General Educational Development (GED)

This page provides links to resources created by NCSALL to introduce adult education practitioners to research on the impact of the GED. The guides are posted as PDF files and they are all self-contained. They each include all the information and relevant supplementary materials, such as readings intended for photocopying, needed to conduct the study circles and seminars.

For single-session professional development opportunities, use one of the seminars; for multi-session opportunities, use several of the seminars:

GED Research and Policy - PDF
This 3-hour seminar introduces policymakers and adult education practitioners to the research that has determined that GED students experience educational and financial gains when engaged in GED preparation courses that focus on cognitive development in addition to exam preparation and that provide support for transition to postsecondary education and training.

Going Beyond the GED - PDF
This 3-hour seminar examines why the adult education system should focus on supporting adult education-to-postsecondary transitions for students.

Activity-based Instruction: Why and How - PDF
This 3½-hour seminar focuses on instructional approaches that emphasize cognitive development.

Using Going Beyond the GED - PDF
This 4-hour seminar introduces teachers and tutors to Going Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices about the GED and Your Future, a set of classroom materials designed for use in GED classrooms. The materials provide learners with practice in graph and chart reading, calculation, information analysis, and writing, while they examine the labor market, the role of higher education and the economic impact of the GED.

For information on the GED relevant to program administrators, use these self-studies:

GED Research and Policy
Read information on the process of passing the GED and the research on the economic benefits of attaining a GED credential. Think about policy issues for your program in response to these research findings.

Going Beyond the GED
Learn why the adult education system should focus on (1) enabling students to develop the academic skills necessary to complete the GED and to enter postsecondary education and training, and (2) supporting students in this transition. Identify strategies for supporting adult education-to-postsecondary transitions for adult education students in your own program.