED graduates are also eligible for the same postsecondary
education financial assistance awarded to applicants with high school diplomas.
Also, most employers requiring high school diplomas will accept the GED
diploma.
Young adults should start thinking about the
need for further education/training while still in high school, especially when
planning for the future. Young adults who are interested in pursuing a GED
after exiting high school should make this goal known to those supporting them
in their transition. Teachers, counselors, and others can help gather the
needed information, and make referrals to appropriate Adult Education programs
and/or testing centers.
Families:
Families can increase their sons/daughters'
potential for success by directing them to GED programs and providing support
throughout the GED process. Families can assist their sons/daughters when
requesting GED Tests with accommodations and/or modifications by helping
complete needed paperwork and collecting/providing appropriate documentation
relating to the disability.
Families can support their sons/daughters in
expressing their desire to pursue a GED diploma after exiting school. Families
can help make sure that these desires are documented and planned for within the
Transition Services page of the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Agencies:
The adult education departments of Local
Education Agencies (LEAs) are primarily responsible for providing GED services.
All public school districts in Louisiana have GED instructional centers, and
some operate GED testing centers. Upon successful completion of the GED Tests,
the Department of Education issues the GED diploma.
Those individuals and agencies involved in
planning for the transition to adulthood should let young adults know about the
GED Tests. This may be an option for young adults exiting high school without a
diploma.
IV. RESOURCES/CONTACTS
General Education Development (GED) Testing
Service
American Council on Education
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 250
Washington, D.C. 20036-1163
Phone: 1 (202) 939-9490
Website: www.acenet.edu/calec/ged/home.html
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
7860 Anselmo LN
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Phone: 1 (800) 354-9067
Website: www.lpb.org
Learning Disabilities Association
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
Phone: 1 (412) 341-1515
Website: www.ldanatl.org
Prentice Hall Regents
Order Department
200 Old Tappan Road
Old Tappan, NJ 07675
Phone: 1-800-223-1360
Website: www.phregents.com
Louisiana Department of Education
Director, Adult Education
POB 94064
Baton Rouge, LA 70504-9064
Phone: 1 (225) 342-4411
Website: www.doe.state.la.us
Steck-Vaughn
Order Entry
POB 690789
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: 1 (800) 531-5015
Website: www.steck-vaugh.com
1(800) 62-MY-GED (626-9433) - provides
referrals to local GED programs, information brochures, and/or self-scoring
versions of practice tests.
V. REFEERENCES
General Educational Developmental (GED)
Testing Service. (1998). Frequently Asked Questions. [On-line],
Available: Internet http://www.acenet.edu/programs.
Learning
Disabilities Association. (1998). Tests of General Educational Development
(GED Tests). [Online], Available: Internet http://www.ldanatl.org.