The Workforce3 February 2013 newsletter article, “GED® Test Series to Go All Digital”, stated, “A major overhaul of the GED® Test is underway. The test will be jointly run by a non-profit and a for-profit organization and with release of the new GED® Test Series on January 2, 2014, administration of the GED® Test paper version will only occur in limited circumstances.” Don Scott, KRA Senior Vice President for Workforce Operations, reported “More than half our workforce development programs offer GED test preparation, particularly those that serve Out-of-School Youth and recipients of public-assistance benefits. Because our GED test graduates must be competitive with jobseekers who received high school diplomas in the traditional manner, KRA must be up-to-date on the new 2014 GED testing system…which we understand will better assess ‘high school equivalency’ as it relates to career- and/or college-readiness…and adapt our procedures and curriculum accordingly.”
As reported here on February 4th, KRA has been tracking this development for almost 2 years, when the American Council on Education , the “non-profit”, and Pearson, the “for-profit”, first announced their joint-venture to overhaul the current 2002 GED® Test. A decade into the 21st century, the GED® (General Educational Development) Test and testing system is challenged to keep up with the educational and workplace demands of a global economy. According to ACE President Molly Corbett Broad, “This bold, far-sighted and innovative partnership will provide a new, fresh approach toward solving an old and pernicious problem—the incredible waste of human talent represented by the millions of Americans who lack a high-school diploma.”
Operating as the GED® Testing Service (GTS) , ACE/Pearson recently released an updated Assessment Guide for Educators, which GTS describes as “a frontline resource for adult educators and administrators to better understand the new GED® assessment, from the ground up.” The Guide, which has been accessed by all applicable KRA programs “dissects the new assessment and explains the decisions behind new item types, assessment targets, guidelines for how items will be scored, and much more.” The Guide’s introduction continues, “The new assessment…will continue to measure high school equivalency. But it doesn’t stop there. GED Testing Service takes a giant step forward by measuring skills associated with success in a variety of pathways, including college coursework and job training programs.”
A companion publication, 2014 GED® Test Item Samplers, provides example test items that address some of the assessment targets on the new test. The Samplers also demonstrate the look and feel of the 2014 GED® Test on computer. Scott concluded, “KRA programs are paying particular attention to this document, as it contains tools designed for GED educators, including examples of the types of questions that will be in the new test. This information increases our staff’s understanding of the knowledge and skills that will be measured, and helps us better prepare our customers to take and succeed on the 2014 GED® Test.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
