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here has been much discussion in the news media lately about the new GED Option, a new alternative education program recently endorsed by the West Virginia Department of Education.
GED is the acronym for General Educational Development, as series of tests which has traditionally been the avenue for high school dropouts to acquire a high school education. The test is also known as the General Equivalency Diploma. The GED program was developed in 1942 and over 17 million people have received their high school education via the GED.
The GED is a series of five tests that cover Language Arts: Writing, Language Arts: Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics. The tests have been “normed” by a group of high school graduates who took the test. The results of this “norming prcess” show that 60-70 percent of high school graduates would pass the GED tests. This indicates it is not a sub-par test or an easy way for students to get their high school diploma.
West Virginia is now among a group of GED Option states that have adopted the GED as part of their alternative education program. The West Virginia Board of Education approved changes to state policy designed to help struggling high school students stay in school and earn a GED diploma. Updates to Policy 2444.4: Issuance of the State of West Virginia General Educational Development (GED) Diploma incorporate changes to state law designed to improve student participation, success and high school graduation rates.
The changes will allow West Virginia to participate in the GED Option program through the American Council on Education GED Testing Service. The program will allow students ages 16, 17 and 18 to remain enrolled in high school while completing GED requirements. Currently, those under age 18 who want to pursue a GED must withdraw from school before taking the GED test.
In addition, West Virginia’s program goes further by allowing potential GED students to remain in career and technical education courses. These students will be able to earn a GED as well as certification in their chosen career-technical field resulting in a high school diploma. The GED is recognized by 98 percent of employers, as well as colleges and universities.
Kathy D”Antoni, assistant state superintendent of schools, stated, “These changes likely will give students at risk of dropping out of high school the hope of graduating on time and will result not only in a high school diploma but a certification of skills for employment.”
Twenty-six county school systems will pilot the GED Option this fall at 16 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers and at the state’s three Institutional Education Program sites. Students in the
GED Option program will be expected to attend GED preparation classes and the GED tests; complete a 21st Century Global Skills job preparation program; complete four required core courses in a skilled pathway concentration or any program of study resulting in a certification; meet standards on the WorkKeys job skills assessment, if applicable; reach or exceed the cut scores on the End-of-Concentration Performance Assessment, if applicable; and complete additional classes via West Virginia Virtual School.
We have employed a teacher to guide the GED Options program at the Mineral County Technical Center as part of the state’s pilot program this year. Students from both Frankfort High School and Keyser High School who meet the selection criteria will be permitted to participate in this program. Our unofficial dropout rate for the 2009-2010 school yearis 1.9 percent, which represents a slight increase over the past three years. Our dropout rate is still among the state’s lowest but we are not satisfied, even when we had the state’s 2nd lowest dropout rate in the state.
The adoption of the GED Options program is just one of the strategies we are implementing in Mineral County schools to reduce our dropout rate and increase our high school graduation rate. Linda Marsh, our Attendance Director, has organized a task force to identify reasons students want to drop out of high school and then develop strategies designed to keep students in school and graduate. The task force’s name is “TASAR or Team to Assist Students At-Risk.” This group consists of teachers, school-based administrators and guidance counselors and meets regularly to review recommendations and discuss progress being made to increase student success in our middle and high schools.
For more information concerning the GED Options program, contact Scott Staley, our Director of Career and Technical Education, at 304.788.4240. For more information concerning our dropout prevention activities, contact Linda arch, our Attendance Director, at 304.788.4218.
here has been much discussion in the news media lately about the new GED Option, a new alternative education program recently endorsed by the West Virginia Department of Education.
GED is the acronym for General Educational Development, as series of tests which has traditionally been the avenue for high school dropouts to acquire a high school education. The test is also known as the General Equivalency Diploma. The GED program was developed in 1942 and over 17 million people have received their high school education via the GED.
The GED is a series of five tests that cover Language Arts: Writing, Language Arts: Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics. The tests have been “normed” by a group of high school graduates who took the test. The results of this “norming prcess” show that 60-70 percent of high school graduates would pass the GED tests. This indicates it is not a sub-par test or an easy way for students to get their high school diploma.
West Virginia is now among a group of GED Option states that have adopted the GED as part of their alternative education program. The West Virginia Board of Education approved changes to state policy designed to help struggling high school students stay in school and earn a GED diploma. Updates to Policy 2444.4: Issuance of the State of West Virginia General Educational Development (GED) Diploma incorporate changes to state law designed to improve student participation, success and high school graduation rates.
The changes will allow West Virginia to participate in the GED Option program through the American Council on Education GED Testing Service. The program will allow students ages 16, 17 and 18 to remain enrolled in high school while completing GED requirements. Currently, those under age 18 who want to pursue a GED must withdraw from school before taking the GED test.
In addition, West Virginia’s program goes further by allowing potential GED students to remain in career and technical education courses. These students will be able to earn a GED as well as certification in their chosen career-technical field resulting in a high school diploma. The GED is recognized by 98 percent of employers, as well as colleges and universities.
Kathy D”Antoni, assistant state superintendent of schools, stated, “These changes likely will give students at risk of dropping out of high school the hope of graduating on time and will result not only in a high school diploma but a certification of skills for employment.”
Twenty-six county school systems will pilot the GED Option this fall at 16 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers and at the state’s three Institutional Education Program sites. Students in the
GED Option program will be expected to attend GED preparation classes and the GED tests; complete a 21st Century Global Skills job preparation program; complete four required core courses in a skilled pathway concentration or any program of study resulting in a certification; meet standards on the WorkKeys job skills assessment, if applicable; reach or exceed the cut scores on the End-of-Concentration Performance Assessment, if applicable; and complete additional classes via West Virginia Virtual School.
We have employed a teacher to guide the GED Options program at the Mineral County Technical Center as part of the state’s pilot program this year. Students from both Frankfort High School and Keyser High School who meet the selection criteria will be permitted to participate in this program. Our unofficial dropout rate for the 2009-2010 school yearis 1.9 percent, which represents a slight increase over the past three years. Our dropout rate is still among the state’s lowest but we are not satisfied, even when we had the state’s 2nd lowest dropout rate in the state.
The adoption of the GED Options program is just one of the strategies we are implementing in Mineral County schools to reduce our dropout rate and increase our high school graduation rate. Linda Marsh, our Attendance Director, has organized a task force to identify reasons students want to drop out of high school and then develop strategies designed to keep students in school and graduate. The task force’s name is “TASAR or Team to Assist Students At-Risk.” This group consists of teachers, school-based administrators and guidance counselors and meets regularly to review recommendations and discuss progress being made to increase student success in our middle and high schools.
For more information concerning the GED Options program, contact Scott Staley, our Director of Career and Technical Education, at 304.788.4240. For more information concerning our dropout prevention activities, contact Linda arch, our Attendance Director, at 304.788.4218.
