Printer-friendly pageGED Research and Policy
Step 1: Read the related research
"Fast Facts: The GED" Focus on Policy, Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2003.
Summary:
This article provides a brief, factual overview of the structure of the GED.
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"The GED: Whom Does It Help?" John H. Tyler, Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue B, June 1998.
Summary:
This article summarizes research findings that determined that when young (ages 16-21), white dropouts pass the General Educational Development (GED) exam with marginal scores, they experience a substantial increase in earnings. These findings contrast with many other studies that determine little economic impact. Tyler proposes that passing the GED serves as a sign of higher maturity, motivation, and commitment to work to potential employers. A similar effect for minorities was not observed. Because the average earnings of young, GED graduates are low to begin with, Tyler argues that this increase is not enough for them to move out of poverty. The author suggests that future research consider the impact of the GED on populations according to gender, age, cultural/racial background, and scores.
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"Skills Matter in the Types of Jobs Young Dropouts Will First Hold." John H. Tyler, Focus on Basics, Volume 7, Issue A, June 2004.
Summary:
Using data on General Educational Development (GED) candidates who attempted the GED exams in Florida between 1995 and 1998, when all were 16 to 18 years of age, NCSALL researcher John Tyler found that young dropouts do experience a nontrivial economic return on basic cognitive skills in their first jobs in the labor market. Based on earnings in the first three years after taking the GED exams, dropouts who score a standard deviation higher on the GED math exams can expect earnings 6.5 percent higher than those with lower scores.
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"What Are the Economic Effects of Earning a GED in Prison?" Barbara Garner, Focus on Basics, Volume 7, Issue D, September 2005.
Summary:
In this article, NCSALL researcher John Tyler finds among racial and ethnic minority offenders—primarily African-Americans, with a smaller number of Hispanics—a 20 percent increase in the earnings among GED holders relative to non-GED holders in the first post-release year. That transition year is crucial, so this is good news. However, these effects diminish over time and are not found for white ex-offenders.
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"NCSALL’s Focus on Research: The Process of Passing the GED." Barbara Garner, Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue B, June 19998.
Summary:
In this article, the author provides an overview of research conducted by John Tyler that considers which GED tests cause the most difficulty, for whom the option of retesting is significant, and who is the most affected by raised passing scores. Tyler finds that women experienced the most difficulty passing the math exam while the writing exam causes problems for men. African Americans also have difficulty with the math exam and benefited from the retesting option.
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