KRA has been tracking the progress of the new American Council on Education (ACE)/Pearson partnership that is driving the future direction, design, and delivery of the GED® testing program. Two years ago, KRA became aware that ACE and Pearson, the world’s leading learning company providing educational materials and testing services, were combining their expertise and resources to develop a new GED® Test. Building on the goals of the GED 21st Century Initiative, and aligned with Common Core State Standards, the partnership’s goal is to assure prospective employers, as well as institutions of higher education, that those who pass the Test are totally prepared to compete and succeed in a global economy…which is also an integral goal of KRA’s stated mission.
The new joint-venture will retain the name “GED® Testing Service”, which is building on its past experience in adult and continuing education, to expand access to the Test, ensure its integrity and quality, and adapt it to 21st-century testing practices. According to ACE President Molly Corbett Broad, the first woman to lead the organization since its founding in 1918, “In the next few years, the new company will put its energy into moving as quickly as possible to develop this new test and the capacity to administer it by computer.” It is anticipated that the computer-administered version of the current Test will be available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US Territories by 2013, and the re-tooled Test will be available in 2014.
Molly Corbett Broad
Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, stated, “ACE is the most influential higher-education association in the US, probably the world. Collectively, their member institutions tackle the most challenging obstacles facing both the in-school and out-of-school educational systems. In the operation of KRA’s Job- and Work-Readiness Workshops across the country…which include GED Test preparation… we share the same goal, which is to improve access to the GED testing process, and to prepare every student to succeed. So, we are staying abreast of the proposed Test changes to be able to re-align our GED classes as quickly as possible to better serve our customers.”
Don Scott, KRA Senior Vice President for Workforce Operations, added “According to our study of the emerging situation, the first of three main components to be instituted is the development of a more rigorous GED test designed to ensure career- and/or college-readiness. A second component, which we are very anxious to preview, is a national test-preparation program with an expanded array of learning resources. And, the third component, a ‘transition network’ that will connect GED test-takers to career and post-secondary educational opportunities, is also greatly anticipated. KRA champions all these changes, as they will assist our programs in moving customers more effectively toward their career- and/or college objectives.”
Next week’s issue will highlight how KRA programs are attempting to stay ahead of the curve in preparing customers for the soon-to-be released GED® Test changes.
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.
