Click Here For Testing Dates

Introduction to GED

Purpose

The General Educational Development (GED) Curriculum provides the state of New York with a minimum set of standards to be used by all facilities delivering GED testing preparation education classes.  State-required frameworks provide consistency, programmatic quality, and integrity.  The frameworks provide students who transfer from one local educational agency to another with a continuum of services.  The General Educational Development (GED) provides the student with the minimum skills required to pass the Official GED Test while also providing basic workforce readiness skills, computer literacy skills, and reference and test taking skills.  The curriculum reflects students’ needs for academic, as well as workforce knowledge.  The GED Preparation Program is a workforce development program that assists students in passing the Official GED Test and in becoming successful employees in the world of work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Terminology

Areas of Academic Instruction – The GED Frameworks are divided into five areas of academic instruction:  Writing Skills, Social Studies, Science, Literature,  and Mathematics.  These five areas parallel the subjects of the Official GED Test.

Benchmark – The benchmark is the most specific level of information.  A benchmark identifies the learner exceptions- what a student should be able to do at the end of a developmental level.

Competency-Based Instruction - a curriculum using specific objectives and performance-based learning activities to achieve performance standards.

Computer-Assisted Instruction – A method of instruction using a variety of software to facilitate learning.

Cooperative Learning – A learning strategy that facilitates the sharing and exploring of knowledge.

General Educational Teat Preparation – This program includes courses of instruction designed to prepare adults for success in the five GED subject area tests which can lead to the awarding of the State of New York High School Equivalency Diploma.

Individualized Instruction – A method of instruction based upon a prescription designed to meet the assessed needs of a student.

Institution – A Local Educational Agency (LEA), Community-Based Organization (CBO), school district, or Community College.

Literacy Completion Point – A Literacy Completion Point (LCP) is the attainment of prescribed academic or workforce readiness skills that qualify the participant for further higher education, vocational education, or employment.

National Standards – Students must have the opportunity and resources to develop skills needed to pursue life’s goals and to participate fully as informed members of society.  These standards assure that literacy growth begins before students enter school as they experience and experiment with literacy activities.

Performance-Based Learning – Performance-based learning is learning by doing.  It immerses students in the act of performing an actual task.  Performance-based learning requires depth of knowledge and understanding that is evidenced through the performance itself.

Related Areas of Instruction – The GED Preparatory Frameworks contains three areas of related instruction that will assist the student in passing the Official GED Test as well as in obtaining workforce readiness skills.  Integrating Workforce Readiness Skills, Basic Computer Skills, Test-Taking Skills, throughout the academic areas will enhance workforce readiness objectives.

SCANS Competencies – The SCANS Report is a definitive guide that outlines eight areas of emphasis needed to produce qualified, productive workers for the 21^st century. 

Subject Area – The subject areas is the GED Program are writing, social studies, science, literature, and mathematics

Student Eligibility and Assessment

Suggested Entrance Criteria

It is recommended that a GED student obtain a minimum score of a 9.0 grade level on the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) in order to assure success. The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) are norm-referenced tests designed to measure achievement of basic skills commonly found in adult basic education curricula and taught in instructional programs. The content areas measured are reading, language, mathematics, and spelling. In keeping with current thinking about instruction and assessment, the content stresses the integration and application of specific skills in a context that is meaningful to adults. If a student has a 9.0 grade level in reading at or below and 8.9-grade level in mathematics, it is suggested that the student be dually enrolled in both the GED and Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs of study.

A minimum grade level score of 9.0 is recommended for student success in the GED testing program. Adult education students must be tested during the enrollment process in order to be appropriately placed in the GED Instructional Program.

Student Enrollment

If a new student has:

• never taken a GED course, never taken the Official GED Test, or

• taken the Official GED Test but has passed none of the subtests, or

• passed all of the subtests of the Official GED Test without obtaining and overall passing score of 2250, or

• passed all subtests of the Official GED Test without passing the overall test

it is recommended the student should begin by enrolling in the GED Preparatory program and begin remediation in a subject areas needed to pass the Official GED Test.

Exit Criteria and Performance

Successful completion of the entire GED Testing Program is based upon the successful passing of the Official GED Test and awarding of the New York State General Educational Diploma. The student must pass each section of the Official GED Test with a minimum score of 410 and an overall passing score of 2250 for the entire test. To provide the optimum opportunity for a student to pass the Official GED Test, it is recommended that a minimum score of 2500 on each subtest of the Official GED Practice Test be obtained prior to the student applying to take the Official GED Test.

Instructional Methods

It is recommended that GED Test instruction incorporate applied academics, pure academics, and workforce skills to ensure that the program includes a variety of instructional strategies. These strategies may include individualized instruction, cooperative learning, and computer-assisted instruction.