13,- 1996. - ERIC › fulltext › ED412252.pdf · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 412 252 TM 027 522. AUTHOR Richards, Lisa, Ed. TITLE GED Items. The Newsletter of the GED Testing Service. Volume

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 412 252 TM 027 522

AUTHOR Richards, Lisa, Ed.TITLE GED Items. The Newsletter of the GED Testing Service. Volume

13,- 1996.

INSTITUTION American Council on Education, Washington, DC.PUB DATE 1996-00-00NOTE 66p.; For volume 12, see TM 027 521.PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) Reports Evaluative

(142)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Adult Education; Adult Literacy; Adults; *Educational

Technology; *Equivalency Tests; Foreign Countries;Graduates; *High School Equivalency Programs; Internet; JobSkills; *Literacy Education; Teaching Methods; VocationalEducation

IDENTIFIERS Canada; *General Educational Development Tests

ABSTRACT"GED Items" is published by the GED Testing Service of the

American Council on Education. This volume contains six issues, eachcontaining several articles related to adult education, equivalency testing,and the General Educational Development (GED) program. In the lead article ofthe first issue, Judith Anderson discusses the Internet and its relevance toadult education. The second issue focuses on a radio campaign conducted bythe GED Testing Service to promote its programs. The campaign featuressingers Anne Murray and Waylon Jennings, both GED graduates. The emphasis inIssue 3 is the beginning of full-scale GED testing in Ontario (Canada), asthat province joins 10 other Canadian provinces in offering GED testing.Issue 4/5 profiles football player Reggie White, who is working with hisfamily to promote GED testing for adults who want a second chance at a highschool education. The sixth issue discusses graduation ceremonies and otherrites of passage for those receiving the GED. Each issue also contains"Teaching Tips" for teacher improvement, graduate profiles, and otherarticles and information related to GED testing. (Contains one table andthree graphs.) (SLD)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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Volume 13, No. 1-6 Date: Jan-Dec 1996

GED ItemsAmerican Council on Education

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement

EDLI TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

1:1 Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy.

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GED TESTING SERVICE

BEST COPY AVM BLE,2

GEDIfrm more than 24,000 readers

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996

What is the Internet?The Internet is a worldwide network of computerthat connects university, government, commercial,computers in more than 150 countries. There areof networks and millions of users on the Internet,numbers expanding daily.

by Judith Anderson

using the Internet, you cansend electronic mail, chatwith colleagues around the

world, and obtain information on awide variety of subjects.

Three principal uses of theInternet are:

Electronic mail"e-mail" letsyou electronically send messages toother users who have Internet e-mail addresses. Delivery time varies,but it's possible to send mail acrossthe globe and get a response in min-utes. LISTSERVs are special interestmailing lists that allow for the large-scale exchange of information.

USENET newsgroupsa sys-tem of special interest discussiongroups, called newsgroups, to whichreaders can "post" messages to othercomputers in the network, like a

Inside ItemsEDP Update 6

For Examiners 7

From the Director 2

GED Graduate Story 3

News and Notes 11

Teaching Tips

networksand otherthousandswith the

giant set of electronic bulletinboards.

Information fdesGovern-ment agencies, schools, and univer-sities, commercial firms, interestgroups, and private individuals placea variety of information on-line.Originally text only, they increas-ingly contain pictures and sound.

How Do I Explore the Internet?To get started, you'll need a

personal computer, a modem (ordirect link to a network), telecom-munications software, a telephoneline, and an Internet account. It'seasier than it sounds, but it still helpsto have a good book or two, or bet-ter yet, an experienced friend.Colleges and universities often pro-vide Internet accounts to their fac-ulty and students at little or no cost.Many commercial vendors provideInternet service for a fee. Make surethat you access your vendor with alocal telephone call. Otherwise, longdistance charges apply.

The simplest way for new usersto navigate the Internet may bethrough the "gopher," which uses aseries of menus to organize and pro-vide access to information. Gopher,while easy to use, provides text-only

information. It's much more reward-ing, if you have the right equipment,to use the World Wide Web(WWW). The Web organizes infor-mation to provide for linkages(hypertext links) to related docu-ments (home pages), allowing usersto move quickly and easily to sourcesof related information.

It easier than it sounds, but

it still helps to have a good

book or two, or better yet, an

experienced friend.Software, such as Mosaic® and

Netscape® (web browsers), givesusers a graphical interface, allowingfor (theoretically) effortless "pointand click" travel through cyberspace.To run this type of software, you'llneed an up-to-date personal com-puter and a fast modem. Most usersfind the rewards worth the extrainvestment.

What's Available?A world of information awaits

potential users. In a single session onthe Internet, you can: take a pictorialtour of Alexandria, Egypt and learnthe city's history; learn about thehuman heart, see the earth fromspace, or dissect a frog; listen to aBach fugue played on the world's10th largest pipe organ; find yourway through the Louvre and viewthe Mona Lisa!

The Internet contains a widevariety of information, much of it

continued on page 8


3

GED's Integrity: Everyone's Jobby Jean Lowe

There are places in the UnitedStates right now where noone can take the GED Tests

because the tests have been compro-mised. A test is compromised anytime confidential information aboutits content or answers becomes avail-able to test candidates. It doesn'tmatter how the information gets out.Once it's out, the tests must berecalled. Until we can replace thecompromised material in local test-ing centers, innocent people sufferthe consequences.

It's easy to see that tests can becompromised through theft of testbooklets or answers. Does this hap-pen often? No. Is it the most com-mon kind of compromise? No. It'sjust the easiest to detect. GEDExaminers follow stringent guide-lines for handling and administeringthe tests which result in few prob-lems, considering the enormous sizeof the GED program.

I think compromise happensbecause we so much want to helppeople who have fewer opportunitiesthan we do. We know how muchgetting a GED diploma means tothem so we don't really look forcheating and fraud. Sometimes weeven make it possible. Here are a fewexamples of this sort of compromise:

A dedicated teacher knows thatmost of his students have just beenlaid off by the largest local employer.He sees their desperation every dayand asks: "Writing an essay is sohard. Won't it help these people,trapped by cruel economic forces, topractice the essay in advance? If wejust outline the issues to discuss inthe current topic, it'll be easier forthem to pass. Wouldn't any teacherdo that?"

Perhaps a prison guard knows a

prisoner who won't be eligible forparole until he gets a GED: "What'sso wrong about passing on the notesanother inmate made when he tookthe test yesterday? Maybe it will helpthis guy pass and get out of here."

In time... all the little 'favors"

add up to a big disservice that

affects us all

Perhaps an examiner leaves thetesting room "for just a moment tosee to that commotion in thehall"allowing a young woman toask her best friend about a math for-mula.

Or maybe a naive examiner,thrilled with the success of candi-dates at her center, is delighted thatone teacher was able to get 93% ofher students to pass the tests in a fewweeks, even though most of themleft school early in life. Failing tochallenge such sudden, unusual suc-cess can harm the program by mak-ing the tests seem too easy.

Of course, more obvious andcalculated disclosure occurs when acommercial program sends out a lotof people to "case" the GED Testsso that they can provide targetedinstruction to people who will paytheir fees.

Paranoia? No. Every one ofthese incidents really happened.Preventable? I think so. I worked asa GED teacher for five years andalways asked my students about thetests. To me, then, the tests were abureaucratic obstacle. I neverthought about maintaining theintegrity of the tests because I didn'trealize how much it meant to every-one who takes the tests each year:

How are candidates and exami-

nees hurt by these seemingly harm-less actions? The most obvious,immediate distress occurs when test-ing is discontinued in a region andpeople lose access to the tests for along time. Others are hurt when acompromise occurs during a testingsession because until we knowexactly what happened, all test scoresare held, and examinees may not re-test, even at another center. If exam-inees turn in a "canned" essay, theirscores are withheld, and they'reoften not allowed to test again for anextended time. But the overreachingconcern is this: if people are falselyawarded GED diplomas, they mis-represent GED graduates' abilities toemployers, colleges, and the publicat large. In time, this can devalue thecredential for everyone. And all thelittle "favors" add up to a big disser-vice that affects us all.

So who's responsible for pro-tecting GED's good name? Everyonewho plays a role in the GED pro-gramexaminers and instructors;counselors and office staff; local,state, and national program directors.Each of us is responsible for main-taining the program's integrity. Let'sall do our part.

GED Items (ISSN 0896-0518) is pub-lished bimonthly by the GED TestingService of the American Council onEducation (ACE). GED Items is notcopyrighted. Readers are invited to copyany articles not previously copyrighted.Credit should be given in accordancewith accepted publishing standards.

Editor: Lisa RichardsEditorial Consultant: Susan PorterRobinsonAdvertising Manager: Lisa RichardsCirculation Manager: Debra Louallen-ColeCirculation Assistant: Zenitta Jones

Franklyn G. Jenifer, ACE Board Chair,University of Texas at DallasRobert H. Atwell, President, ACEJean H. Lowe, Director, GED TestingService

Page 2 o January/February 1996 GED Items

Grocery Money Launched "Stay-Home Mom"on Path Toward College, ProfessionThere it was, right up there on the supermarket bulletinboarda screaming-yellow-zonker flyer that drowned out allthe other usual bits about miracle diets, jobs, and junk-no-longer-wanted: GEDGet Yours!!by Jette Engstrom

Ht was June 1979; I was 29 yearsold. My husband and I hadmoved to Denver from San

Diego the previous spring, with lotsof hopes but no work, three childrenand a fourth on the way. Thingshadn't gone well: my husband wasworking but the pay was onlyenough for the barest necessities.The five of us had spent most of thepast year in a small one-bedroom ina rather frightening neighborhood.Now, with the baby seven monthsold, I was looking for a small houseto rent, some "new "old furniture,and some kind (any kind) of work tofill in the gaps. I had been hopingto find some leads amid the mess ofnotes and cards on the bulletin boardwhen that flyer stopped me cold.My heart literally skipped a beatseveral! I felt all my old, dashedhopes and dreams rushing back intomy mind.

I was an above-average highschool student, with a 3.6 GPA. I'dalways planned to go to college; Ihad even considered medical school.In 1968, three months before gradu-ation, I left home to get married.Before I knew it I was a stay-homemom with four children, no skills,and little hope for the future. Mygoals seemed very far away. Instead,life was one immediate crisis afteranotherscraping together enoughfor that week, for food, formula,rent. There was never the time,

energy, or moneyto take a biggerstep. Over time Ilost sight of anygoal but simple sur-vival. It seemed thatanything betterwasn't in the cards,at least not for us.

Staring at thebright yellow posteron the supermarketwall, I felt cautious-ly hopeful. Maybea decent job for me,and a better life forthe kids... I jotteddown the test datesand location fromthe poster, foldedaway $10 out of mygrocery money andwent home withmy mind made upand a sense thatnothing would everbe the same again.If someone had told

44.

Jette Engstrom took the GED Tests in 1979 and earned herbachelor's degree in 1987.

there were actually five tests, oneeach night, all week. I wanted tocryI couldn't pay a sitter fivenights in a row! It looked hopeless,but I plucked up my courage andasked the examiner if I could take allfive tests that same evening, since Iwouldn't be able to come back.

The examiner was doubtful; ithad been over ten years since I left

me at thatmoment just how much my lifewould change, I wouldn't havebelieved it!

I dutifully showed up at the testsite on the first available date, aMonday everiing. Since my husbandwas working I'd had to pay a sitter, areal extravagance. When I arrived Iwas shocked to learn that Mondaywas only the first night of testing- continued on page 10

GED Items January/February 1996o Page 3

Tg@Akcj og TgeZ Sdeag@

Desktop Professional Development: Surfing theWorld Wide Web to Access Excellenceby Cornelia Munroe

Hn recent months, access to theInternet has increased dramati-cally. Many colleges and univer-

sities as well as libraries and otherpublicly funded programs have com-puter resource centers where teach-ers, students, and the general publiccan "go online", often at no cost.For the ABE and GED teacher, get-ting access to the Internet, and thevery popular World Wide Web, isconsiderably less of a challenge thanit was a year ago. Approximately 9.5million Americans now are accessingthe Internet, using services such asAmerica Online®, web browser soft-ware, such as Mosaic® andNetscape ®, or the text-basedGopher (see related article, page 1)

At the GED Testing Service, weare often asked to suggest ways inwhich science teachers can augmenttheir instructional resources. Arecent search of the World WideWeb using the Yahoo search engineyielded 33 science education sites,and there are many others that theABE/GED teacher could find use-ful. One award winning site worthmentioning is Access Excellence, a $10million experiment sponsored by thebiotechnology giant, Genentech,Inc.

Access Excellence is a science edu-cation program for high school levelbiology teachers. Implemented inApril 1995, with the help of teachersfrom the San Francisco area, the pro-ject was designed to help eradicate thesense of isolation that many teacherssay is their greatest limitation. AccessExcellence is available on AmericaOnline in the education section'sTeacher Information Network and as

a "home page" on the World WideWeb ("point" your web browser tohttp://www.gene.com/ae).

Geoff Teeter, a Senior ProgramManager at Genentech, says AccessExcellence "enhances biology teach-ing by providing a computer net-work forum in which teachers canshare teaching ideas and lesson activ-ities. They can access information,get expert assistance, and share expe-riences with other teachers to createnew ideas." Each year until 1998, agroup of about 100 fellows is select-ed from applicants in a nationwidecompetition supported by theNational Science TeachersAssociation. The fellows receive lap-top computers and specialized com-puter training.

When I surfed the Internet andlocated Access Excellence, my firstresponse was one of delight at themany resources available in science.The menu allowed me to selectfrom several topic areas by pointingand clicking with my mouse:

What's Hot this Month!top news items and feature stories

Activities Exchangeclass-room activities and ideas

About Biotechbiotechnol-ogy, from early history to presentcareer opportunities

What's Newsnew scientificdiscoveries, interviews with scientistsmaking news, and more

Teacher-Scientist Networkinformation and idea exchangebetween teachers and scientists

Teachers' Loungeopportu-nities for networking and collaborat-ing with other teachers

Resource Centersciencereference information, meeting andconvention schedules, competitions,exhibits, and more.

...one example of bringing

science news into the classroom

related seminars on DNA and

DNA forensics projects to

criminal trials in the news.

During my exploratory session,I opened "Resource Center" andlocated "Carolina Tips" and "NSTAReports," among other tides.Accessing "NSTA Reports," I foundseveral interesting articles. I also dis-:covered, while using the "ActivitiesExchange" section, that teachers hadcollaborated in tracking the spreadof flu in the U.S. Others studied thechanging of leaves in the Northeast.Two teachers now are directing theirstudents on a project that analyzesdinosaur DNA.

In "What's News," one exampleof bringing science news into theclassroom related seminars on DNAand DNA forensics projects to crim-inal trials in the news. Anotherinvolved the Ebola outbreak inAfrica. Teachers and students,through Access Excellence, inter-viewed the key researchers studyingEbola. Soon to be added to AccessExcellence is a section called"Teaching in the 21st Century,"with subjects such as science educa-tion reform and using technology inthe classroom.

During my surfing session, I was

continued on page 5

Page 4 o January/February 1996 6 GED Items

Low Cost ScienceTeaching Aids &Resources

Ef your adult students are con-cerned with news reports aboutwater quality, MiniKit Test Kits

provide an activity that ties theirconcerns into a lesson plan.Different kits test for oxygen, nitrite,copper, phosphate, ammonia, iron,nitrate, chlorine, and sulfide. Eachkit runs ten tests of one chemical.Students immerse a sealed ampoulecontaining a preformulated reagentinto the water. When the tip of theampoule is snapped off, the contain-er fills with the correct amount ofwater. In one minute, the studentcan compare the resulting color withstandards provided in the kit. $12 to$14 each. Contact Chemetrics, Inc.

How to Teach with TopographicMaps by Dana Van Burgh, ElizabethN. Lyons, and Mary Boyington usesthe world of "topo" maps to linkenvironmental studies with geology.Students use skills such as map read-ing, interpreting longitude, latitude,and scale, and determining terrainchanges, to create a topographicmap of a familiar place such as apark, school yard, or churchgrounds. A real United StatesGeological Survey is included.Available from NSTA, stock numberPB038X8, price $7.95.

Science

EducationStandards

Now FinalizedDecember 1995 saw the finalform publication of theNational Science Education

Standards. The standards can beordered from the National AcademyPress, 2101 Constitution AvenueNW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC20055. To order using MasterCard,VISA, or American Express, call toll-free 1-800-624-6242 (in the DCmetro area, (202) 334-3313) or goto the National Academy Pressbookstore at http://ww.nas.edu/nap/bookstore. The cost is $19.95per single copy plus $4.00 ship-ping/handling and sales tax, andbulk discounts are available.

The National Science TeachersAssociation (NSTA) currently isworking on CompatibilityGuidelines and an Awareness Kit forthe newly published standards thatwill help teachers put the standardsto work in the classroom. Theeffort is being funded by theAnnenberg/CPB Science andMathematics Project. For moreinformation, contact NSTA.

Science Teaching Sources:Access Excellence, (http://www.gene.com/ae).Carolina Biological Supply Company, 2700 York Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.Carolina Online!, (http: / /www.carosci.com /)Compatibility Guidelines for the National Science Education Standards (in

process), National Science Teachers Association Bookstore, 1840 WilsonBoulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. 800-722-NSTA.

MiniKits for Water Quality Analysis, Chemetrics, Inc., Rt. 28, Calverton, VA22016. 800-356-3072

Teeter, Geoff, Access Excellence backgrounder, Genentech, Inc., 460 PointSan Bruno Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080.

Van Burgh, Dana, Elizabeth N. Lyons, and Mary Boyington, How to Teachwith Topographic Maps, NSTA, Arlington, VA.

Desktop continued from page 4

thrilled to find CarolinaOnline! Carolina Biological Supply'snew web home page(http://www.carosci.com). CarolinaOnline! gives information on receiv-ing a catalog, new products, andarticles from the popular "CarolinaTips" newsletter. Carolina's homepage is linked to Access Excellence; Ifound, when I selected the opportu-nity to read the text of a"CarolinaTips" back issue, a simple point andclick transferred me to the area ofAccess Excellence where Genentechhas placed full text of "CarolinaTips" back issues. Access Excellenceprovides so many links to sciencerelated sites that it's an excellentsource for novices and experts alikewho are seeking ideas and informa-tion.

Cornelia Munroe is the GEDTest Specialist for the Science

content area at the GED TestingService.

The KEY to SUCCESSfor ADULTS with

SPECIAL LEARNINGNEEDS

LARGEPRINT

Educational MaterialsGED Prep ABE ESL

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Now available from LRS yourprogram's materials in LARGEPRINT in easy to use format

with sturdy textbook bindings.

For more info:

1-800-255-5002

Library Reproduction Service1977 S. Los Angeles St.Los Angeles, CA 90011


For ABE Teachers: A Guide toUnderstanding the EDPDiagnosticby Katherine Lowndes

s EDP sites start up acrossthe nation, more and moreABE/GED instructors may

come across adults that are in theDiagnostic Phase of the ExternalDiploma Program (EDP). SinceEDP is a total system, any adultinterested in earning a diplomathrough the EDP must first success-fully complete the Diagnostic Phase.Before an EDP applicant can moveinto the Assessment Phase of theprogram, he/she must successfullycomplete the three DiagnosticInstruments, which assess the adult'sbasic skills in math, reading, andwriting. The Diagnostic assures thatno adult will fail in the high school-level part of the program for lack ofbasic skills.

The EDP Assessment phase isthe high school-level portion of theprogram. Here the EDP candidatesmust demonstrate 65 competenciesand an individualized skill with100% mastery. This portion of theprogram asks the adults to applytheir basic skills of math, reading,and writing, as well as their higher-level thinking skills, in complex situ-ations. The high school-level part ofEDP is as rigorous as the GED anddemands the same level of basic skillability to succeed. It is not the levelof difficulty that makes the assess-ment different, but rather the meansof assessing the individual's skill.

The Diagnostic process not onlyhelps the adults identify those basicskills that need work, but also directsthese adults to existing instructional

programs. The EDP advisor pro-vides the adult with a list of poten-tial resources that the adult could useto get help learning the missingskills. After attempting the threeDiagnostic Instruments, an EDPapplicant receives three "EDPLearning Recommendation Forms"listing the various specific reading,

When you are working with

an EDP applicant brushing up

their basic skills, it is most

effective to make use of real life

simulations.

writing and math skills that needimprovement. In every town wherean ABE learning center exists, thatcenter would be suggested as onepossible learning resource. If theEDP learner chooses this method oflearning, the EDP learner will arrivebearing these learning recommenda-tion forms.

The EDP Learning Recommen-dations Form clearly delineates thoseskills that the applicant did notdemonstrate in his first attempt atthe Diagnostics. The adult may onlyneed to work on one or two skills,or he may need to work on a varietyof math, reading, and writing skills.The idea then is for the learner toaccess community resources (yourABE center), work on these skills,then go back to the EDP site and

continued on page 8

Two MoreStates Join"Diploma"Ranks

As of February, 1996,8 Minnesota and North

Dakota became the newestGED jurisdictions to change thename of the GED credential toinclude the word "diploma."

The other states, territories, andCanadian provinces which issueGED diplomas are listed below:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,

Colorado, Connecticut,

Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,

Maryland, Massachusetts,

Mississippi, Montana,

Nebraska, New Jersey, New

Mexico, New York, North

Carolina, Ohio,

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,

South Carolina, Tennessee,

West Virginia, Wisconsin,

American Samoa, Guam,

Kwajalein, Marshall Islands,

Micronesia, Northern Mariana

Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin

Islands, Alberta, Manitoba,

New Brunswick,

Newfoundland, Northwest

Territories, Nova Scotia,

Saskatchewan


Campaign Focuseson Life-ChangingBooks

shape your FutureREAD! isthe theme for the Center forthe Book's 1995-96 reading

promotion campaign. Which ofthese "Books That Have ShapedReaders' Lives" made a difference inyour life? Which titles might youadd to the list?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,Mark Twain

Atlas Shrugged, Ayn RandThe Autobiography of Benjamin

FranklinThe Autobiography of Malcolm XThe BibleThe Catcher in the Rye, J.D. SalingerCharlotte's Web, E.B. WhiteThe Diary of a Young Girl, Anne

FrankDon Quixote, Miguel de CervantesGone With the Wind, Margaret

MitchellHiroshima, John HerseyHow to Win Friends and Influence

People, Dale CarnegieI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,

Maya AngelouInvisible Man, Ralph EllisonThe Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-

ExuperyLittle Women, Louisa May AlcottThe Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. TolkienRoots, Alex HaleyThe Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson

BurnettTo Kill a Mockingbird, Harper LeeTreasure Island, Robert Louis

StevensonWalden, Henry David ThoreauWar and Peace, Leo TolstoyWhat Color is Your Parachute?,

Richard Nelson Bolles

For more information, contactThe Center for The Book, Libraryof Congress, Washington, DC20540-8200.

FCDF GEO EKOWD6E@TO

Do You Really Know?ost longtime GED pro-gram staff know who tocall at the GED Testing

Service when they have a question.But over time, things change.People get promoted, move to a dif-ferent work group, take on newresponsibilities. That's been espe-cially true over the past year at OneDupont Circle. To better serve you,the staff has expanded and dutieshave been redefined. Please note the

new areas of responsibility when youcall to ask for one of us. We'll beable to help you more quickly if youhave your ten-digit Center ID num-ber handy when you callit's onevery contract, packing slip, andinvoice.

You'll be hearing about morechanges in the coming months. Butso far one thing's the same: we donot take telephone orders for securematerials under any circumstances.

Civilian State, Provincial, and Territorial GED Testing Centers

Address & Staff Changes Adora BeardBrochures, Videos,Research' Reports GED Fulfillment Service, 301-604-9073Disabilities/Special Testing Cathy AllinExaminers' Meetings Cathy AllinInvoices (paid, duplicate, etc.) Adora BeardNew Testing Centers Adora BeardOrder status, testing materials Adora BeardPolicy Questions Fred Edwards, Cathy Allin, Kati NiemiReturning Test Materials Rudy MasonShipping Error Rudy MasonSpecial Projects Cathy AllinTest Compromise Kati Niemi

DANTES, Federal Prisons, Michigan Prisons, Canadian Military, andVA Medical Centers and states which contract with GEDTS ScoringService

Address & Staff Changes Coni ThomasBrochures, Videos,Research Reports GED Fulfillment Service, 301-604-9073Combining Test Scores Cheryl RobertsInvoices (paid, duplicate, etc.) Seung Gee, Karen NnamaniNew Testing Centers Karen NnamaniOrder'status, testing materials Stacey ReedTranscripts Stacey Reed, Corn Thomas, Toniece People, Cheryl Roberts

Scoring ServiceCombining Scores Cheryl RobertsContracting, policies Karen Nnamani, Alice MarableInvoices (paid, duplicate, etc.) Seung Gee, Karen NnamaniEssay Topic Rotation,Essay Scores, Score Reports Cheryl Roberts, Cori ThomasMissing Test Results Toniece People, Coni Thomas


EDP Diagnostic from page 6

successfully demonstrate those skillsthat he was unable to demonstrateon the first attempt. If some itemsare missed again, the student canreturn to you to work on thoseitems only. This process continuesuntil the EDP applicant has demon-strated sufficient basic skills to besuccessful in EDP assessment.

In the EDP, all the high school-level competency assessments areimbedded in real-life simulations.Therefore, when you are workingwith an EDP applicant brushing uptheir basic skills, it is most effectiveto make use of real life simulationsrather than workbooks. For exam-ple, if a client needs help with per-

It is not the level of di iculty

that makes the [EDP]

different, but rather the means

of assessing the individual's

skill.

centages, you might use a situationof going to a restaurant, paying thebill, and calculating the tip. Foradding and subtracting fractions, youcould use rulers and measuring cupsin real-life situations, such as dou-bling a recipe or building a deck.

The External Diploma Programcurrently is offered in CT, DC, IL,KY, MD, ND, NY, OR, RI, UT,VA, WI, and WV. To see if there isan EDP assessment center in yourarea, call your state director of adulteducation. Teachers can contact theEDP technical assistance line at(202) 939-9475 every Wednesday,10:00 am-3:00 pm, Eastern time, formore information on helping anEDP learner.

Katherine Lowndes is AssistantDirector of the American Council

on Education's External DiplomaProgram.

Internet from page 1

free. Free material is most likely tobe that which is in the publicdomain, copyright-expired, or sim-ply government documents. Youwon't find the latest best-seller onthe Internet, but you will find news-papers, reference materials, mail-order catalogs, movie reviews, andgovernment publications.

What's the Catch?If the idea of vast quantities of

information on-line for free soundstoo good to be truewell, you'repartly right. While the benefits ofusing the Internet outweigh theproblems, you should realize thatthere are traffic jams, roadblocks,potholes, and accidents just waitingto happen on the information super-highway. For example:

The number of Internet users isincreasing fast; during peakperiods you may encounterdelays. If you're having troubleconnecting to a site, try againearly in the morning, or late atnight.Installing and using the newgraphical-interface WWW pro-grams isn't always easy.Fortunately, most commercialInternet providers supply easy-to-use installation software.Navigation through the Internetis not always straightforward.Trails may lead in circles and itcan sometimes be difficult tofind exactly what you want.There are a variety of searchaids on the Internet, you can"bookmark" favorite sites, andyou may find some great onesby chance, so don't despair!While there's a great deal ofaccurate, useful informationavailable through the Internet,remember that anybody canpost anything on the Internet,so check your sources!Finally, remember that the

Internet is changing daily. If you'rereading this article after September

To get started, you'll need a

personal computer, a modem

(or direct link to a network),

telecommunications software, a

telephone line, and an Internet

account.

1996, you should probably toss it inthe recycling bin. Call (800) 424-1616, and see if an updatedConsumer Guide on the subject isavailable.

Judith Anderson is Acting Directorof the National Institute on theEducation of At-Risk Students,Office of Educational Research

and Improvement (OERI), U.S.Department of Education. Thisarticle was excerpted from a

Consumer Guide available on theInternet at gopher.ed.gov andhttp: / /www. ed .gov.

Award-WinnirnigMath Videos!

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11767 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 222Miami, FL 33156

Page 8 o January/February 1996 GED Items

1996 CORNELIUS P. TURNER AWARDNOMINATION FORM

I. I, hereby nominate the following GED graduate to be the recipient ofthe 1996 Cornelius P. Turner award.

Name of Nominee

Address

City State/Province ZIP/Postal Code

Telephone (Day) (Evening) Date GED diploma received

Nominator's Signature Date

Please print Name and Title

Address

City State/Province ZIP/Postal Code

Telephone (Day) (Evening)

II. Nominator's Statement: In a statement of 500 words or less, please describe the accomplishments or contributions tosociety the nominee has made since earning the GED that make him/her eligible for the Turner Award. Attachadditional pages as necessary.

III. Nominee's Statement: In a statement of 500 words or less, please describe why you decided to pursue a GEDdiploma/credential and the impact it has made in your life and the lives of others. Attach additional pages as necessary.

IV. Release Statement: I am aware that I have been nominated for the 1996 Cornelius P. Turner award and consent to theuse of the information contained in this application for publicity purposes.

Nominee's Signature Date

GED Items

11January/February 1996o Page 9

Stay-Home Mom from page 3

school. Even if I could successfullycomplete all five, he told me, Iwould certainly earn higher scores ifI took more time. Scared and ner-vous, but thinking this would be myonly chance, I asked if I could try,anyway; he said yes.

I jotted down the test dates

and location from the poster,

folded away $10 out of my

grocery money and went home

with my mind made up and a

sense that nothing would ever

be the same again.

I guess I surprised us both.Completing all five sections in underthe allotted time, I did well, too,scoring above the 90 percentile rank.The examiner encouraged me tothink about going on to college. I

didn't think I'd ever go, but I feltbrightened by his enthusiasm, as ifhe could see something "out there"for me that I could not.

I kept his words in the back ofmy mind for two years, unaware ofthe seed he had planted. Then,when I found my marriage founder-ing and it seemed that soon I wouldbe raising my children alone, I beganto seriously consider going to col-lege. Not only did I realize that

now I'd have to be able to earn moremoney; for the first time in my life Ithought about my goals in terms ofmy own lifewhat I wanted to do.I visited the local university, learnedabout requirements and financial aidand, after jumping a few more hur-dles like taking the ACT test, startedcollege in the spring 1981.

In May 1987, the same year myoldest child graduated from highschool, I received my bachelor'sdegree in political science. ThatAugust I got my first "real" job, as aparalegal with a law firm inOceanside, California. In the timesince I took that GED test I hadchanged in many waysmy outlookwas broader, my expectations higherand my self-esteem stronger thanever before. The scared little "stay-home mom" was nowhere to beseen, and the best thing about that isthat my own daughters, by watchingme succeed, will never settle forthat. Both are attending collegeright now; both are planning to dopostgraduate work. Simply knowingthat makes the whole thingthework, worry, and sacrificeworthit!

Jette Engstrom is an ExecutiveAssistant in the American Councilon Education's Division of PolicyAnalysis and Research. She tookthe GED Tests in Aurora, CO in1979.

NALSGED REPORT Now AVAILABLE!

You read about it last month in Items... Now get the whole story! The LiteracyProficiencies of GED Examinees: Results from The GEDNALS Comparison Studycontains information about the literacy skills of GED examinees as measured bythe National Adult Literacy Survey. $20.00 (US) plus $5.00 shipping andhandling. Ask for publication #250802.

The GED Testing Fulfillment Service, P.O. Box 261Annapolis Junction, MD 20701

Phone (301) 604-9073 or FAX (301) 604-0158.

Purchase Orders, MasterCard & Visa accepted NGR-96

What's Bestfor Me?by Dan Avery

It was twenty-six years ago that I quitin my senior year. I said: "Who needs it?"three months away from my high school

degreebut didn't I know what's best for me?At the ripe old age of a wise seventeensaid: "To work in the world who needs that

degree?"Then I took my first job at an old chicken

farmshoveling their waste 'till I ached in both

arms,not to mention the odor that followed me

homewhere even my family left me alone.So I quit that job after a three week stint.Then my mother said: "Now, do you have a

hintof what lies ahead and how life may befor you in the world without that degree?""Well, no matter, my son, for I love you, my

dear,but it's work or the service 'cause you're

not stayin' here."Then I joined the Navy for a two year stint,but without that degree I still had no hint'till two decades later and dozens of jobsdrivin' trucks, sackin' grain, to the woods

sawin' logs.Not once was asked: "May I see your

degree?"So I proved that 1 knew what's best for me.'Till one day I finally woke up and I said:"All of my life I've used all but my head.Do I know how to figure percents of my

days?Of work versus sleep? It's all such a maze!To figure a budget with paper and pen?

I knew I could do it somehow but when?"After all I had done, been, lived and seendid I truly know what's best for me?I grew to be weary of not knowing muchof science and English, math questions and

such.Then a caring, close friend of mine said to

me:"If you want to go somewhere, education's

the keyto better yourself past where you are at,you'll need to get learning under your

hat."So adult education is showing me howto further myself past where I am now,by teaching me ways to split a percentor type up a letter and budget my rent.I'm learning computers and how they

relate

continued on page 12


Mew @Rd ü©GKET to Host GED InstructionProject Forum

The next GED ON TV ProjectForum will be held in August, 1996.To join the mailing list 'et 800 -354-

9067, e-mail: [email protected].

New GED Administrators "Getin the Saddle"

Welcome to the newest GEDAdministrators (responsible for test-ing at the jurisdiction level).Alabama: O.J. Webster IT (334)242-8182. California: RobertCervantes Tr (916) 327-0037(Nancy Edmunds IT (916) 322-8302). District of Columbia:Cynthia Bella (202) 576-6308.Idaho: Shirley Spencer Tr (208) 334-2165. Nevada: Vicky Ramakka(702) 687-3133. Oklahoma: LindaYoung IT (405) 521-3321. Vermont:Carol Amer 'Er (802) 828-3131.Kwajalein: Michael Davis Tr (805)238-7994 x1078. Marshall Islands:Dorothy Rae Nadeau sr (692) 625-3394. Canada Forces: Doug Pelchatler (613) 996-2429. New Brunswick,French Program: Janet Higgins 1:r

(506) 453-8234. Yukon: ArdysSmith 17r (403) 668-8740.

Kassebaum's Committee ChairOpen for Bidders Next Year

With Senator Nancy Kassebaum(R KS) announcing that she won'trun for reelection next year, JamesJeffords (R VT) becomes the seniormajority member on the SenateCommittee on Labor and HumanResources. Jeffords, considered afirm literacy supporter, has sidedwith Democrats in favor of earmark-ing funds for adult ed and literacyprograms in each state's block grant.

Jeffords' chances for ascension tothe chairmanship depend uponmany factors. Among them,whether the Republicans retainSenate control in the next elections,whether his colleagues want to makehim chair, and his personal interestin the role. While he may choose topursue another chair, Jeffords holdsless seniority on the other commit-tees of which he's a member.

Rand Corp Says ComputerAccess Will be Civic Necessity

The Rand Corporation con-cludes from a recent study that everyAmerican ought to have an e-mailaddress, even if he or she doesn'town a computer. The private think

tank says that people should be ableto use public terminals the same waythey now use public phones, andthat universal e-mail access wouldoffer social, economic and politicalbenefits, better-informed voters,opportunities for low-income peo-ple to join the Information Age, andopen venues for new businesses.Today, about 9% of U.S. homes haveonline access. El Rand Corp., P.O.Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA90407-2138 Tr (310) 451-6913.

Teleconferences to Focus on LDAdults

The Correctional EducationAssociation and the National AdultLiteracy and Learning DisabilitiesCenter will offer two teleconfer-ences for adult educators, "Screen-ing for Learning Disabilities inCorrectional and Adult Settings" onMay 17, and "Teaching the LearningDisabled in Correctional and AdultSettings" on June 7, (both 12:00-2:00 pm, EST). The teleconferenceswill help provide answers for educa-tors who almost certainly have stu-dents with learning disabilities, butwho may not have special educationcertification. im (800) 783-1232.

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GED Items 13 January/February 1996o Page 11

Call Goes Out for Turner AwardNominees

For more than 50 years, theGED Tests have offered mil-lions of adults a second chance

at a better future. Now is yourchance to recognize that one-in-a-million adult learner whose contri-butions have made the future betterfor all of us.

Each year, the Cornelius P.Turner Award, named for thefounder of the GED testing pro-gram, recognizes the accomplish-ments of one GED graduate whohas made an outstanding contribu-tion to society in one of the follow-ing areas: education, justice, health,or public or social service, andwhose achievements either benefitthe GED Tests directly or could nothave been achieved without a GEDdiploma. Previous recipients include1992 National Teacher of the YearThomas Fleming and Carol Swain, aProfessor at Princeton University.

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To be considered for the TurnerAward, the graduate must be nomi-nated by a GED Administrator, aGED Examiner, a GED/ABE teach-er or member of the program staff, aState Director of Adult Education,or a state or provincial Departmentof Education staff member. In mostcases, eligible nominees would haveearned their GED diploma ten ormore years ago.

Please use the nomination formlocated on page 9. .In order for thenomination to be considered, thenominee must sign the release por-tion of the form. Entries must bepostmarked no later than April 15,1996. Send eight (8) copies to:

Turner Award CommitteeGED Testing ServiceOne Dupont Circle, NWWashington, DC 20036-1163

What's Best from page 10

to find a career and math problemsequate.

I had no idea that to learn was this fun,and I've not scratched the surface. I've

only begun.Hey! don't get me wrong! This was so hard

at first,I fought and resisted 'till I thought I would

burst.This is all new to me. I forgot all I knew,everything that I learned years ago back in

school.But my teachers are patient, forgiving, and

kindin helping unlock the keys to my mind.Even fellow students give me a handwhen I come to a place where I don't

understand.Is saying "thankyou" enough in which to

repay?I'm so grateful for what you have taught

me today!Yes, now I DO know what's best for meand it's only a start with my GED.

Dan Avery is a recent GEDgraduate living in Billings, MT"What's Best for Me" came in

first out of 1200 adult educationentries in the Montana Council ofTeachers of Mathematics' annualWriting in Mathematics contest.

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GEDIng more than 24,000 readers

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2 AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION MARCH /APRIL 1996

Recent Radio PSA Campaign BoastsBig Success Early in 1996

public service announcements(PSAs) that feature GEDgraduates Waylon Jennings

and Anne Murray are at the hub ofthe GED Testing Service's 1996radio PSA campaigna campaignthat's shaping up to be a real winner.

According to a recent follow-upsurvey, 52 per cent of the radio sta-tions that received the Anne Murrayand Waylon Jennings PSAs are airingthe tapes. "That's a stunning num-ber," said Susan Porter Robinson,Director of Marketing and Outreachfor the American Council onEducation's Center for AdultLearning and EducationalCredentials, the GED TestingService's parent organization.

"This year's goal was to reachpeople in rural areas to tell themabout the value and availability ofthe GED Tests," said Jean Lowe,Director of the GED Testing Service(GEDTS). To arrive at that end,GEDTS distributed the PSAs featur-ing Anne Murray and WaylonJennings to radio stations in rural

Inside ItemsEDP Update 6

For GED Examiners 3

From the Director 2

GED Graduate Story .... 10

News and Notes 11

areas across the US.The smaller-marketstations that wereselected to reachthe target audienceconsisted of mostlycountry music sta-tions, with somesoft rock, adultcontemporary, andgolden oldies sta-tions as well as all-news and classicrock stationsthrown in for goodmeasure.

"Marketingpeople consider thistype of radio PSAcampaign successfulif 17 per cent of thestations contactedactually schedulethe tape for airplay,"added Susan, "butto hit three times asmany stations...think of it in termsof batting averages;520 is pretty amaz-ing."

Beginning on January 29, 1996,North American Network, thecompany that handles the GEDTesting Service's radio PSA place-ments, mailed out cassettes, scriptsand business reply cards. The recipi-ents were the targeted stations andradio networks located in the more

Canadian-born singer Anne Murray's GED public serviceannouncements helped launch the 1996 radio campaign down theroad to success.

sparsely populated areas outside theUnited States' major cities.Throughout the winter, those out-lets that didn't mail their businessreply card were contacted by tele-phone for information aboutwhether they would use the PSAs,and, if so, how often the tapes would"air."

continued on page 2


15

Prepare for the UnexpectedJean H. Lowe

Local Chief and AlternateExaminers have to wear twohats: that of advisor, and that

of police guarda difficult combi-nation. Another fact I always knew,but that came back to me as I metwith several hundred Californiaexaminers during April, is thatexaminers are people who give theirutmost, even though they often haveroles other than simply "GEDExaminer." And they always seemto give it despite limited resources.So how should they plan for emer-gencies? What are these emergen-cies? Here are some stories andquestions I've heard during the year.

A Chief Examiner was workingwith two new proctors. The exam-iner seemed disoriented and inatten-tive. The novices questioned someof her procedures but, since theywere new, they thought they shouldfollow her lead and not step in.After the testing session, a test book-let was missing. It turned out thatthe examiner had a stroke early inthe session and was indeed disorient-ed. The proctors were untrained,and so couldn't provide adequatebackup. Several procedures, hadthey been in place, could have pre-vented the problem. Can youbriefly list a few?

In another situation, a GEDcandidate suffered a heart attack.The one examiner administering thetests was the only staff person in thebuilding. Naturally, the priority wasthe examinee's life, so the examinerleft the room to call 911 whileanother examinee comforted thevictim. The stricken examinee sur-vived, but the testing session had tobe canceled. Without backupsupervision, the examiner couldn't

be certain that some examineeshadn't taken advantage of the confu-sion to compare answers. All exami-nees had to retest later using a differ-ent form of the test. If only therehad been just one more person avail-able to helpa teacher next door; afront office worker; a custodian. Is

this an issue you have faced? Whatplans would you recommend forensuring help is always available?

Planning in advance oftencomes up when the possibility of fireis discussed. First, examiners needto coordinate with the school's firemarshall to ensure that a fire drillwon't interrupt a testing session.Second, there should be an exit planfor each testing session. As much aswe emphasize test security, it is obvi-ously more important to safeguardhuman life. In a fire, it's the exam-iner's job to get everyone out of thetesting center in an orderly way. It isalso important, as best as circum-stances allow, to secure the testingroom. The testing session will haveto be canceled, then resumed withdifferent forms on another day evenif you can return to the testing cen-ter and you're fairly certain thatsecurity was not breached. Do youhave a plan for every location whereyou administer the tests?

Much of the GED program'sstrength lies in the work done bylocal Chief and Alternate Examiners.These people encourage, counsel,and guide candidates as well asadminister the GED Tests. Byunderstanding the extent of theirresponsibility and sharing creativesolutions, examiners can find thepeace of mind that will make wear-ing two hatsor morejust a littlemore comfortable.

Radio Campaign from page 1

The radio stations serving therural areas of the U.S. vary greatly inthe sophistication of their broadcastfacilities, the sizes of their transmitterand audience, and number of staffmembers. While many indicate thatthey plan to play the tapes severalhundred or even thousands of times,others say they'll have theirannouncers read the scripts over theair 20 or 40 times, rotating the GEDPSAs with those mailed to them byother groups seeking "goodwill" air-time. With this information, it'spossible to come up with an averagenumber of times the PSA will run(in this case, 199 per station). Theestimated number of times listenersnationwide will hear one of theannouncements is 66,001,100.

In the fall, the GED TestingService will launch a new marketingcampaign featuring veteran All-Prolinebacker Reggie White.

The GED radio PSAsfeaturing Anne Murray,Waylon Jennings and othersare now available! RequestItem #251009 from theGEDTS Fulfillment Service(301) 604-9073. Eachcassette is $5.00 plusshipping/handling.



Franklyn G. Jenifer, ACE Board Chair,University of Texas at DallasRobert H. Atwell, President, ACEJean H. Lowe, Director, GED TestingService

Page 2 o March/April 1996

16GED Items

Ftov GE aciaa@vgPeer Review Planning Sessions Bear Other Fruits

series of 12 GED Examiners'meetings took place inCalifornia recently. Their

goal: to develop systematic practicesthat would preserve the program'sintegrity.

The examiners, working withthe state, plan to institute a periodicpeer review process in which a teamof examiners will visit a nearby test-ing center to look at the facility andprocedures. In turn, the examinerbeing visited joins the next team, sothat team membership rotates sys-tematically. The process is designedto give examiners fresh eyes to pin-point a center's vulnerabilities, whileoffering peer reviewers a chance tolearn from the centers they visit.This led to the idea that teams andindividuals could perform their ownself-checks. Here are some of thequestions suggested by the Californiaexaminers. See how you compare!

Look out For a special boxThe GED program is vulnerable

in the area of receiving and storingmaterials, so be honest as youanswer! How are materials deliveredto your testing center? If materialscome to the mail room, do the mailstaff know how to handle secureGED materials? Do they know thatonly the Chief Examiner, can signfor the package(s)? If you use scoringkeys, do you know what to do ifthey don't arrive within seven days?Do you inventory materials againstthe packing list upon receipt? Storethem in a fireproof safe or file cabi-net that has a sturdy lock? Is this fileused only for secure materials? Arethe Chief or Alternate Examiner(s)the only one(s) with keys? Do youstore scored answer booklets withsecure materials? Do secure testmaterials stay locked up exceptwhen you are administering them?

Inventory, inventory, inventoryDo you inventory materials

when you remove them from storagefor administration? When you arriveat the testing room? Again after eachtesting session? When you returnthem to secure storage? Do youcount all materials before examineesleave the testing room? Do youinventory all secure materials eachonce a month whether they've beenused or not? The rule is: Inventory,Inventory, Inventory. A hot trailleads to quick retrieval!

Did you know...Neither your secretary nor your

superintendent may ever haveaccess to secure materials.

High-risk testing sessions mayrequire more than the 1 for 20ratio specified in the GEDExaminer's Manual.

More thefts take place when thecandidate comes to the exam-iner rather than the other wayaround.

Pencils have been found to bepopular cheating tools.

Never score tests when anexaminee is present.

Never test in an isolated setting.

Be wary on testing dayYou could be highly vulnerable

to test loss during test administra-tion. Do you store materials in a filebox or briefcase at the testing sessionrather than on a desk or table? Doyou have enough proctors? Is theresomeone you can call for help?Consider an examinee's sudden ill-ness or yours, fire drills or fires,power failures, hallway commotion.What's your plan for each scenario?

How do you maintain control ofGED examinees? Do you insist thatthey remain seated while you delivertests to them? Do you refuse under

any circumstances to allow exami-nees at your desk? Do you maintaina test log for each examinee, notingthe test forms and essay topicsassigned by serial number? Whenyou distribute and collect test book-lets, do you use the "fan" or "edge"method to check each one for miss-ing pages? Do you provide all scratchpaper, pens, and pencils? Do youcirculate among the examinees tocheck that they correctly bubble ininformation such as the test formand format codes? That they writeon the current topic? Do you active-ly monitor the testing room duringtesting, conscientiously avoidingother activities? Do you keep allexaminees in the room until allmaterials are accounted for? Handscore tests alone and in your office?




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GED Items

17March/April 1996o Page 3

Rapt Students Hang on Teacher's Every WordBradley couldn't concentrate on his work. He was thinkingof leaving his wife, Samantha, for Gloria because "a manneeds a woman who will look up to him." Anyway, afterthree years of marriage, there was no excitement left.

by Meryl Robin Becker

Hdidn't set out to write a book. I

was teaching a vocabulary classfor adults who read below a sixth

grade level, both native and non-native speakers of English. I gotbored with the exercises, so I madeup a short romantic story using thatweek's vocabulary words.

Fascinated, the students got intoa fiery discussion over Bradley's rea-sons for leaving Samantha. Does aman need a woman to look up tohim? Should a man be smarter than"his" woman? Is three years toolong to be married?

That was all I planned to write,but the students besieged me withquestions. To keep them satisfied, Iwrote another episode. Then anoth-er. Each left them hanging andbrought up issues for us to discuss.How do you react to a friend introuble? Should a man be moreimportant to a woman than hercareer? How do dating customsvary in different countries?

Each week we covered oneepisode. The matching exercisesreinforced the words and idioms thatcame up in the story. Studentsworked patiently, but what got themhooked were the story and the dis-cussion that followed.

Samantha dayAs other students and teachers

heard about the story, they toobecame interested. Other readinggroups asked to be released fromclass to join ours on "Samantha day."Other teachers asked what had hap-pened to Samantha that week,including a teacher from another

school who taught one of my stu-dents at night.

After 20 episodes, I brought thestory to a close. Several monthslater, I used it again, with the samereaction. Students came to me afterclass, promising to keep the secret ifI would let them in on what wasgoing to happen the following week.I was on to something! People whofound reading a difficult, tediouschore now were looking forward toit!

Giving it a tryOver the years, I clarified andincreased the Samantha exercises.Teachers and staff memberssuggested that I get it published.Finally, I decided to give it a try. I

looked through the adult educationand ESL catalogues at my school andmade a list. I met with a friend ofmy mother, a retired writer andtextbook'editor, who gave me somepointers. He told me to write aquerya letter describing thematerial I had to offerto eachpublisher, rather than spend a lot ofmoney sending an entire chapter toeach one. If they were interested,they would ask for more.

Of the 15 publishers on my list,roughy one-third never responded.Of the other ten, about half didn'tfind it appropriate to their needs orhad too many projects already. Tothose that were interested, I sent aprospectus, a sample chapter, and atable of contents.

As we wrote back and forth,one publisher emerged as the mostseriously interested. Two staff editors

reviewed the sample chapter. Mostof the revisions the publisherrequested involved additions andchanges to the exercises.

Several months later, theyoffered me a contract. We then dis-cussed illustration, the amount oftime needed to finish themanuscript, and the target audience.Since the majority of my studentswere non-native speakers of English,we listed it as an ESL book,although I continue to use it withmixed groups.

I was on to something! People

who found reading a difficult,

tedious chore now were looking

forward to it!

I also asked the publisher tocome up with a way to prevent stu-dents from reading ahead. I knewfrom experience how eager studentswere to know the ending. I wantedto preserve that suspenseand thediscussion and motivation it generat-ed. The publisher came up with asolution, and we were ready toprint.

One year laterAn entire year passed from the

date the publisher first expressedinterest to the day we signed thecontract. Because of my family andjob responsibilities, it then took mealmost a year to make the publisher'ssuggested additions to themanuscript. It was to be 15 months


Page 4 o March/April 1996

18GED Items

WRITING SKILLS

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ahntigll 06c1cmcp PvccyciffE Upclo'h

EDP's Place in a Block Grant Worldby Katherine Lowndes

Block grants appear to be themodel for distribution of fed-eral funding in the future.

Moneys that now come to adulteducation from the federal govern-ment in dedicated funding streamswill soon be distributed throughstate mechanismsgovernors, statelegislatures, or state education agen-cies. Block grants, so called becausethey consolidate current "categoricalprograms" into larger chunks ofmoney earmarked for more generalpurposes, allow more flexibility atthe state level for how the funds aredistributed.

However, federal and state poli-cy makers now will require more

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substantive evidence that programsare effective in preparing people forwork, improving needed skills, andmoving people off the entitlementrolls and into the workplace.

The EDP provides both basic

skill assessment through its

Diagnostic process and mastery

level competency in the high

school-level portfolio

demonstrations.

When Rep. Bill Goodling's (R-PA) CAREERS bill and Sen. NancyKassebaum's (R-KS) WorkforceDevelopment Act are reconciled, theresulting legislation is likely to have aprofound effect upon the way wel-fare, adult education, and workforcepreparation programs do business.Two key issues are emphasized inboth bills: the need for performancestandards and accountability.

Funding Depends on GoalsMeasurable goals will be much

more important to program survivalunder a block grant system. Somegoals may be "soft," includingaccomplishments such as being abetter parent or getting a better job.However, in all cases, measurablegainspre- and post-testing thatdemonstrates real improvements,high school diplomas or equivalen-cies earned will take precedenceover customer satisfaction in ensur-ing program survival in the competi-tion for block grant dollars.

Block grants emphasize results,not processes. The plans for reformwill measure program success largelyin terms of economic and employ-ment-related outcomes. Workforce

development is the recurring theme:not only helping entry-level workersget their first jobs, but also preparingcurrently employed and transitionalworkers for new careers and thecontinuous learning that today'swork environment demands.

SCANS and the EDPThe SCANS (Secretary's

Commission on AchievingNecessary Skills) competencies wereoutlined in 1993 by the Secretary ofLabor to clearly define for educatorsthe competencies needed by work-ers, now and in the future.

The SCANS skills includedfoundation competencies such asreading, writing, math, listening andspeaking, as well as more complex,task-driven competencies, such asproblem-solving and using resources.

As the SCANS performanceindicators reflect the level of prepa-ration required to enter and be suc-cessful in the world of work, so EDPassesses many of those same neces-sary skills. The EDP provides bothbasic skill assessment through itsDiagnostic process and mastery levelcompetency in the high school-levelportfolio demonstrations.

EDP graduates demonstrateskills closely resembling the SCANScompetencies both by completingthe EDP portfolio and by navigatingtheir way through the completionprocess. The accompanying matrixgives a brief sampling of variousSCANS competencies and theirEDP "counterparts."

EDP Benefits Business, Labor

and ProgramsEDP is a competency-based,

performance assessment system thatleads to a traditional high school

Page 6 o March/April 1996 GED Items

20

Comparing the Compeencies

OReading

such' -as maps-and manuals to:perform7.

a task.

IInter-piets wrilfen Mformation in prose,and documentssuch as manuals and9rap.L.b:

WritingCompose a letter or report about a -1

;consumer or citizenship issue:

Write a resume and letter of:application.

;Creates documents as letters, -I

t-eportsidirections...

Speaking[State ciaa-pitilari;topic of interest.

Prianizes ideas cnd communico es'them orally.

Problem SolvingISON4aPiableta,-ditailleffiteps tofollow for a given set of circumstances.I

Itecogniesp-TOble-m--s-iircd devises a'plan of action.

Team WorkIdentify an interpersonal con ict that

;could arise at work and resolve it in a;positive way.

l'articipates as a member of a team. t

Mathematics(Apply mathematical process to salve-

Ha three, four, or five step practicalproblem.

;Approach practical probl ems y Ichoosing appropriately from a variety;la mathematical solutions.

diploma. It is a unique system inwhich the adult is accountable forhis or her own learning, Learningtakes place in a real-world contextthat emphasizes the work environ-ment. Both businesses and laborgroups have embraced EDP as a sys-tem that encourages the older work-er not only to earn a credential, butalso to enroll in postsecondary edu-cation and training.

As the block grant world orderunfolds, EDP can provide adult edu-cation programs with a means todocument client success, and EDPcan be a strong part of state work-force development plans, no matterwho manages the distribution ofmoneys.

Katherine Lowndes is theAssistant Director of the AmericanCouncil on Education's ExternalDiploma Program.

For a complete list of EDP/SCANS competencies, pleasesend a check for $5.00 madepayable to ACE/EDP for theExternal Diploma Program:Assessment Procedures andSample Assessment Materials,to Barbara Willt, 13122Memory Lane, Fairfax, VA22033.

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21March/April 1996o Page 7

GED Graduation Ceremonies ProvideContagious EnthusiasmA GED teacher's dream comes trueby Janet Scarpone

few years ago, for just onesemester, I had the opportu-nity to teach my GED and

ESL classes in one of the most beau-tiful buildings in southernCalifornia, the Granger Music Hall.This landmark has an angelic hand-painted ceiling, beautiful round win-dows, a baby grand piano, and awooden stage framed by intricatehand-carved woodwork. I simplyknew that the awards ceremony Iusually plan for the end of eachsemester would be very special inthis unique setting. And was it!

The day arrived. At 7:30 a.m.,a man from our school set up anelaborate sound system. To this day,I still don't know who sent him.Not long afterwards, Mayor Watersof National City arrived. Later, Ifound out that the groundskeeperhad asked him to come. Then, uppulled a school bus. Out came theGranger Junior High School song-and-dance troupecostume-cladand carrying propsand theirpiano-playing teacher. A graduatehad invited them. The groupopened the ceremony with severalpopular songs and helped hum"Pomp and Circumstance" as eachcapped and gowned graduate camedown the aisle. To top it all off, eachof the graduates got their picturetaken with the mayor!

Back to the "Drawing Board"After that, it was back to the

classrooms for me. I continued toput together awards ceremonies atthe end of each semester.

Sometimes I would team upwith other instructors, and students

ISINMESIMINIMItompa.*

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Capped and gowned, 18 of Janet Scarpone's 25 GED graduates strike a pose for thecamera at Sweetwater's Graduation Day.

from computer, ESL, GED & ROPclasses would receive their recogni-tion together. Still, I dreamed of adistrict-wide GED graduation. TheSweetwater Union High SchoolDistrict is largemore than 1,000GED graduates annually. But everyyear, all I had to offer my GEDgraduates was a simple homespunceremony held in a classroom. Untillast year, when the Chief Examiner,Al Melendrez, and I began workingtogether to put on a district-widegraduation. My dream was going tocome true...and I knew just whereit was going to happen!

. We rented the Granger MusicHall, but this time it was so crowdedthat the administration decided thatwe would need to plan for two dis-trict-wide graduations a year. Myassistant principal, Tom Teagle, and I

began organizing the preparations inSeptember. Our monthly meetingsincluded the Chief Examiner, theGED office staff and assistant princi-pals and counselors from each adultschool site.

Meanwhile, I assigned all mystudents a letter-writing exercise inwhich they each invited PresidentClinton to California for our bigevent. I thought our weather wouldcertainly be a persuasive factor, and,a few weeks later, I was the onlyteacher around with letters pouringin from the White House.Unfortunately, each one said thesame thing: his job would keep thePresident from attending.

The planning committee decid-ed that the nearby high school gym-nasium would be big enough for usto invite the entire school, the staff

Page 8 o March/April 199622 GED Items

and administration, our AssistantSuperintendent, the Mayor, theBoard of Trustees in addition to thefriends and families of the graduates.I even invited my parents!

The Day Finally ArrivesThe last day of the fall semester,

January 26, marked our most recentgraduation day. The programopened with musical selections bythe Sweetwater High School Bandand Eileen Peca, an ESL teacher,played "Pomp and Circumstance."Graduates entered under an arch ofblue and white balloons. TheSweetwater ROTC Color Guardpresented colors and a high schoolstudent sang the "Star-SpangledBanner" acappella. Our Principal, LizLebron, welcomed the crowd andAssistant Superintendent JerryRindone introduced the platformguests, including the Mayor. TheBoard of Trustees' Vice President,Greg Sandoval, delivered the mes-sage to the graduates, and I readaloud President Clinton's letter ofcongratulations.

Our guest speaker was JoseBrosz, a GED graduate who is nowan Assistant Principal at nearbySouthwest High School. A specialaward went to retired ChiefExaminer Louise Caine, who insti-tuted automated test scoring. Thestudent speakers were Lucia Butlerand Bertha Hernandez. Our princi-pal then recognized the highest testscores and awarded five scholarships.

The diplomas were finally hand-ed out and a reception followed.There was punch and cookies and alive band for dancing. I went homethat day knowing that this excitingGraduation Day will be rememberedby everyone for years to come!

Janet Scarpone lives in SolanoBeach, California. She has been ateacher of college-level courses as

well as GED and ESL for 21years.

Timeline: GED Groducthion Ceremony

August Inform recent graduates that there will be a graduationceremony the following June and encourage them toparticipate.

December Do the same as above for spring semester graduates.

March

April

May

One weekbefore

Establish a date, time, and location for the ceremony.Arrange for musical accompaniment. A local high schoolband is what many groups use.Send notices of the ceremony to recent and potential MayGED graduates. Encourage them to participate and invitetheir friends and relatives.Keep a list of who is coming and how many guests they willbring. Request that they arrive half an hour ahead of time.

Approach local public figures and ask them to give a shortspeech at the ceremony.Approach the superintendent of schools or anotherprominent figure in state or local education and ask him orher to present the diplomas.

Send a press release to local newspapers and television andradio stations announcing the date, time, and location of theevent.Follow up on the release to get a sense of media coverage.If graduates will be wearing academic gowns, sendinformation about rental companies and encourage studentsto arrange for gown rentals early.Hire a photographer to take pictures during the ceremony.Arrange for a sound system and special lighting, if needed.Draw up a program for the ceremony and arrange to have itprinted.Arrange for refreshments, if desired.

Follow up with the media. Tell them about anynoteworthy graduates.Do a final tally on graduates and their guests; finalizearrangements for refreshments.Go over the ceremony with those who will be speaking,handing out diplomas, and providing music. Make sure theyknow what to do and how long they will be expected toparticipate.

Day before Make final calls to media.Set up chairs and stage area at the graduation site.

Hours before Set out refreshments.

Just before Make sure everyone is in place. Explain the order of theceremony.

Just after Introduce reporters to students. Have photographs developedimmediately and deliver them by hand to the newspaperswith captions.

For more information on the elements of planning a GED graduation ceremony, refer to

Section 11of the 1993 GED Examiner's Manual.

GED Items March/April 1996o Page 9

23

Distance Learning Gives Young Mother a Boostby Nancy Crutcher

Every morning Dana Portersent her seven children off toschool. Now she goes out the

door with them, thanks to an inno-vative adult education program pro-vided through the University ofMississippi.

"I dropped out when I was inthe tenth grade because I had ababy," said Dana, now age 25. "Butwhen I got to looking at my kids, Iknew I had to go back to school forthem." She is the 400th GED gradu-ate of Jackson State University'sContinuing Education LearningCenter.

Dana got her start by partici-pating in Project LEAP (Learn,Earn, and Prosper), a program inwhich participants improve theiracademic and employability skills bytaking part in interactive classesbroadcast by satellite to Jackson Stateand 47 other sites across Mississippi.

Project LEAP'S curriculum canbe tailored to accommodate diverselearners on an open-entry/open-exitbasis. Every student is assessed usingthe TABE (Tests of Adult BasicEducation) upon intake and receivesan IEP (Individual Education Plan)

based onthe results.Televisioninstructors,whoselessons arebroadcastvia satellite,present corecurriculumon threeskill levels(K-3, 4-8,and GEDprep).Other com-ponentsfocus oncareerchoices,interview-ing skills,good workhabits and family, health, and finan-cial issues. Facilitators at each siteprovide individualized instructionwhile students may contact the TVinstructors directly via toll-freephone numbers.

Project LEAP is delivered to awide range of programs throughout

Family and friends surround Dana Porter, as she displays the flowers andaward she received at a surprise party given in her honor by Jackson StateUniversity's GED Program.

the United States. According to theUniversity of Mississippi's programdirector, Dr. Edwin E. Meek,"LEAP allows us to bring to themost rural and isolated areas theresources that a major university has


BIBLIOGRAPHY OF INSTRUCTIONALMULTIMEDIA MATERIALS FOR ADULTSFor information about computer-based learning systems, where to go for help on building a multimedia system, and howto evaluate whether the software package you're looking at will meet both your specifications and the needs of yourstudents, the Bibliography of Instructional Multimedia Materials for Adults by Nancy Engler is a valuable resource.

Call today to order! Each 100-page bibliography is $7.50 plus $2.50 shipping & handling. Request item #251017.

GED TESTING SERVICE PUBLICATIONS FULFILLMENT( 3 0 1 ) 6 0 4 - 9 0 7 3

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Page 10 a March/April 1996

24GED Items

Videoconference Links PopularMusic with Content Areas

Rock music has both reflectedand influenced our culture for morethan 40 years. Can teachers use it tosupport educational goals? Anupcoming conference illustrates how"rock and roll can fortify the studyof not only music, but also history,geography, language artseven sci-ence and math!" On May 8, 1996from 3:00-5:00 pm eastern time, thePublic Broadcasting Service (PBS),the Rock and Roll Hall of Fameand Museum, and CuyahogaCommunity College present "TheKids Are Alright...Rock & Roll,Education, & Youth Culture."Social scientists and educators willexplore the interdisciplinary poten-tial of pop music and reveal howteachers can use it to reach studentsmore effectively. Contact the PBSAdult Learning Service IT (800)

257-2578 or Kg-http://www.pbs.orgRock and Roll Hall of Fame andMuseum,http://www.rockhall.com.

GEDTS Meeting Slated forWashington DC

"Retooling for GED 2000Focus on You" is the theme for theGED Administrator's Conference,July 11-13. Registration $50.00 fornon-GED Administrators. E] GED

Annual Conference, One DupontCircle, NW Suite 250, Washington,DC 20036 IT (202) 939-9490

COABE '96 Comes to Iron CityPittsburgh, PA plays host to

COABE '96 with the theme"Inclined to Excellence." The con-ference takes place May 16-18 at theLawrence Convention Center andDoubletree Hotel in downtownPittsburgh, with preconference insti-tutes on May 15. (F) COABE '96

c/o Goodwill Industries, 2600 EastCarson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203TT (412) 481-4836.

Mathematics Forum Seeks Tipsfrom ABE/GED Teachers

The Math Forum is a "virtualcenter for math education on theInternet." Developed at and admin-istered by staff at SwarthmoreCollege, near Philadelphia, the MathForum's goal is to provide a commu-nity center for mathematicsresources and information for teach-ers, researchers, parents, and studentsat all levels. The Math Forum isseeking contributions from teachersof mathematics to adult learners.Your expertise, articles, bibliogra-phies, lesson plans, URLs for webpages, and other relevant materialsare welcome! Submissions can bepasted into an email message or sentas an email enclosure. ContactMelissa Dershewitz TT (800) 756-

7823 or c'[email protected]. The Math Forum,tro-http://forum.swarthmore.edu.

New GED AdministratorsPlease join in welcoming the

newest GED Administrators (thepeople responsible for the state- orprovince-wide GED testing pro-gram).

Florida: John Sojat IT (904)

488-6622; West Virginia: PamAbston if (304) 558-6315;

Wyoming: Sharon Guerneyif (307)777-3545; New Brunswick: RichardCorey IT (506) 453-2198;

Saskatchewan: Jim Seiferling

(306) 787-0477.

Key(E)

(ca.

Mailing AddressTelephone NumberInternet Address/URL

Librarians Rate Books for AdultNew Readers

The Publishers LiaisonCommittee of PLA's Adult LifelongLearning Section compiles TopTitles for Adult New Readersoutstanding books, fiction and non-fiction, that serve the needs of newlyliterate adults. Books that are select-ed for the list demonstrate high lev-els of appeal in terms of content,format, and artwork. Most titles areeighth-grade reading level or belowon the Fry Readability Scale andeffectively utilize simple plots, shortsentences, and uncomplicatedvocabulary. With the exception ofclassic works, the books have beenpublished in the current calendaryear or during the last half of theprevious year. if Laura McCaffery

(219) 424-7241 ext. 2212 [email protected].

Award-WinningMath Videos!

Eight mathseries in all!From basicskills to col-lege level!



* * *" Video Rating Guide forLibraries, 1994






GED Items March/April 1996o Page 11

25

Hanging continued from page

more before the book came out inprint.

What got them hooked were

the story and the discussion

that followed.

The whole process took so longthat I sometimes thought it was all adream and my book would never befinished. Today, my students stillargue over what Bradley andSamantha should do and talk aboutwhat they think will happen, butinstead of reading it from a hand-written photocopy, they use a book.

Meryl Becker teaches atEmployment Connections inChelsea, MA. Samantha: ASoap Opera and VocabularyBook for Students of English asa Second Language and theaccompanying Teacher's Manual areavailable from the University ofMichigan Press, (313) 764-4392.

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GED graduate continued from page

to offer. It also enables us to cus-tomize a curriculum for specificpopulations."

Jacqueline Lacey, Dana's LEAPfacilitator noted that, from thebeginning, "Dana was very positiveand determined. I didn't have toboost her self-esteem. She alreadyknew what she wantedher GED."

"...when I got to looking at

my kids, I knew I had to go

back to school for them."

"The only difficult time," Danasaid. "was getting up and gettingseven kids ready and getting myselfready. Getting to class on time wasan accomplishment in itself."

In January Dana Porter enteredHinds Community College to studynursing.

Nancy Crutcher is a staff writer atthe University of Mississippi.

Peer Review from page 3

Transport with careDo you take the same care with

transported tests as you do withthose you administer at your homesite? Are you particularly careful totake the exact number of test book-lets you'll need? Have you examinedthe setting where you'll be adminis-tering the tests for comfort, light,and security? Is locked storage avail-able? Do you inventory at each stepof the transportation process? Areyou aware that you must NEVERtransport scoring keys? That all scor-ing must be done at your scoringsite?

The preceding questions don'tbegin to address your otherroles as a counselor, net-

worker, and GED ambassador. Theydon't even cover all test securityissues. However, if your systemchecks out against these questions,you'll be less likely to face a testcompromise. How did you do?

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GEDItems:

more than 24,000 readers

II

CDWelcome Ontario! Canada's MostPopulous Province Begins GED Testing

0 ntario's Minister ofEducation and Training,the Honourable John

Snobelen, rewarded GED advocateson May 16, 1996 by announcingthat the province would commencefull-scale GED testing in TorontoJune 1. In September, the programwill expand to Greater Toronto,Ottawa, Windsor, Sudbury, andThunder Bay.

At a May 30 meeting with busi-ness people and educators at theMetro Toronto Board of Trade, theminister described the GED Tests asa new adult education alternative,

adding that it was time for Ontarioto join the ten other provinces andterritories which offer GED testing.

The Canadian GED testing pro-gram celebrated its 25th anniversaryin 1994. The tests, available in bothEnglish and French, are developedseparately from the U.S. Tests, reflectCanadian secondary school curricu-lum, and are normed on Canadianhigh school seniors. Testing isoffered in Alberta, BritishColumbia, Manitoba, NewBrunswick, Newfoundland,Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia,Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan,

rtiVETVRD

Peter Kilburn, Chair of the Canadian GED Administrators' Council, presents Ontario'sMinister of Education and Training, the Honourable John Snobelen, with a plaquecommemorating the beginning of the Ministry's Full-scale GED program. Looking on (left toright) are John Allston,Chair, and Shelagh O'Connor, Senior Analyst, both from the Board ofTrade of Metropolitan Toronto's Education Policy Committee.

and Yukon. The minimum age fortesting in Canada, with only twoexceptions, is 19.

While the GED Testing Service(GEDTS) and the Canadian GEDAdministrators have long held anopen invitation to Canada's mostpopulous province to join the GED"family," this year's success owesmuch to six people whose effortsfirst became visible in 1994.

This group of men and women,who came to be known affectionate-ly as the "Ontario Six," consisted ofLinda Perry and the late EthelAnderson at the Ontario Ministry ofEducation; Jim Barlow from theOntario Council for AdultEducators (OCAE) and WaterlooCounty Board of Education; JackPlayford of the Ontario SecondarySchool Teachers Federation(OSSTF) and the Continuing


Inside Ittems4ACEINainesNew President . ... 5

For GED Examiners 4

From the Director 2

Research Update t.. . 3

Teaching Tips 6

tlewsdnd Notes ...... 10


27

-

Serving Adults with Specific Learning Disabilitiesby Jean H. Lowe

I've often considered numbersboring and impersonal, but thosecontained in Who Took the

GED? The GED 1995 AnnualStatistical Report tell a story thatshould interest everyone associatedwith the GED program. As we com-pare the numbers with those report-ed for 1994, we can take pride inthe program's continued overallgrowth. Along with other increases,special test accommodations foradults with documented specificlearning disabilities (SLD) grew awhopping 31%. There's been asteady increase in this area since1990, when we first collected thisdata separately.

The emphasis on improvingsuch services got a boost from the1990 Americans with DisabilitiesAct, which was phased in over theensuing two years. Our successresults from the hard work of manyGED Administrators, teachers,counselors and GED Examiners andtheir commitment to improve ser-vice to candidates with SLD.

GED Items (ISSN 0896-0518) is pub-lished.bimopthly brthe GED TestingService of the American Council onEducation (ACE). GED Items is notcopyrighted Readers are invited to copyany articles not previously copyrighted.Credit should be given in accordancewith accepted publishing standards.

Editor: Lisa RichardsEditorial Consultant:, Susan PorterRobinsonAdvertising Manager: Lisa RichardsCirculation Manager: DebraiLouben-ColeCirculation Assistant: Zenitta Jones

Barry Munitz, ACE Board Chair,California State University SystemRobert H. Atwell, President, ACEJean H. Lowe, Director, GED TestingServiCe

But there's another way to lookat these numbers. This increase stillrepresents accommodations to lessthan three tenths of one percent(.26%) of all GED candidates! Somesources suggest that at least five per-cent of the general population haveSLD; others think 10 percent is abetter estimate.

The five percent estimate trans-lates to 36,195 examineesa far cryfrom the 2,194 people who appliedfor special accommodations in 1995.It's clear that no matter whose esti-mates we use, we're missing a largesegment of the population we'remandated to serve.

Modifications of standard testingconditions (extra time, a privateroom, a calculator, a scribe) and theuse of special editions, such as theaudiocassette, may be granted toindividuals who provide documenta-tion of their specific needs from adoctor or psychologist. So what arethe road blocks? Naturally, we canblame a lack of resources. Time,money, staff, are in short supply formost programs and can be dauntingobstacles to administering the GEDTests under special conditions. Thelack of affordable diagnosticians, formost testing programs, is another bighurdle. Nevertheless, the entireGED testing program is obliged byU.S. and Canadian laws to providespecial accommodations to peoplewith documented needs, and maketo the public aware that such accom-modations are available.

I challenge everyone who workswith the GED program to helpbring these numbers up to approxi-mately five percent of our total audi-ence, about 36,000, by the year2000. To get there, we must set pro-gressive intermediate goals each year.

We'll need to drum up the diag-nosis and instruction resources wedon't now have by networking,making contacts in other agencies,writing grant proposalswhatever ittakes. We must reconfigure the sys-tem so that providing special accom-modations doesn't break our routine,but becomes part of it.

Intermediate Goals for ServingGED Candidates with Specific

Learning Disabilities

36,000

s I i

6,0002;194

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*Number

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of candidates with SID

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served

What can GEDTS do to help?We're updating and clarifying theform and process used for applyingfor special accommodations. Onceagain, we'll publish them in a smallbooklet for teachers, counselors, andGED candidates. A new instruction-al videotape will also explain theprocess of documenting the need forspecial accommodations.These low-cost materials should be in stock atour fulfillment house late this fall.

We will also make the pages ofGEDItems available as a discussionforum on how to accomplish thesegoals. What must we do to makethis a reality? Where have you foundyour triumphs? Your roadblocks?Send us your ideas so that we canshare them with others. I look for-ward to hearing from you.

Page 2 May/June 1996

28GED Items

"

Survey of Connecticut Businesses Finds

Favorable Impressions of GED GraduatesMiddletown, CTApril 15, 1996

Responses to a survey from65 Connecticut companiesand industries reveals that

the companies, in general, have pos-itive perceptions of GED graduates.

Beginning in the fall of 1993,the Connecticut Bureau of AdultEducation and Training surveyed153 personnel directors working forlarge businesses operating in thestate. Slightly more than 42 percent(65 companies) completed andreturned the survey. Analysis of thedata provided the following aboutthe participating companies:

Hire GED graduates 100%

Currently employ

GED graduates 86%Provide GED classes or

other adult ed programs 58%Most of the companies that

responded have fewer than 1,000employees. More than half of thoseresponding (52 percent) are manu-facturing sector businesses. Also rep-resented were service companies,finance, insurance, and real estatecompanies, as well as retail stores andpublic utility companies. A smallnumber of respondents (less than 10percent total) fell into the categoriesof wholesale businesses, mining, andconstruction.

Approximately 94 percent of therespondents agreed or stronglyagreed with the statement that GEDgraduates are of "just as much valueto society as high school graduates."Approximately 88 percent of therespondent disagreed or strongly dis-agreed with the statement that highschool graduates make more

Distribution of Survey Respondents According to Score onIndex of Positive Perception of GED Graduates

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

cv0.

g') c.) rhh

LessPositive Score on Index

co 0. 0

MorePositive

Presented here are data taken from pp. 5.6 of the report describing the companies' scores on the Indexof Positive Perception of GED Graduates. The mean score was 38.2 out of a possible 50, or 76percent. Consequently, it can be said that the participating companies tended to have a more positive,rather than a less positive, perception of GED graduates. Standard deviation for these scores is 4.8.One response could not be used in this analysis.

dependable employees than GEDgraduates. The same number alsodisagreed or strongly disagreed withthe statement that high school grad-uates work harder than GED gradu-ates. In addition, about 85 percentdisagreed or strongly disagreed withthe statement that high school grad-uates make a greater effort thanGED graduates to "get ahead on thejob."

On the less positive side, how-ever, about 65 percent of respon-dents agreed or strongly agreed that"high school graduates have betteracademic skills than GED gradu-ates." Approximately 55 percent ofthe respondents also agreed with thestatement that "high school gradu-ates are better prepared for employ-

ment than GED graduates."Roberta Pawloski, Chief of

Connecticut's Bureau of AdultEducation and Training said of thereport, "Hopefully, the initial find-ings of this report will assist us infinding a viable solution to our needfor an educated labor force and tothe demands of remaining competi-tive in a global economy."

A copy of the report entitled, TheGED Graduate: A View froma Connecticut Business andIndustry Perspective is availablefrom the Connecticut Departmentof Education, 25 Industrial ParkRoad, Middletown CT 06457.Contact Dr. Richard G. Wharton(860) 638- 4155 .

GED Items May/June 1996. Page 3

29

For GED Examiners

Re-opening a GED Testing Center After

Compromise Requires Time for Re-learning" You're just punishing us! Think of all the people whocould be taking the tests and getting on with theirlives!"...this is the common refrain from GED TestingCenters that are closed due to a security compromise.

by Fred Edwards

so how long does it take? Aslong as it takes to get to thebottom of the problem and to

the center enact an active securityplan. Sometimes it takes threemonths. Sometimes, after the inves-tigation, the GED Testing Service(GEDTS) decides that a center mustbe closed forever.

It's important to remember thatwhile shutting down a center wherea breach has occurred may seemunfair to GED candidates, it's theinvestigation process that protects thetests' validity for all examinees.

Let's look at the process: it's myexperience that many compromiseshappen when the GED ChiefExaminer becomes so comfortable

with the process that he becomesinnovative. He begins taking "shortcuts" here and there. Then one day,at the end of a testing session, it hap-pens... a missing topic card or testbooklet. Was it stolen? Was it lost? Isit just misplaced? Did someonethrow it in the trash? Or "borrow" itto make a photocopy?

As soon as a security breach isdiscovered, the Examiner must stopall testing and notify GEDTS, theGED Administrator and the chiefadministrative officer (usually thecollege president or superintendentof schools who signs the GEDAnnual Contract) immediately.Valuable time is often lost becausethe Examiner turns the building

upside down looking for the materi-al and doesn't report the loss until allelse has failed. By this time, thepolice find it difficult to track, thenext testing session is underway, and,of course, the trash has been collect-ed. Don't take time to re-trace stepsbefore calling for help. The fasteryou take action, the greater yourchance for recovering lost materialsand the closer we come to resolu-tion.

Many Chief Examiners arereluctant to share news of a securitybreach with their chief administra-tive officer. Examiners may feel thatthe incident reflects badly on them,or it's a waste of time. However,when a security breach occurs, youneed all available resources.

The chief administrative officercan open doors and affect coopera-tion that might otherwise not beavailable to you. And she needs tohear about the test compromise fromyou. Just imagine for a moment theconsequences if she were to hear

BLS TutorSystems pick up from March/April 1996 issue

Page 4 May/June 1996 GED Items

30

about the security breach from anewspaper reporter!

Likewise, notifying the police isessential. If theft is suspected, thepolice absolutely must be called. It'strue that waiting for a police reportcan sometimes seem to take forever.This is a serious matter consideringthat the cost of producing one fullbattery of the GED Tests exceeds$350,000. If the battery must betaken out of circulation, the cost ofleasing the other batteries increasesfor everyone. You owe it to theother 3,499 GED Testing Centers tofollow procedures to the letter.

The, aster you take action,

the greater your chance for

recovering lost materials and

the closer we come to

resolution.

Another time factor is the inves-tigation. The Chief Examiner mustimmediately conduct an investiga-tion to determine the location of themissing material as well as the reasonfor and the extent of the loss. Theresulting report is more than a"rehash" of what happened whenthe security breach was discovered;it's a comprehensive deposition ofeverything that went on before, dur-ing, and after the compromise. Itincludes a detailed review of all testadministration procedures and secu-rity measures, start to finish.

After reading your report,GEDTS should have a clear under-standing of what happened to thematerials and what will be done inthe future to prevent such occur-rences. If it seems likely that a test orscoring stencil has been stolen, thetheft must be reported to the policeimmediately, regardless of schoolpolicy. The police report forms partof the final report.

If it is determined that nearbycenters may be affected, the Chief


Ikenberry to Take Over as

ACE PresidentStanley 0. Ikenberry, the former president ofthe University of Illinois, will assume office asthe tenth president of the American Council onEducation this coming November.

Ikenberry, 61, who now chairsthe board of directors of theCarnegie Foundation for the

Advancement of Teaching, succeedsRobert H. Atwell. Atwell last yearannounced plans to retire at the endof 1996 after 12 years at ACE'Shelm. The American Council onEducation (ACE) is the GEDTesting Service's parent organization.

Ikenberry's appointment wasannounced in late May following aunanimous vote by ACE'S board ofdirectors.

"Stan has a depth of

experience... and knowledge of

the challenges and

opportunities facing

ence initiatives at the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Ikenberry's previous experiencealso includes positions at thePennsylvania State University, andWest Virginia University, as well asMichigan State University, where heearned his M.A. and Ph.D.Ikenberry received his B.A. fromShepherd College (WV) in 1956.

For more information about thisnews, visit ACE's new home page

cwhttp://www.acenet.edu.

Janet Scarponenew advertisement

see artwork ineducation. " folder

Barry MunitzACE Board Chair

The chair of the nominatingcommittee, ACE Board Chair BarryMunitz, who is chancellor of theCalifornia State University System,said, "Stan has a depth of experiencefrom his leadership of one of thenation's great research universitiesand knowledge of the challenges andopportunities facing education."

As president of the three-cam-pus University of Illinois from 1979to 1995, Ikenberry transformed theuniversity's Chicago campus into thelargest, most comprehensive researchuniversity campus in the Chicagoarea. He also instituted major sci-ence, technology, and computer sci-

GED Items

31May/June 1996 Page 5

MIL

What's Going On? A Snapshot of High School

Social. Studies StandardsThe GED Testing Service (GED TS) is taking stock of whatthe states want future high school graduates to know and doby examining state content standards.by Joyce Downey Hoover

Teachers in the states sampledin this article are in differentstages of creating, distribut-

ing, and implementing their SocialStudies content standards, which willshape curriculum design at the dis-trict and local levels. Boards of edu-cation in Michigan, Colorado,Oregon, Vermont, Ohio, andDelaware have endorsed their stan-dards and are developing state assess-ments. Others, such asMassachusetts, Maryland, Texas, andWisconsin, are still revising andseeking approval of their standards.

"In Process"GEDTS' research sampling of

teachers' best thinking will shape thetest specifications for the next edi-tion of the Tests of GeneralEducational Development (GEDTests). GED plansto convene speci-fications commit-tees for each testin the batteryearly in 1997 andto distribute thefirst of the newtest batteries in2002.

Among theseveral socialstudies contentstandards empha-sized by manystates, there aretwo that stand

out: 1) Training for ResponsibleCitizenship, and, 2)Multidisciplinary Approach toLearning History and Social Studies.

The available standards docu-ments show that teachers in manystates continue to agree on theenduring importance of citizenshipskills, knowledge, and values insocial studies classes. Simultaneously,several state standards documentscombine learning and using socialstudies themes, concepts, and con-texts with concepts, skills, and set-tings from the sciences and humani-ties.

Training for ResponsibleCitizenship

Each of the state standards doc-uments sampled in this article

expresses a desire for high schoolgraduates to know a great deal aboutU.S. history, economics, geography,and government , especially that ofthe 19th and 20th centuries. In addi-tion, states expect students to honefairly sophisticated communicationand information processing skillswhile applying this knowledge.

The documents state that gradu-ates should participate in the demo-.cratic process, learning about andresolving U.S. problems in everysocial studies class. Most frameworkssay that students at the high schoollevel should be able to analyze thenation's successes, mistakes, short-comings and potential and be willingto get personally involved. The chartbelow illustrates the unanimityamong the sampled states:

Why Social Studies?

Massachusetts "to promote inquiry and independent thinking, and to empower students tobecome socially responsible participants in a diverse and democratic society."

ITexas to provide an "integration of social sciences and humanities to promote civic

competence."IMichigan to develop "social understanding and civic efficacy....by building four capaci-

ties disciplinary knowledge, thinking skills, commitment to democratic val-ues, and citizen participation."I

Colorado because a "deep understanding of history enriches . . . students [as they] go on

I to take their place as stewards of the principles of a democratic society..."

Oregon so that students may "deliberate on public issues which arise in our represen-tative democracy and in the world by applying perspectives from the socialsciences."

for more information, refer to the documents listed in Sourcespp 10-11

Page 6 May/June 1996

32GED Items

One of the 70 key questionsthat Massachusetts social studiesteachers want their high schoolgraduates to answer is "What are therights and responsibilities of thosewho live in a democratic society?"As a result, their 11th and 12thgraders may use their math, comput-er, and social studies skills in takingon this project:

Studerits:;relearck arid compiletoriCal, statistics :showing the pop-tiOn', thilitimber of Amerlians

who were eligible;to ,vote, the !numberof registered voters, and the numbersof those who' actually voted in eachPresidential: ctw' n since the early1800s. This data is input into acomputer :spreadsheet to calculate thepercentage's of votes for each election.Students explain variations with ref-erence to CoOstitutionalAmendmentS aifd:pOlitiCal events::that expanded rite freiiichise:

Massachusetes,

DeccnOet7,199531raf

In Texas, secondary schoolteachers plan to weave seven "BasicUnderstandings" through eachcourseWorld, U.S., and TexasHistory, Government, andEconomics, to reinforce conceptsand skills. One such "BasicUnderstanding" is that of"Citizenship," which "requires anunderstanding of and commitmentto civic responsibilities, rights, andethical behavior."

A Multidisciplinary ApproachWisconsin, Vermont, Colorado,

and Texas teachers believe that com-bined teaching of the skills andknowledge inherent in various disci-plines improves student learning.Adult education teachers have longbeen familiar with the natural effec-tiveness of this approach.

The Wisconsin Department ofPublic Instruction has several inter-esting projects underway. One called"Connecting the Curriculum"

(CTC), assists classroom teachers todo and share research about theirown work, connecting what's taughtin English, history, geography, civics,the arts, science and mathematicscourses. A member of an integratedteaching team in Milwaukee, says,"We're showing [students] that dif-ferent parts of the curriculum all fittogether, that there's continuity; justas there is in a company or on ajob...It shows the necessity of alltheir subjects."

Vermont's Framework ofStandards and LearningOpportunities (January 1996) rec-ommends that teachers develop tasksthat illustrate "strong connectionswithin and across the fields ofknowledge." Students should prac-tice applying skills across disciplines.For example, both the social andphysical sciences require question-ing, estimation, and technical writ-ing skills.

Colorado's Model ContentStandards for History (adoptedSeptember, 1995) include six broadcategories of study about U.S. andWorld history, including chronology,inquiry, diversity, science and tech-nology, political, and, in a link withthe humanities, religious and philo-sophical perspectives. For example,high school graduates should notonly be able to give examples of thevisual arts, dance, music, theater, andarchitecture from the major histori-cal periods but also explain whatthese expressions reveal about differ-ent societies and their developingvalue and belief systems.

Texas social studies teachers arealso combining disciplines in theirScience, Technology and SocietyBasic Understanding strand by get-ting students to examine how"advances in science and technologyaffect the development of society" inrequired courses.

Learning Across Disciplines

Course Name

US History

Government

i1Worl History

Classroom Task

debate the media's influ-ence on modem Americansociety

grasp technology's uses andlimitations when usingtechnology to gather andanalyze demographic data

explore Greco-Roman,Indian, Islamic, andChinese civilizations' tech-nological developments

from: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, Social Studies, March 1996.

Connects With?

English Language11=111Arts, Science,

Arts.

In addition, Vermont'sFramework asks teachers to createinterconnected assignments that havepersonal, community, and/or globaldimensions. Students draw connec-tions between their lives and theworld beyond the classroom. Oneexample is a student-led study ofimmigration patterns in a local townto learn the heritage of the localcommunity.

Social Studies For Adult StudentsParticularly relevant to GEDTS'

work is Massachusetts' Social Studiesteachers' desire to see social studiesbecome an integral part of all adulteducation programs. "It is critical tointegrate social studies instructioninto all adult education programs. Asignificant percentage of people


GED Items May/June 1996 Page 7

33

Int

New GED Scholarships forCanada's Maritime Provinces

Persons with a GED diplomaliving in New Brunswick, NovaScotia or Prince Edward Island nowhave access to a new scholarship forpostsecondary studies.

The Atlantic region division ofAtomic Energy of Canada Limitedannounced recently that it will funda scholarship of $1000 in each of thethree maritime provinces. Thescholarships are intended to encour-age and assist GED graduates whowish to pursue postsecondary studiesin the areas of science and engineer-ing. GED candidates and graduateswho are interested in applying forthe scholarship should contact theirprovincial GED Administrator formore information.

New Brunswick: RichardCorey (Gail Fox) IT (506) 453-8251

Nova Scotia: Paula Millman (RoseEverett) IT (902) 424-4227 PrinceEdward Island: Parnell Garland(Vince Warner) Tr (902) 368-4690.

Canadian GED Information ToGo Online

Canada's GED Administratorsagreed on June 12 to develop a GEDinformation home page on theWorld Wide Web (WWW).

The information will bedesigned to help adult learners andinstructors become aware of andinformed about the GED Tests. TheGED testing program in Canadacurrently serves about 17,000 exam-inees per year.

In addition to general informa-tion, there will be specific detailsabout eligibility criteria, fees, testingschedules, applicationprocedures,and information for con-tacting the GED Administrator ineach province and territory.

The new GED "home page:will also provide linkages to other

existing sources of information relat-ed to the GED Tests and preparatoryservices. In addition, new develop-ments, profiles of successful GEDgraduates, and information bulletinswill become more easily available tothe adult education community.

The home page will be hostedby Canada's National Adult LiteracyDatabank (NALD), which gathers,sorts, and provides information onliteracy programming, fundingsources, services, contacts, events,awards, and teaching resources forthe adult ed environment. Readerscan access NALD's website now at:

http://www.nald.ca.More details will follow in the

next issue of GED Items.

Ed Program Funding MovesAhead

On June 13, the HouseAppropriations Subcommittee onLabor-HHS-ED marked up their FY97 funding bill, allocating the fol-lowing numbers for vocational andadult education: Vocational educa-tion (state grants), $972.75 M (mil-lion); Tech-prep, $100 M; Adult ed(state grants), $250 M. These num-bers represent no change from FY96 funding levels. The NationalInstitute for Literacy took an$860,000 hit with a proposed alloca-tion of $4 m. The federal School-to-Work program received a $10 Mincrease$175 M each for theDepartments of Labor andEducation, which co-administer theprogram. The full committeemarkup is scheduled for June 20 andHouse floor action is expectedbefore the July 4 recess.

The Senate, in the meantime,will be marking up their version offunding levels for these programs.The two proposals will then be rec-onciled in conference before thecurrent fiscal year ends onSeptember 30.

Compromise from page 4

Examiner must notify all test centerswithin a 50 mile radius to discontin-ue use of the compromised materi-als.

If it seems likely that a test or

scoring stencil has been stolen,

the theft must be reported to

the police immediately.

Along with providing a compre-hensive report to the chief adminis-trative officer, GED Administratorand GEDTS, the testing centerwhere the breach occurred isresponsible for buying any neededreplacement materials for all centerswithin a 50 mile radius, notifyingscoring site(s), responding toGEDTS inquiries prompted by thewritten report, and returning allcompromised materials.

The Chief Examiner is requiredto schedule an inspection and staffinservice training by the GEDAdministrator. He must also imple-ment all the recommendations madeby the GED Administrator andGEDTS after the administrator rec-ommends re-opening the center.

The process of re-opening acenter can seem drawn out.However, the time that you invest inunderstanding what happened in acompromise and the subsequenttraining pays off by preparing thecenter staff to provide a more secureenvironment that is conducive to fairtesting.

Fred Edwards is the Director ofClient Services at GEDTS.

Examiners are encouraged toperiodically review correct

procedures for operating an OfficialGED Testing Center, found inSection 4 of the 1993 GEDExaminer's Manual. Staffinservice materials may be found

in Section 10 of the manual.


Clinton Proposes Tax Credit for

Postsecondary EducationPrinceton, NJJune 10, 1996

president Clinton last weekunveiled a plan aimed atensuring that all students are

able to afford at least two years ofpostsecondary education.

The new program, named theHOPE Scholarship Plan, would pro-vide up to $1,500 in a refundable taxcredit to full-time college studentsduring their freshman year. A creditof $750 would be available to part-time students.

Students also would be eligiblefor an identical tax credit in theirsophomore year if the "stay off drugsand earn at least a 'B' average intheir first year:' documents releasedby the White House say. A studentconvicted of a felony involving drugswould be ineligible for the credit.

Clinton announced his proposallast Tuesday [June 4] at PrincetonUniversity. The program is aimed atmaking two years of college as "uni-versal as high school," he said.

The credit could be used foreducational expenses at trade schoolsor colleges and universities. It wouldbe indexed to inflation each year tomaintain its value. However, thecombined amount a student receivedfrom the tax credit and a Pell Grantcould not exceed tuition expenses.

The maximum $1,500 creditwould be about $300 above thenational average for tuition at com-munity colleges and would cover fulltuition for 67 percent of all studentsattending such schools, figures fromthe White House show.

The HOPE program is beingpackaged with other Clinton pro-posals that would allow a tax deduc-tion of up to $10,000 annually perfamily to pay for educational

expenses and increase the maximumPell Grant award by 33 percentbetween 1995 and 2002. A familycould choose to take advantage ofeither the tax credit or the taxdeduction, but not both.

The HOPE program would bemore beneficial to low-income fam-ilies who often pay little or no taxes.

The combined cost of the taxdeduction and credit programs isexpected to come to $42.9 billionover six years. The president's pro-posed fiscal 1997 budget, submittedearlier this year, provided savings of$35 billion to pay for the deductionalone. Addition of the tax creditwould up the cost by $7.9 billion,estimates show. The additionalmoney would be gathered by rein-stating and increasing fees on depart-ing international airline flights ($2.3billion), closing a corporate taxloophole that would increase taxeson some export income ($3.5 bil-lion), and auctioning parts of theradio spectrum ($2.1 billion).

In addition, the cost of thededuction would be reduced bytightening eligibility. Previously, itwould have been phased out forjoint filers with incomes between$100,000 and $120,000, but now itwould end for those earning$100,000 annually. The phase-outlevel for single filers would bereduced from $90,000 to $70,000.

This article appeared in the June10, 1996 edition of HigherEducation and National Affairs(ISSN 0018-1579, Vol.45,No.11), which is published by theAmerican Council on Education.

President OutlinesTuition Benefits

Excerpts from thecommencement address atPrinceton University:

4 4 e're not only sayingto children fromvery poor families

who think they would never be ableto go to college, people who maynot have stellar academic records inhigh school, if you're willing towork hard and take a chance, youcan at least go to your local commu-nity college and we'll pay for thefirst year. If you're in your 20s andyou're already working, but youcan't move ahead on a high schooldiploma, now you can go back tocollege. If you're a mother planningto go to work, but you're afraid youdon't have the skills to get a goodjob, you can go to college. If you're40 and you're worried that you needmore education to support yourfamily, now you can go part-time,you can go at night. By all means,go to college and we'll pay thetuition...

"Fifteen years ago the typical

worker with a college degree

made 38% more than a

worker with a high school

diploma. Ibday, that figure is73%...,,

Over half the new jobs createdin the last three years have beenmanagerial and professional jobs.The new jobs require higher-levelskills. Fifteen years ago the typicalworker with a college degree made38 percent more than a worker witha high school diploma. Today, thatfigure is 73 percent more. Two yearsof college means a 20-percentincrease in annual earnings."

GED Items May/June 1996 Page 9

35

Ontario from page 1

Education School BoardAdministrators (CESBA); DaleShuttleworth of the Centre forCommunity and EconomicRenewal; and John Allston, from theBoard of Trade of MetropolitanToronto.

These individuals studied theGED Testing Service and attendedGED Administrators' Conferencesand GED Advisory Committeemeetings, eventually becomingknowledgeable and outspoken advo-cates for the GED Tests as an alter-native educational service forOntario's adult learners.

Over the past several years, for-mer GEDTS Director DougWhitney, current Director JeanLowe, and Peter Kilburn, NewBrunswick's GED Administrator andChair of the Canadian GEDAdministrators Council, made sever-al presentations to groups of adulteducators and business people in

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Ontario explaining the purpose ofthe GED Tests and how the programworks in other jurisdictions.

The "Ontario Six," along withmany other Ontario educators,worked with school boards, teacherfederations, adult educators, andbusinesses in developing agroundswell of support for the GEDTests. In 1994, John Allston securedthe Board of Trade of MetropolitanToronto's support for the GED Tests,sending a clear message that employ-ers would accept it as a high schoolcredential when hiring.

Continuing dialogue withGEDTS and the Canadian GEDleadership, as well as a pilot program,initiated by Dr. Shuttleworth in1995 and supported by the Ministry,provided an opportunity for thegroups involved to evaluate the GEDTests from several angles. The pilotprogram served more than 300 adultlearners, each of whom wererequired to meet entrance criteriaand participate in a review program.

The advent of full-scale GEDtesting in Ontario, comes as result ofseveral factors: 1) the gradual replac-ing of negative GED myths withappropriate information; 2) thedemand for the service, evident fromthe hundreds of inquiries by poten-tial GED candidates; 3) the positivesupport offered by adult educators,businesses, and community groups;4) the Ministry of Education andTraining's recognition of the GEDTests as a valid and useful service foradults.

Many people contributed to theimplementation of GED testing inOntario and must be pleased by this"good news" story, but the real win-ners are the adults of Ontario whohaven't yet completed their highschool education.

Ontario's new GEDAdministrator is Teresa Gonzcilesof the Ministry's IndependentLearning Centre.

Standards from page 7

Teachers...continue to agree on

the enduring importance of

citizenship skills, knowledge,

and values in social studies

classes.

enrolled in these programs are eitherrecent immigrants... or are adultswho have not had full opportunitiesto participate in the democratic pro-cess,seeking citizenship, includingvoting... Social Studies instructionin adult education is key to increasethe percentage of adults who areresponsible participants in thisdemocratic society."

To support work to that end, tomake social studies an integral partof all adult education programs, tojoin in useful research with our col-leagues, and to guide to our testspecifications committees, GEDTSwill publish our research findings onthe state standards in early 1997.

Joyce Downey Hoover is theGED Test Specialist for Social

Studies.

SourcesState initiatives in contentstandards development:

Colorado Model Content Standards forGeography (June, 1995), Colorado ModelContent Standards for Civics (August,1995), Colorado Model Content Standards

for Economics, (August 1995) ColoradoModel Content Standards for History,(September, 1995) Draft ColoradoPerformance Levels for History, (March,1996 Draft Colorado Performance Levels forGeography, (March 1996); ColoradoDepartment of Education, 201 EastColfax Avenue, Denver CO 80203;(303)866-6762.

Maryland High School Assessment Skillsfor Success, Draft, July 1995; MarylandHigh School Assessment Social Studies CoreLearning Goals Second draft, January 1996;Research and Development Office,Maryland State Department of


36

Sirurces continued

Education, 200 West Baltimore Street,Baltimore MD 21201-2595; (410)767-0368

Massachusetts Common Core ofLearning; Social Studies CurriculumFramework, Uncovering Social Studies,December 1995 draft; Instruction andCurriculum Services, MassachusettsDepartment of Education, (617)388-3300 or ( 508)830-4476;http://www.info.doe.mass.edu.

Michigan Framework for Social StudiesEducation, Adopted July, 1995; Plan forStatewide Assessment of Social Studies,February, 1996; Powerful and AuthenticSocial Studies, Standards for Teaching,Draft, January 1996; Michigan SocialStudies Education Project, CurriculumDevelopment Unit, MichiganDepartment of Education, Box 30008,Lansing, MI 48909 (517)373-2893

Oregon Common Curriculum Goals andContent Standards, Social Sciences, Thirddraft, April 1996; Office of Curriculum,Oregon Department of Education, 255Capital Street, NE; Salem OR 97310-0203 (503)378-8004 ext. 248;tanya.gross tate.or.us

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,Social Studies, First draft, March 1996;Division of Curriculum Development,Texas Education Agency, 1701 NorthCongress Ave., Austin TX 78701-1494(512)463-9580;www.TEA.state.TX.US/TEKS

Vermont's Framework of Standards andLearning Opportunities; (Vital Results,adopted 1993; History and Social SciencesStandards, 1996). Vermont StateDepartment of Education, 120 StateStreet, Montpelier, VT 05602-2501(802)828-3111;http://www.state.vt.us/educ.

Wisconsin Challenging ContentStandards, 1994-1997, WisconsinDepartment of Public Instruction, 125South Webster Street, P.O. Box 7841,Madison, WI 53707-7841; (608)267-9265.

Wisconsin Connecting the Curriculum,1993-1996, Wisconsin Department ofPublic Instruction, 125 South WebsterStreet, P.O. Box 7841, Madison WI53707-7841; (608)267-9289;[email protected].

Where do you go to find out how many adults took and passed the GEDTests last year, where they live, their ages and backgrounds? For those whowant a complete picture of the GED test-taking population, Who Took theGED? The 1995 Annual Statistical Report is a valuable resource. It includessummaries and highlights of testing data and trends going back to 1949.

Each copy is $20.00 plus $2.50 shipping & handling. When calling, pleaserequest item #250895. Complete reports from previous years are alsoavailable at $15.00 each, plus shipping & handling charges. Call today!

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GED Items May/June 1996. Page 11

37

Pipe and DrumCorps Honored forService to Adult Edby Connie Davis

since 1982, a group of bag-pipers and drummers have leadgraduates of Juneau (AK)

Adult Education, a division of theSouthEast Regional ResourceCenter (SERRC), down the aisle toclaim their certificates and awards.The striking entrance stirs hundredsof hearts as friends and relatives waitto celebrate the adult learners'accomplishments.

The Stroller White Pipes andDrums, founded in nearby Douglas,take their name from a newspaper-man of the gold rush era. ElmerWhite, whom locals nicknamed "thestroller," wrote a popular column inJuneau's The Stroller's Weekly formany years.

IIITEPOst.

The Stroller White Pipes and Drums ofJuneau, Alaska, open the annual award ceremony atJuneau Adult Education Center.

GED Administrator ConnieMunro first invited the corps to takepart in the graduation ceremonieswhile she was Adult EducationCoordinator of SERRC. At thisyear's ceremony. Ms. Munro, whowill retire this year, was present toconfer the GED certificates to the

38

graduates in Juneau. She also com-mended the Stroller White corps'community spirit, presenting themwith a certificate and a donationtowards costumes and equipment.

This year, 293 adults completedhigh school by passing the GEDTests at SERRC.

GEDli more than 24,000 readers

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 4/5 AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1996

GED Team Drafts New PlayerNFL's Reggie White and family get behind the GEDprogram with a new public service announcement.by Richard Kraus

hen you think of theGreen Bay Packers'Reggie White, what

comes to mind? If you picture a6'5", 300-pound defensive lineman,then you don't know enough aboutthe "Minister of Defense."

On the field, Reggie Whitebreaks through walls of offensivelinemen to collar opposing teamquarterbacks and bring them to theground. Off the field, White is areligious man who takes on theforces of racism and works to buildup the economic structure of theinner city.

The GED Testing Service ispleased to have Reggie White andhis family join our team bringing hismessage of hope to adult Americanswho want a second chance at a highschool diploma.

Reggie White's life story is aprofile of a young man on a missionto improve the lives of others in his

Inside !feint'1

Conference Roundup ...From the Director 2

GED Graduate Story ... 7

News and Notes 14

Teaching Tips 8

community. DuringWhite's youth, sportsplayed an importantrole but athletic accom-plishments were bal-anced with his faith.

In high school,Reggie White walkedthe halls with a Bible inhis hands and by age 17was preaching in hislocal church and work-ing towards a minister'slicense. White admits,"I didn't experience thestuff that these kids areexperiencing today"But now that he's in aposition to make a dif-ference, Reggie Whiteis doing all he can.

White began hisprofessional footballcareer with theMemphis Showboats of the USFL.The Philadelphia Eagles' then-coach, Marion Campbell, who hadbeen watching White's career devel-op, persuaded the Eagles organiza-tion to bring him to Philadelphia inthe 1985 NFL draft. Reggie Whitesoon became the NFL's all-time"sack" leader. For Reggie White,though, the distinction he was earn-ing because of his impressive statis-tics was a means toward an end.

Before long, he had organized agroup of his teammates to minister

to people in the city's economicallydepressed areas. White knew hisfame meant that "more peoplewould be listening" as he spread hismessage of defeating racism andbringing economic stability to theblack community.

Now with the Green BayPackers, White says he's on the vergeof breakthroughs on several fronts.Firmly established as the NFL'scareer sack leader, and with his teamclose to another lifelong dreamthe



39

Fact: All Forms of the GEDTests are Equally Difficult!by Jean H. Lowe

GED LegendIf you list on your GED applica-

tion that you dropped out of schoolin 6th grade rather than in the 10th,they will give you an "easier" formof the GED Tests.

GED FactThere is no such thing as an

"easier" form of the GED Tests. Allforms of the test are equally difficultand are assigned according toplanned rotation schedules, not anindividual's educational level. Theyare "easy" only when you have fullmastery of the knowledge and skillsthe tests are measuring.

Did you ever hear of "urbanlegends?" Like the fablesabout alligators in New

York City's sewers and the nearlynonexistent 20-minute commute,urban legends are stories that manypeople believe to be true, havingheard them from a "friend of afriend of a friend" who "saw,""heard," or "experienced" an eventthat, under other circumstances,would be completely unbelievable.These legends are often entertaining,but, as with the "GED legend"described above, that recently foundits way back to us, they are NOTTRUE!

It is important that GEDExaminers and GED teachers cor-rect such misconceptions about theGED Tests for students and candi-dates. But they also need to ensurethat people who are new to the pro-gram are not taken in by far-fetchedideas. Most importantly, the publicmust understand that passing the

GED Tests is an achievement thatleads to a valuable credential. Thereis no "GED Light." The GED Testsare a rigorous measure of an individ-ual's present knowledge and skills nomatter where those skills wereacquired.

The GED Tests... are "easy"

only when you have full

mastery of the knowledge and

skills the tests are measuring.

GED LegendYou have met a higher standard

in a state, province or territory thatawards a GED Diploma than onethat awards a GED certificate.

GED FactUntil January 1, 1997, jurisdic-

tions have allowed widely varyingpassing scores on the GED Tests, butthe score level has never been corre-lated with the credential's title. Thismisconception is perpetuated largelyby U.S. military recruiters.Beginning in January (see relatedarticle, page 6), all states, provinces,and territories will require minimumscores of 40 on each test and anaverage of 45 on the entire test bat-tery. Although two U.S. states andall Canadian provinces will requireslightly higher scores, all jurisdic-tions will use tests of the same diffi-culty.

The rationale behind a creden-tial's title, whether it is a "certifi-cate" or a "diploma," is most oftenbased on political reasonsbeliefsabout what should be called a diplo-

ma, competition with other adulteducation programs, and so on.

The GED Tests are available inmany different forms, but all formscover the same curriculum areas,meet the same specifications, and arenormed on graduating high schoolseniors. They are equally difficulteverywhere in the world!

Hf you hear or read a statementthat you think might be a GEDlegend, please call your GED

Administrator or call Clarice Uluhere at the GED Testing Service(202) 939-9490. We want you toknow the truth.

Jean Lowe is the Director of theGED Testing Service of theAmerican Council on Education.

GED Items- (ISSN 0896-0518) is pub-lished bimonthly by the GEDTesting Service of the AmericanCouncil on Education (ACE). GEDItems is not copyrighted. Readers areinvited to copy any articles not previ-ously copyrighted. Credit should begiven in accordance with acceptedpublishing standards.


Barry Munitz, ACE Board Chair,California State University SystemRobert H. Atwell, President, ACEJean H. Lowe, Director, GEDTesting Service

Page 2 .September /October 1996

40GED Items

Star School Awards to Boost Adult LearningNearly $9 million in Star Schools grants awarded in Augustwill provide new opportunities for adults to strengthen theirliteracy skills and educational background via distancelearning.

The Star Schools Program isadministered by theDepartment of Education's

Office of Educational Research andImprovement (OERI) and providesthree grants totaling $8.9 million toadvance adult literacy, secondaryschool completion and competencyin core subjects.

President Clinton said the grantscomplement his call for students ofall ages to get the skills and educa-tion to participate in the informa-tion explosion. "These grants repre-sent the wave of the future byenabling lifelong learning via satellitefrom sites all over the country,"Clinton said. "This increases thelearning opportunities for studentsof all ages to benefit from advancedtechnology and access to the infor-mation superhighway."

The Star Schools programencourages improved instruction invarious subject areas to underservedpopulations through the use oftelecommunications technology.'

Authorized by part B of Title III ofthe Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act, Star Schools fundinggoes toward the costs of producingcourses and curriculum modulesand transmitting them to schoolsthat cannot provide local instructors,or to groups planning innovativeeducational activities.

"We're trying to build the tech-nology highway right up to the frontdoor of every school in America,"Riley said. "These grants opendoors for adults who want to con-tinue their education or return andget their diploma or GED."

Three recipients will use a vari-ety of technologies, including CDROM, satellite telecast, and comput-er networks to deliver instructionalprograms focusing on adult literacy,school completion, and continuingeducation.

The three recipients of thisyear's Star Schools awards are: theUniversity of Nebraska at LincolnSchool CLASS Project, Educational

Service District 101 Pacific AdultLiteracy Project, and the PublicBroadcasting Service's LiteracyLinkprogram.

The Star Schools program

encourages improved

instruction in various subject

areas to underserved

populations through the use of

telecommunications technology.

The CLASS project will broad-en access to educational opportuni-ties by giving each student access tointeractive, flexible course materialssuch as data, graphics, and videomaterial and incorporating electron-ic interaction between the studentand other students, teachers, andexternal resources. Project funding,set at just under $3 million, will gotoward development of the curricu-lum elements and construction of an


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4 -1September/October 1996. Page 3

GED Administrators Consider Program, PolicyNeeds for Future

GED program leadershipfrom across the U.S. andCanada and their territories

gathered for the.annual conferencein Washington, D.C., July 10-13.Many of the broader issues addressedat the conference related to plans forthe next generation of GED Tests,which are slated for distribution inthe year 2002. Participants looked atways to implement computer tech-nology to improve test development,security, scoring, score-reportingand record-keeping.

Members of the GED TestDevelopment Unit reported on theirresearch into current trends in highschool curriculum reform across theU.S. and how these changes mayaffect the content, format and con-text of the next generation of GEDTests. Although the development ofstandards varies by subject area andby state, the panelists noted that highschool curricula may soon includeadvanced mathematical functions,use of computers in school work,

multi-disciplinary studies, and inter-pretation of photography, broadcastmedia, music, and film. A similarreview of Canadian educationalreform is slated for early 1997.

A "town meeting" provided aforum for program administrators toshare ideas and develop solutions tochallenges they face in the comingyear. In 1997, the program-wideminimum passing score will go up to"a minimum standard score of 40 oneach test in the battery and an aver-age standard score of at least 45" onthe entire GED Test battery, a stan-dard met by approximately 66% ofgraduating high school seniors.Slightly more than a third of U.S.states and territories and 91% ofCanadian provinces now use a stan-dard that meets or exceeds the newminimum. This year's decision toend use of the GED Tests with in-school, at-risk youth will also impactprogram operations in several states.

continued on page 5, column 2

Abiltukikt*Oomot , -41**,Connie Munro, who retired as Alaska's GED Administrator this year, and Annie Berrios,GED Administrator for Puerto Rico, enjoy a reception at the U.S. Department of State.

The GED Scoring

Model: "Is itBroke?"

GED Administrators consid-ered issues and concernsrelating to the current GED

score scale by asking the question "Isit broke?" As moderator of the ses-sion, the GED Testing Service's newDirector of Psychometric Services,Douglas F. Becker, Ph.D., presentedexamples from his experience work-ing with testing programs that hadchanged their score reporting scales.In addition, Dr. Becker outlinedtheir very specific reasons for mak-ing the changes.

Panelists at the session wereDouglas R. Whitney, Ph.D., Deanof Assessment, Regents College, andformer Director of the GED TestingService, and Marjorie Mastie, ChiefExaminer, Washtenaw Intermediate.School District, Ann Arbor, MI.

Dr. Whitney, drawing on hisexperience with GED as well as hiscurrent work with the New YorkState Regents' Exams, raised funda-mental questions: What is purposeof the score reporting system? Whoare the target audiences? Aboutwhat do these audiences need to be:informed? Ms. Mastie, the ChiefExaminer at a GED Testing Centerin a large urban program, shared a"from the trenches" view, based onher work with adult learners, teach-ers, and admissions counselors.

These combined viewpointsprovided a dimensionality to theissue which fostered a very lively dis-

continued on page 5, column 1

Page .September/October 1996 GED Items

42

cussion. GED Administrators fromthe U.S., Canada, and their territo-ries grew animated as they debatedsuch points as: whether replacing thepercentile rank with class rankwould make more sense to the users,how might we provide diagnosticfeedback to examinees indicatingtheir areas of relative strength andweakness, and what research couldbe done into developing a scale ofletter grades or grade point averageindicator to score reports.

Although, participants conclud-ed, the score scale is not "broke,"GEDTS could report more usefulinformation within the limits ofmaintaining the validity, reliability,and integrity of the score reports.To create score reports that bettermeet the needs of GED examinees,instructors, testing staff, and admis-sions counselors, the GED TestingService must know what those needsare. Now is the time to addressscore scale and score reporting issues!

People who use GED scorereports in their work with adultlearners are encouraged to contactDoug Becker at (202) 939-9490,email: [email protected] comments, questions, and con-cerns.

Cathy Erwin,center,receives the1996DistinguishedService Awardfor her workadministeringthe GEDtestingprogram inTexas.Presenting theaward areJean Loweand FredEdwards ofGEDTS.

0,0q4ogoo

GED Administrators, from page 4

One the most stimulating andinformative sessions focused onimproving outreach for adults withspecific learning disabilities.Between five and 10 per cent of thegeneral population may have specificlearning disabilities (SLD); adultswho didn't finish high school arethought to have a higher rate ofSLD. People with documentedlearning disabilities are entitled totesting accommodations under U.S.and Canadian law. Some profession-als suspect that many eligible candi-dates remain unidentified. The ses-sion covered the neurophysiological

nature of learning disabilities as wellas ways of identifying sources forlinking the applicant with evaluationand instructional resources that willenable them to demonstrate theirtrue abilities on the GED Tests, atwork, and in college.

Participants also applied andinterpreted the criteria for specialtesting accommodations in a casestudy workshop. Over the comingyears, the GED Testing Service willbe working hard with GEDAdministrators and local programstaff to expand service to adults withlearning disabilities.

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Minimum Score Standard Will Risefor Many Jurisdictions When NewYear Bells Toll

eginning January 1, 1997,the passing score standard forthe GED Tests will be a min-

imum standard score of 40 on eachtest AND an average standard scoreof 45. This standard is currently metby 66% of graduating high schoolseniors. Each province, state, or ter-ritory may establish its own mini-mum requirement, as long as itmeets or exceeds the 40 and 45minimum standard.

Candidates who have not

completed all five tests in the

battery, or whose partial scores

do not meet the new standard,

must meet the new standard if

testing is to be completed after

January 1, 1997.

At the GED Testing Service, wehave received many inquiries relatingto this issue. The following aresome answers to common questionsthat may clarify what the changemeans for those who live in a juris-diction where the minimum scorestandard will soon be more rigorousthan the present standard.

Q: What if my state does not getall those tests taken in Decemberscored before January 1?

A: Not a problem. The datedetermining the score standard is thedate on which all five tests in thebattery were completed. There maybe a scoring backlog, but, if you areoperating in a state that is changingits passing score requirements, theold standard will apply to all exami-nees who completed testing on orbefore December 31, 1996.

Q: Can anyone who began test-ing before January 1, 1997, be"grandfathered in?"

A: No, only those who success-fully meet all score requirements onor before December 31, 1996. Allcandidates who have not completedall five tests in the battery, or whosepartial scores do not meet the newstandard, must meet the new stan-dard if testing is to be completedafter January 1, 1997.

Q: Can an examinee apply testscores earned before 1997 towardmeeting the new standard?

A: Of course. If an examineeearned a standard score of 40 orabove on any of the five tests beforeJanuary 1, those scores can be car-ried forward and combined withscores earned later. However, thecombined score must total 225 ormore (average standard score of 45)in order to meet the new standard.Check with the GED Administratorfor your jurisdiction to learn howlong an individual's test scores areretained.

IIf you have a question about howthe new minimum score stan-dards will affect your work as a

GED student, instructor, programdirector, or testing staff member,please call your state, provincial, orterritorial GED Administrator orcontact the GED Testing Service at(202) 939-9490.

Moving?

Please notify us ofyour new addressbefore it changes!


44GED Items

Native American Anthropologist Uses Education

to Preserve, Document CultureThis year's recipient of the Cornelius B. Turner Award isNora Marks Dauenhauer, of Alaska, who grew up in thenomadic fishing and hunting culture of the Tlingit people.

Born in 1927, Nora MarksDauenhauer spent much ofher childhood in Juneau and

Hoonah as well as on the familyfishing boat and on subsistence sitesaround Icy Straits, Glacier Bay, andCape Spencer, Alaska.

Nora's first language is Tlingit,so it wasn't until she was enrolled inpublic school that she began to learnEnglish. Years later, as the mother offour school-age children, Noradecided to study for the GED Testsbecause the credential would make itpossible for her to attend college andearn the degree she would need toformally continue her research ofTlingit culture.

As many other adult learnerscan attest, it was a busy time of jug-gling priorities, but Nora knew thather education was as important asanything else she could do for herchildren. "I hoped it would set anexample for them," she says, "thateducation is a life long process and isnecessary in any culture."

After earning her GED diplomain 1970, Nora authored the firstTlingit-English dictionary. She laterearned her BA in Anthropology in1976 from Alaska MethodistUniversity. This marked the begin-ning of scholarly collaboration withher husband, Richard Dauenhauer,Alaska's former poet laureate. Thetwo are widely published, bothtogether and individually, in aca-demic and professional journals.

Nora Marks Dauenhauer is nowan internationally known researcher

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Nora Marks Dauenhauer, wearing traditional Tlingit ceremonial dress, accepts the CorneliusB. Turner Award from Jean Lowe, Director of the GED Testing Service. The award ceremonytook place during 1996 GED Administrators' Conference in Washington, D.C.

and author on Arctic NativeAmerican culture and widely recog-nized for her fieldwork, transcrip-tion, translation and explication ofTlingit oral literature. Since 1983,she has been the PrincipalResearcher in Language andCultural Studies at Sealaska HeritageFoundation in Juneau.

From 1978 to 1981, Noraserved as a Commissioner on theAlaska Historical Commission.Nora was named the 1980Humanitarian of the Year by theAlaska Humanities Forum. In 1989,she received the Alaska Governor'sAward for the Arts and in 1991, theprestigious American Book Award.

The 70-year old anthropologistcontinues her work in Juneau and

also participates in adult educationoutreach efforts.

Previous recipients of theCornelius B. Turner Award includeCarol M. Swain, Ph.D., now a pro-fessor at Princeton University, and1992 National Teacher of the YearThomas Fleming.

To be considered for the TurnerAward, the graduate must be a per-son who, since having earned aGED, has made outstanding, widely-recognized contributions to society.The nominee's contributions mustbe in education, justice, health, orpublic or social service. His or herachievements must be ones thateither benefit the GED programdirectly or could not have beenachieved without a GED diploma.

GED Items 45 September/October 1996 Page 7

The Origin of the Species: A BriefHistory of Written Assessmentby Arthur M. Halbrook

Every day, students are requiredto write essays on given top-ics. And, whether the essay is

written in a classroom setting oradministered as part of a large-scaleassessment program such as the GEDTests, someone has to score the essay.But is the essay examination some-thing new? Is holistic scoring atwentieth century creation? Is, infact, teaching written composition anew concept?

As early as 1845, written exami-nations were used in the UnitedStates as assessment instruments.These examinations, first employedby the Boston English ClassicalSchool provided "an expedientmeans" to evaluate academic perfor-mance. Horace Mann, the greateducator, praised the use of writtenassessment for determining whetherstudents were "faithfully and compe-tently taught."

The greatest impact of this"new" assessment instrument wasfelt several decades later in an insti-tutional response to fighting "igno-rance" of grammatical rulestheEnglish composition course.Ironically enough, the source of thenow infamous composition coursecan be traced to Charles Eliot, who,as President of Harvard University in1873, argued that student writing onthe whole displayed not only "badspelling" but also "incorrectness aswell as inelegance of expression." Asa result, the university incorporateda required written compositioncourse into the curriculum that eventoday serves as a basis for assessingstudent performance. Interestingly,several years after the course was

instituted, a professor asked his stu-dents to write an extended prosepiece on "What I Did on MySummer Vacation." The academicworld was forever changed.

But how best to evaluate thewritten compositions? In 1912,M.B. Hillegas pioneered efforts toassess essays using multiple raters.However, unlike the present GEDscale which has a range of six scores(see box, opposite page), Hillegasendorsed a 1,000 point scale.

Horace Mann, the great

educator, praised the use of

written assessment for

determining whether students

were "faithfully and

competently taught."

Although correct mechanics andsyntax represented important evalua-tion criteria, Hillegas also placedsubstantial emphasis on the academicfocus of the compositions. In otherwords, whereas a eulogy to Joan ofArc received a score of 937 and adescription of the Venus de Milo ascore of 838, compositions whichviewed "books and school and allthings academic in an irreverent orotherwise unfavorable light" wereassigned much lower scores.

Compared to the six pointrubric (scoring model) that formsthe basis for GED essay scoring, the1,000 points certainly allowed con-siderable latitude for reader discre-tion. I doubt quite seriously if twoGED essay readers would ever

debate whether a certain essay wasworth 556 points or 557 points.Yet, one must wonder how muchthat 1,000 point scoring rubricweighed.

Zelma Huxtable, writing in1929, concluded that "the teachingof grammar, mechanics of punctua-tion, and spelling is emphasizedalmost to the complete neglect ofthe thoughts to be expressed."Huxtable would never be nominatedas Ms. Back-to-Basics for the early20th century. Nonetheless, in view-ing the essay as a syrithesis of prod-uct and intellect, she is credited withorganizing one of the first evaluationmodels. Her model incorporatedfive categories, or "levels of thoughtcomplexity":1. Inarticulate thought2. Unrelated thoughts on

plane of mere sensory percep-tion

3. Related thought on plane ofmere sensory perception

4. Reflective thoughts5. Creative thinking

In applying her model,Huxtable concluded that an"unquestionable general correlation"existed between IQ levels and com-plexity of thought. However, herratings evidenced a serious biastowards those compositions whichmade a "real contribution to litera-ture" through "original reflectiveexcellence."

If Huxtable's categories weregiven to GED essay readers, many ofthese readers would be likely to dis-agree with them. However, these


Page 8 .September /October 1996 46 GED Items

The GED Essay Scoring Guide .. defines the characteristics that papers exhibit

regardless of the topic of the paperUpper-half papers makeclear a definite purpose,pursued with varyingdegrees of effectiveness.They also have astructure that showsevidence of deliberateplanning. The writer'scontrol of theconventions of StandardWritten English rangesfrom fairly reliable at 4to confident andaccomplished at 6.

Lower-half papers eitherfail to convey a purposesufficiently or lack oneentirely. Consequently,their structure rangesfrom rudimentary at 3,to random at 2, toabsent at 1. Control ofthe conventions ofStandard WrittenEnglish tends to followthis same gradient.

I

may contain an occasional flaw in the conventions of Standard Written English (spelling, punctu-ation, grammar, word choice, and sentence structure).

The paper is clearly organized with effective support for each of the writer's major points. Whilethe writing offers substantive ideas, it lacks the fluency found in the 6 paper. Although there aresome errors, the conventions of Standard Written English are consistently under control.

The paper shows evidence of the writer's organizational plan. Support, though adequate, tendsto be less extensive or effective than that found in the 5 paper. The writer generally observes theconventions of Standard Written English. The errors that are present are not severe enough to

i interfere significantly with the writer's main purpose.

The paper usually shows some evidence of planning, although the development may beinsufficient. The supporting statements may be limited to a listing or a repetition of ideas.The 3 paper often demonstrates the writer's repeated weaknesses in the conventions of

Standard Written English.

2The paper is characterized by a marked lack of organization or by inadequate support for ideas.The development may be superficial or unfocused. Errors in the conventions of StandardWritten English may seriously interfere with the overall effectiveness of this paper.

The paper offers sophisticated-ideas within an organizational framework that is clear andappropriate for the topic. The supporting statements are particularly effective because oftheir substance, specificity, or illustrative quality. The writing is vivid and precise, although it

1The paper lacks purpose or development. The dominant feature is the absence of control ofstructure and absence of the conventions of Standard Written English. The deficiencies are sosevere that the writer's ideas are difficult or impossible to understand.

* Papers that ore blank, illegible, written on a topic other than the one assigned, or which have been copied from another source cannot be scored.

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AECL Establishes Science, Engineering

Scholarships for GED Gradsby Julie Beaulieu

s part of a new educationprogram, Atomic EnergyCanada, Ltd. (AECL),

Atlantic Region, will donate $3,000in scholarships each year to GEDgraduates. A scholarship of $1,000will be awarded to assist one GEDgraduate from each of Canada'sMaritime provinces of Nova Scotia,New Brunswick, and Prince EdwardIsland to pursue further postsec-ondary studies in science and/orengineering.

New Brunswick's Premier,Frank McKenna, remarked, "I haveto commend AECL for introducingand participating in this innovativescholarship. It's gratifying to havepartners like AECL join us in pur-suit of higher learning."

AECL hopes to encourage allGED recipients to pursue postsec-ondary education in science andengineering programs. These schol-arships will enable many students topursue careers in these excitingfields. The Minister of AdvancedEducation and Labour of NewBrunswick, the Hon. R.J. ("Roly")Maclntyre said that he was delightedthat AECL is taking such an activerole in helping students pursue post-secondary studies.

Peter Kilburn, Chairman of theCouncil of Canadian GEDAdministrators, praised AECL forthis support: "AECL's donation is afine example of corporate leadership.It represents a very significant helpto a group of individuals who don'thave access to conventional scholar-ships."

Clair Ripley, AECL'sCoordinator of EducationalPrograms for the Atlantic Region,noted that AECL's scholarships toGED graduates set a precedent not

44,

$944:,\ WG,

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David Duffy (center), a 1992 Nova Scotia GED graduate and winner of one of the $1000AECL scholarships, receives congratulations from the Hon. Robert Harrison (right), NovaScotia's Minister of Education and Culture, and Clair Ripley, representing Atomic Energy ofCanada, Ltd.

only in the Maritimes but for all ofCanada. "The average GED gradu-ate [in Canada]," he remarked, " isover 30 years of age and often withfamily obligations. Going on forfurther education can therefore be agreat financial burden. We hopethat other businesses and industrywill follow AECL's lead and set upsimilar financial assistance for GEDgraduates."

Three GED graduates wereawarded the first of the AECL schol-arships this summer.

Yves Vaillancourt,of NewBrunswick, is studying ElectronicEngineering Technology at NewBrunswick Community College,Moncton. David Duffy, from NovaScotia, is taking courses to become aComputer Service Technician atNova Scotia Community College,Burridge. Donnie Leard, of PrinceEdward Island, is enrolled in theWelding Technology program atNew Brunswick Community

College, Moncton.The GED testing program has

provided more than 360,000Canadian adults with the opportuni-ty to earn a high school equivalencycertificate. GED has been successfulin most Canadian provinces formore than 25 years. Now, withOntario's commitment to the pro-gram, which became official earlierthis year, the GED is offered in all ofCanada's 12 provinces and territoriesexcept Quebec.

A Grade 12 diploma is often theminimum requirement for manyskills development training courses,postsecondary education andemployment. The GED Tests mea-sure the educational maturity thatthe participant may have acquiredthrough life experience.

The Canadian GED Tests areunique tests, separate from the U.S.editions. They are based on theCanadian English- and French-lan-


Page 10 mSeptember/October 1996

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GED Items

49September/October 1996 Page 11

GED Graduates Finish at "Top" of "Class"Every year, the GED Testing Service helps states, provinces,and territories recognize the GED graduate(s) who haveachieved the highest score on the GED Tests in theirrespective jurisdiction. Each "high scorer" is presented with aplaque honoring their achievement.

Standard scores on the GEDTests range from a low of 20 to80 for each of the five tests in

the battery. Thus, the highest totalscore one can earn is 400 total stan-dard score points. The highest scoreearned overall in 1996 was 393.

The average score earned byhigh scorers in the U.S. and its terri-

tories was 360 for those taking theEnglish-language tests and 355 onthe Spanish-language tests. Theaverage high-score performance onthe Canadian English-language GEDTests was 356.

To be eligible for the high scor-er award, the GED graduate mustobtain a minimum score of 300 total

standard score points on the GEDTests and meet other eligibility crite-ria. If you would like more infor-mation on the selection process forhigh scorers in your state, province,or territory, contact your GEDAdministrator or Clarice Ulu at theGED Testing Service, (202) 939-9490.

United States:ALASKA: Mr. Miguel A.

Magdaleno-Garduno, Anchorage.ARIZONA: Ms. Rhonda ElizabethMaxwell, Gilbert. ARKANSAS: Mr.James R. Hunt, Fort Smith. CALI-FORNIA: Ms. Carolyn M.Snowden, Valley Center. CON-NECTICUT: Ms. Darene Dewan,Darien. DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA: Ms. Felecia J.McCauley (English) and Mr. JoseNunez (Spanish) Washington.GEORGIA: Ms. Lisa KathleenTamanini, Alpharetta. HAWAII:Mr. Will Oliver Lichty, Honolulu.IDAHO: Mr. Timothy L. Munro,Lewiston. INDIANA: Mr. KevinM. Shea, Indianapolis. IOWA: Ms.Amber Elizabeth Leahy, Fairfield.KANSAS: Mr. Martin MurilloGonzalez (Spanish), Scott City andMs. Trudi Lou Albers (English),Colby. KENTUCKY: Ms.Gwendolyn Renae Hicks,Cynthiana. MARYLAND: Mr.Michael P. Chapman, Severn. MAS-SACHUSETTS: Ms. Karen A.Taylor, Marshfield. MICHIGAN:Ms. Jennifer Lyn Boursaw,Beaverton. MINNESOTA: Mr. PaulE Lundgren, Golden Valley and Ms.Jessica Wade-Ferrell, Madison, tiedscore. MISSISSIPPI: Mr. John

Taylor Lindsey, Jackson City. MIS-SOURI: Ms. Leela Grace,Columbia. MONTANA: Ms.Renee M. Sundquist, Bozeman.NEBRASKA: Mr. Jay E. Chapman,Omaha. NEVADA: Mr. Jerry D.Sanford, Henderson. NEW HAMP-SHIRE: Ms. Natalya Kay Skousen,Colebrook. NORTH CAROLINA:Mr. Donald Rex Harwood,Alexander. NORTH DAKOTA:Ms. Lynn M. (Voeller) Walsh,Wolford. OHIO: Ms. Monica B.Jones, North Olmstead. OKLA-HOMA: Mr. Rodney M. Berry,Tulsa. PENNSYLVANIA: Ms.Jessica L. Henry, Butler. RHODEISLAND: Mr. Wayne R. Beady, Jr.,West Warwick. UTAH: Ms. AndreaM. Lowry, American Fork. VER-MONT: Mr. Peter G. Johnson,Wolcott. VIRGINIA: Mr. AlejandroAndrade Sanchez, Annandale.WASHINGTON: Ms. Jessica Long,Seattle. WEST VIRGINIA: Mr.Kenneth Shawn Hensley, Augusta.WYOMING: Ms. Michelle MariaGreen, Cheyenne.

Canada:ALBERTA: Ms. Yasemin Ismet

Ozbey, Edmonton. BRITISHCOLUMBIA: Mr. Douglas Fyles,Nanaimo. NEW BRUNSWICK:Mr. Heinz E. Machinek (English),

Westfield,and Ms. Monique D.Boulay (French), St. Francois.NEWFOUNDLAND: Ms. AdrienneA. Nicholas, Grand Falls-Windsor.NORTHWEST TERRITORIES:Ms. Mary LeBlue, Norman Wells.NOVA SCOTIA: Mr. Bryant G.Wttewaall, Dartmouth. ONTARIO:Mr. Eamon Neil Corner, Toronto.PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: Mr.Blair H. Yeo, Richmond.SASKATCHEWAN: Mr. VirgilBrant Shupeni, Saskatoon.YUKON: Mr. Paul Blair,Whitehorse.

Territories:GUAM: Mr. Jesse Candoletta

Mendiola, Santa Rita. NORTH-ERN MARIANA ISLANDS: Mr.Joseph V. Sizemore, Saipan. VIR-GIN ISLANDS: Ms. Maria Del MarVial-Lobb, Kingshill, St. Croix.

The following jurisdictions havenot yet reported their high scorer for1996: ALABAMA, COLORADO,DELAWARE, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS,LOUISIANA, MAINE, NEW JER-SEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK,OREGON, SOUTH CAROLINA,TENNESSEE, TEXAS, WISCONSIN,MANITOBA, AMERICAN SAMOA,KWAJALEIN, MARSHALLISLANDS, MICRONESIA, PANA-MA, PUERTO RICO.


50GED Items

Scholarship, from page 10

guage high school curricula, andnormed on Canada's high schoolpopulations.

"What a wonderful way toboost a student's morale and help aworthy applicant become and excel-lent student," remarked Dr.Elizabeth R. Epperly, president ofthe University of Prince EdwardIsland.

AECL's scholarships to

GED graduates set a

precedent for all of Canada.

According to G.T. Colter,Ph.D., Chair of the Department ofEngineering at the University ofNew Brunswick, "In my experi-ence, GED graduates definitely con-tribute to a very positive andenhanced learning environment forthe younger students as well as forthe class instructor...Such tangibleassistance should be a positiveencouragement to a group of poten-tial university students who havebeen overlooked or not reached."

Julie Beaulieu, a Grade 11student in Fredericton, NewBrunswick, was a youth apprenticewith Atomic Energy of Canada,Ltd. during the summer of 1996.

Teaching Tips, from page 8

same readers may often find them-selves commenting under theirbreath about a "1" or "2" paper thatis "inarticulate" or that contains"unrelated thoughts." Huxtable mayhave constructed categories withenormous gray areas but in manyrespects, she established a basis forthe rubrics of today.

Changes were on the horizon,however, that yet again would alterthe educational landscape. Inresponse to large-scale assessment ofstudent writing, some researchersbegan to criticize written examina-tions, not only on the basis of theirvarying measurement scales but alsobecause these examinations wereextremely time consuming.Challenges were also made that thewriting tests were biased againstthose who could not write.Paterson, a respected psychologist of

the 1920s, argued for "new" types oftests that would reduce the need for"laborious handwriting," thus free-ing the student "from the dangers ofwriter's cramp." What were thesenew test types? Tests relying heavilyon short answer, true-false, and mul-tiple-choice responses!

Did the use of written examina-dons promote multiple-choice test-ing? In many respects, yes. Now,many in the testing community areadvocating a return to the essay andother forms of direct assessment.The educational pendulum contin-ues its slow movement, back andforth, back and forth.

What did you do on your sum-mer vacation?

Arthur M. Halbrook, Ph.D. isthe Writing Assessment Specialistat the GED Testing Service

References

Hays, E. (1936). College entrance requirements in English: Their effects on highschools. New York: Columbia UP.

Huxtable, Z. (1929). Criteria for judging thought content in written English.Journal of Educational Research, 19, 188-195.

Odell, C.W. (1928). Traditional examinations and new-type tests. EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Witte, S.P., Trachsel, M., & Walters, K. (1986). Literacy and the directassessment of writing: A diachronic perspective. In K. L. Greenberg, H.S. Wiener,& R. A. Donovan (Eds.), Writing assessment: Issues and strategies (pp. 13-34). NewYork: Longman.

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GED Items

51September/October 1996 Page 13

Cover Story continued

Super Bowl. His contract is also upfor re-negotiation after the 1996 sea-son. A raise, he says would go tosupport his ongoing efforts atimproving his community.

To this end, Reggie Whitespent the better part of the springacting in a feature-length film calledReggie's Prayer. The movie chroni-cles the career of a professional foot-ball player who retires from the play-ing field so that he can directly affectthe lives of at-risk teens.

"When I saw this script, I saidthis is something that can go a lotfurther," White explains. "Not forthe acting part, but for getting mymessage out." The film is scheduledto be released late in 1996.

So it is with the same selflessattitude that Reggie Whiteapproached his work with the GEDTesting Service. The public serviceannouncement featuring this foot-ball-movie star-minister and hiswife, Sara, and children Jeremy, andJecoila, is available this fall.

When the day comes thatReggie White decides to hang uphis cleats, we know the "Minister ofDefense" will remain a legendboth on and off the field.

Richard Kraus is the OutreachProjects Coordinator at theAmerican Council on Education'sCenter for Adult Learning andEducational Credentials.

To order...theReggie White F'SA, con-

tad the GED Testing ServiceFulfillment Service at. (301)604-9073. The VHS formatvideotape (item 251022) is$20.00 and the audiocas-sette (item 251023) is $5.00,plus shipping and handlingcharges.

GED Administrator Honored forService to People withDisabilities

Frank Shea, the GEDAdministrator for Massachusetts, wasnamed the 1996 LaborRepresentative of the Year by theIndustry Labor Council/NationalCenter for Disability Services. Thenational award is presented annuallyto a labor representative who hasdone the most to improve employ-ment opportunities for people withdisabilities.

In addition to his work with theGED program, Frank Shea supervis-es Vocational Teacher Approval andis a Revocation Officer for TeacherCertification. A trustee and bar-gaining team member of the ServiceEmployees International UnionLocal 509, Frank is also active inBoy Scouts, Special Olympics,Easter Seals, and the Worcester(MA) Area Association of RetardedCitizens.

Massachusetts Commissioner ofEducation, Robert V. Antonuccinoted, "This is quite an honor forFrank. We are very proud of hisachievement."

Center Provides Guidance onTeaching Adults with LearningDisabilities

The National Adult Literacyand Learning Disabilities Center, aprogram of the National Institute forLiteracy (NIFL), has a substantive listof publications for instructors and

Symbol KeyMailing Address

Telephone NumberInternetAddress/URL

(CD'

tutors who are working with adultswho have, or are suspected of hav-ing, learning disabilities.

Among the titles available are:Important Definitions of LearningDisabilities; Self-Esteem: Issues for theAdult Learner; and State ResourceSheet for Literacy and Learning

Disabilities. the Academy for

Educational Development, 1875Connecticut Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20009-1202. Thedocuments are also available onlinethrough NIFL's website, Q

http://novel.nifl.gov/ or throughthe Academy's web site, 00-

http://www.aed.org. Click on"A.ED gopher" and select"Preschool, Primary, Secondary,Higher, & Adult Education."

Laubach Literacy NowAccepting Grant Applications

Laubach Literacy, the world'soldest and largest nonprofit literacyorganization is now seeking grantapplications for its 1996 NationalBook Scholarship Fund (NBSF).Over the next two years, NBSF willdistribute more than $500,000 inbooks and educational materials toqualified programs nationwide.

First priority is given to familyliteracy programs. Grants are alsoawarded to programs that work withthe homeless, refugees, ESL pro-grams, and adults with mental dis-abilities. The application deadline isDecember 15, 1996.

Laubach Literacy is dedicated tohelping adults improve their livesand their communities by learningreading, writing, math, and prob-lem-solving skills. Laubach sponsorsprograms throughout the U.S.,Africa, Asia, Latin America, and theCaribbean.

For more information or toapply for a grant, 0 Mara Roberts,

Page 14 September/October 199652

GED Items

Project Administrator, the NationalBook Scholarship Fund, LaubachLiteracy, Box 131, Syracuse, NY13210. (315) 422-9121.

Wal-Mart Funds EducationGrants to Employees

Wal-Mart, the United States'largest private employer, administerseducational initiatives that subsidizeeducation for its 640,000 U.S. asso-ciates and their children with schol-arship programs and GED assistance.Wal-Mart pays for costs incurred byassociates and their spouses who pre-pare for and take the GED Tests.The company pays for employees'books, classes, and testing fees.

In Tulsa, OK, Wal-Mart is try-ing out a new work-based educationprogram that helps employeesenhance their skills on companytime. Local teachers provide in-store training on topics such as tech-nical reading, math, and communi-cation strategies. Asociates withchildren graduating from highschool can also apply for a $6,000scholarship to help fund their child'scollege education. Seventy familiessecured Walton Family FoundationScholarships in 1995.

For more information on partic-ipating in Wal-Mart's workforcedevelopment initiatives

Workforce Development, Wal-MartStores, Inc. Corporate Offices, 702S.W. 8th Street, Bentonville, AR

72716. Er Priscilla Hanson, Director

of Workforce Development, Wal-Mart, Inc., (501) 273-4294.

HEATH Resource Center SharesInformation on Disabilities,Accommodations

The HEATH Resource Centerserves as an information exchangeabout educational support services,

policies, procedures, adaptations, andopportunities at U.S. college cam-puses, voc-tech colleges, and otherpostsecondary institutions.Operated by the American Councilon Education, HEATH handlesmore than 2,000 inquiries eachmonth from students, secondary andpostsecondary level instructors, par-ents, counselors and others.

Publications on a wide range ofdisabilities issues are available at nocharge and may be reproduced. Tosubscribe to Information fromHEATH, obtain a publications list,or ask a question, 0 HEATHResource Center, One DupontCircle, Suite 800, Washington, DC20036, IT (800)544-3284

go- [email protected].

Funding for Adult Ed andLiteracy Programs Rises to NewLevel

The President and Congress atthe close of September agreed to anunprecedented $95 million increasein adult education funding next year.

This means that the adult edu-cation state grants that each statereceives in July 1997 will be about40 percent larger than the grantreceived this year, and that over onemillion more adults with basic edu-cation needs across the U.S. will beable to participate in adult ed andliteracy programs.

The measure, part of a largerspending bill that increases educationfunding by a total of about $3 bil-lion, was supported by the WhiteHouse and House and Senate mem-bers from both sides of the aisle, andwould not have happened withoutbipartisan support.

Congratulations to the manyprofessionals and volunteers whoworked over the past year or so toeducate policy makers about the

importance and effectiveness of adulteducation and literacy. Your hardwork has paid off!

Magazine Works as Support,Forum for Campus Adjunct Staff

The Adjunct Advocate, now in itsfifth year of publication, is a maga-zine for part-time and adjunct facul-ty working in postsecondary institu-tions across the U.S. The magazinefocuses on the issues faced by thisgrowing sector of two- and four-year college and university instruc-tors, featuring articles on such topicsas grade inflation, cheating, teachers'unions, and juggling part-timeschedules.

To subscribe, `23 (800) 527-5901, or 0 P.O. Box 130117, AnnArbor, MI 48113. Subscriptions are$30.00 per year.

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GED Items September/October 1996a Page 15

electronic, on-line, highly interactiveand individualized accredited highschool and continuing educationprogram. It will deliver instructionthrough an Internet-based deliverysystem and satellite systems locatedat secondary schools.

The Pacific Star SchoolsPartnership is a multi-state consor-tium (serving Alaska, Arizona,Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana,Oregon, Washington, AmericanSamoa, Guam, Republic of Palau,Federated States of Micronesia,Commonwealth of the NorthernMariana Islands, and Republic of theMarshall Islands) that will use its$2.9 million to develop three inter-active courses: GED instruction bysatellite, a self-paced GED CD-ROM study program, and CareerTwo, a course geared to displacedadult workers who need retraining.Other system enhancementsdesigned to augment high schoolcompletion, adult literacy, workforcereadiness, and school to work transi-tion are also part of the proposal.

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Learning sites will be at middle andsecondary schools and the programsare designed for nationwide dissemi-nation and/or replication.

LiteracyLink will create a pre-GED and workplace basic skillsvideo service that responds to theneed for pre-GED coursework, anda new video and on-line materialsthat will reflect the emphases of therevised `GED 2000' test series. Bothnew series will be available for con-ventional broadcast by public televi-sion stations. The project will estab-lish a technology-based resourcecenter that will include training intechnology issues and technical assis-tance as well as professional develop-ment video conferences.LiteracyLink will deliver content ineasy-to-use electronic formats, withicon-driven menus augmented byaudio instructions. Three majorpartners will join PBS in executingthe project: the University ofPennsylvania's National Center onAdult Literacy, KentuckyEducational Television, and the

Kentucky Department of Education.Many of LiteracyLink's activities willbe implemented with assistance fromthe GED Testing Service and soft-ware providers. For delivery, theproject will rely upon the local liter-acy programs of 25 established sitesat schools, libraries, colleges, publictelevision stations, businesses andcommunity-based organizationsacross the U.S.

For more information aboutthis year's Star Schools grantawardees, contact:

David Thomas, OERI, (202)401-3026;

Monty McMahon, SchoolCLASS Project, (402) 472-4341;

Steve Witter, Pacific AdultLiteracy Project, (506) 456-7685;

Jinny Goldstein, PBSLiteracyLink, (703) 739-5140.

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£911-9£002 DU NOIDNIHSVAL1OSZ aims /AN IN0c111$3 aNO

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GED1ms more than 24,000 readers

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 6 AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1996

Ceremonies Provide Rite of Passage forNontraditional Graduates

The journey through life isnot always easy and the mes-sages of experience are often

unclear. Few people know this bet-ter than the adults who have chosento complete their high school edu-cation after their "time" has passed.

Ccintemporary life, with its sci-entific explanations for everything,often seems devoid of the ritualswhich defined for our ancestorstheir status on the path of life. Butwhen we look more closely, theneed for meaning that inspiredancient rituals survives in the formof significant events that mark a per-son's passage, even through a secularlife: learning to drive, a first date,...and high school graduation.

'RE

Joyce Mic ae , rig t, isp ays t e"Outstanding Learner of the Year" awardgiven to her by the McNairy County Adultand Community Education Center, Selmer,TN. On hand to congratulate Joyce andthe 53 other GED graduates participatingin the June graduation event was thearea's state representative, Randy Rinks.

GED students who earned their diplomas through the New York City Public Schools'Auxiliary Services program pose during a June, 1996, ceremony at Hunter College. Morethan 2,300 guests gathered to honor the 629 graduates on their special day.

According to Jay D.Schvandevelt, a professor at UtahState University, "Ritual is impor-tant because it is a process by whichthe routine takes on symbolic mean-ing and personal histories becomeobservable." And that is why gradua-tion ceremonies are important eventsfor GED graduates, whether or notthey don the traditional academicrobes which once served to keepstudents warm in dark, damp,medieval buildings.

The overwhelming response, inthe form of letters, photos, and sto-ries, to our March/April issue'sgraduation article is clear evidenceof the desire among many nontradi-tional students for a formal ceremo-ny to mark their passage into the

realm of high school graduates.In this issue, we offer our con-

gratulations to each one of this year'sGED graduates. Even if you didn'tmarch down the aisle and listen to aspeech or two, you've finally earnedyour diploma. Use it!

more pictures on page 9

Inside ItemsFocus on:

Learning Disabilities 7

For GED Examiners 12

From the Director 2

News and Notes 11

Teaching Tips


55

Exciting Developments at GED TestingService Offer Chances for Growth,Program Improvementby Joan C. Auchter

This year of 1996 has beenone of major transitions forthe Center for Adult

Learning and EducationalCredentials (CALEC), the GEDTesting Service (GEDTS), and forour parent organization, theAmerican Council on Education.

All in one month, November,Bob Atwell departed from his longand productive role as ACEPresident, Hank Spine retired after22 years of distinguished service toCALEC and ACE, and Jean Loweresigned after ten years of untiringcontributions to GEDTS. As youwould suppose, the changes provideus with new challenges as well asnew leadership.

Stanley 0. Ikenberry is ACE'Snew President. As president of thethree-campus University of Illinoisfrom 1979 to 1995, he transformedthe university's Chicago campus intothe largest, most comprehensiveresearch university campus in thearea and instituted major science,technology, and computer scienceinitiatives at the Urbana-Champaigncampus. Dr. Ikenberry brings anunique understanding of the possi-bilities and challenges the comingyears hold for education and welook forward to working with him.

With Hank's retirement, I ampleased to inform you that SusanRobinson will serve as CALEC'sInterim Director. Many readers arefamiliar with Susan through herleadership in marketing and outreachfor GEDTS. She brings to the taskprecisely the experience and person-al qualities needed at this importanttime.

The GEDTS staff are eagerlyaddressing the many challenges ofmoving the GED program forwardto the new millennium. As recom-mended in a recent managementreview of GEDTS, we are taking ona new direction and expandedvision.

Among the most exciting pro-jects is the recalibration of the testproduction time frame to ensure thatour new series of tests come out in atimely fashion. The GED 2000Series Test Specifications Committeewill meet in late January or earlyFebruary to begin work on the newstandards for the tests. From morethan 200 nominations, we mustselect a representative committee of30 nationally recognized experts.The panel will define subject matterstandards to ensure that the testsremain educationally rigorous andreflect the most relevant parts of atypical high school curriculum forthe year 2000 and beyond.

We convened a meeting ofCanadian national content experts inToronto, Ontario in early Decemberto review Canadian content stan-dards. We were pleased to find thatCanada's four regional standardsefforts while operating independent-ly, had arrived at similar conclusions.Additionally, we found that the stan-dards identified by these groups arenot far from the United States'national and state subject matterefforts. All four content groupsidentified similar skill strands (e.g.,critical thinking, information man-agement and technology) that maydefine critical skills across contentareas.

In November and December,we convened blue-ribbon councilsto review our policies in two areas:testing accommodations for peoplewith disabilities and test security.The reflections, evaluations, and rec-ommendations we gleaned frommembers of these two importantpanels will inform the policies in thenew GED Examiner's Manual, due.out in early 1997. While several ofthe recommendations can be imple-mented immediately, others we'llbring first to the annual conferenceof GED Administrators, scheduledfor July in San Antonio, Texas.

We at the GED Testing Serviceare energized by our plans for thefuture and we look forward toworking with you on these and themany other initiatives we'll beundertaking in the coming months.If you have suggestions for us, or ifyou would simply like more infor-mation, please contact Clarice Uluhere at the GED Testing Service,(202) 939-9490. We want toinvolve you in our new direction!

Joan Auchter is the InterimDirector at the GED TestingService. She also serves as theDirector for the Test Developmentunit.


Editor: Lisa RichardsAdvertising Manager: Lisa RichardsCirculation Manager: Debra Louallen-COleCirculation Assistant: Zenitta Jones

Barry Munitz, ACE Board Chair,California State University SystemStanley 0. Ikenberry, President, ACEJoan C. Auchter, Interim Director, GEDTesting Service.

Page 2 o November/December 1996

56GED Items

Miss America 1997 Backs GED With New PSATara Holland proclaims "power of one" message in publicservice announcement.

by Richard Kraus

Tara Holland'sfirst stepsdown the

runway as MissAmerica 1997 con-tinues a mission shebegan at age 17 toimprove, one by one,the lives of each per-son she meets. AsMiss America, TaraHolland will be trav-eling the countryprojecting "thepower of the crown"onto the issue of lit-eracy. The GEDTesting Service ispleased to announcethat Tara Holland hasalso added her voiceto raising awarenessabout the GED Testsby recording a publicservice announce- Miss America 1997, Tara Ho an , is a ormer iteracy vo unteerment (PSA).

In the comingyear, while fulfilling her duties asMiss America, Tara will be logging20,000 miles a month and at everystop will be speaking out for literacyawareness and volunteerism. Tara'sfirst job was as an adult literacytutor. As a student at Florida StateUniversity, Tara recruited, trained,and placed more than 150 volunteersin 30 classrooms. At age 20, Taraproduced and distributed to all 50states a manual and audiotape enti-tled, "A New Job for the New You,"a step-by-step job seeker's hand-book. Now, with another opportu-nity to advance the cause of literacy,she will be touring the nation speak-ing not only to those Americans inneed of improved reading skills, but

who has recorded a GED public service announcement.

to all Americans about the need toreach out and volunteer in some wayto make literacy a priority.

Tara Holland launched her MissAmerica platform of "Literacy inAmerica: The Power of One" dur-ing an October event hosted by theNational Institute for Literacy andthe Miss America Organization inWashington, DC. Tara stronglybelieves that individuals can influ-ence the lives of others through vol-unteer activities. She says "Each oneof us can find at least one programthat we can participate in" to helpimprove the literacy skills of others,and she views higher literacy skills asa first step toward strengtheningfamilies and the future success ofchildren. Tara makes this connec-

tion clear in her PSA for the GEDby urging Americans to worktoward higher goals, including earn-ing a GED diploma.

The PSA featuring MissAmerica, Tara Holland, will be dis-tributed nationwide this comingspring and will be available for orderthrough the GED Fulfillment Houseby February, 1997. Readers maycontact the fulfillment house at (301)604-9073.

Richard Kraus is the OutreachProjects Coordinator for the

Center for Adult Learning andEducational Credentials,American Council on Education.

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GED Items 57 November/December 1996o Page 3

Demystifying the Test: the Art andScience of Passage Selectionby Katherine S. Woodward

imagine the situation. You are atest specialist trying to select apassage for use as stimulus for

questions on the GED InterpretingLiterature and the Arts Test. Theitem writer you have hired has sentyou three possibilities. You'verejected those. You ask the itemwriter to search again. This time,the item writer sends you five pas-sages, absolutely convinced one ofthem will work. Still, you aren't sat-isfied. Finally, the ninth passagemeets all the criteria, and the nextstep of the test construction process,the writing of questions, can begin.

Two questions emerge from thisscenario. First, what are the criteriathat make a passage appropriate asstimulus for the GED InterpretingLiterature and the Arts Test? Andsecond, what makes it so difficult fora passage to meet the criteria?

Six basic criteria set the overallparameters for passage selection.The passage should be of correctlength, according to test specifica-tions (between 200 and approxi-mately 400 words, for prose;between 8 and approximately 25lines, for poetry). Once excerpted,the passages must evidencecoherence; that is, have a clearbeginning, middle, and end. Thissecond criterion is much harder tomeet than one would expect, as pas-sages often are excerpted from themiddle of full-length works, such asnovels or plays.

Passages also need to be writtenat a level of difficulty appropriatefor the typical high school senior.Some passages clearly contain ideastoo complex or abstract for the high

school level; these are easy to reject.However, some passages that other-wise seem nearly perfect, containtoo many individual words beyondhigh school level vocabulary.Particularly if the meaning of thesewords cannot be gleaned from con-text, these wonderful passages mayalso be turned down.

Sharing the six criteria with

students may help to demystify

the test and relieve student

anxiety about the kind of

literature they will encounter

on the test.

Whether classical literature,popular literature, or commentaryon the arts, the passage must be amodel of good writing. It musthave significant literary merit.

Related to the passage's literaryquality, however, is a more subtlecriterion: the passage must containsufficient richness for questions.Generally, each passage has to yieldten questions appropriate for fieldtesting. Moreover, the passages mustyield questions evenly spread acrossthe four cognitive areas: literal com-prehension, inferential comprehen-sion, analysis (including analysis ofstyle and structure) and application(extension of ideas expressed in pas-sage to new contexts). Many power-ful passages cannot elicit the in-depth interpretation required fordemonstration of high school profi-ciency.

Sometimes, the most difficulthurdle for a passage to surmount is

the last criterion, appropriatenessof topic. A passage appearing onthe Interpreting Literature and theArts Test should contain nothingthat unfairly disadvantages or advan-tages certain groups of examinees. Itlikewise should contain nothing thatunnecessarily distracts examineesfrom concentrating fully on testquestions and doing their best.

Avoiding bias is one of the pri-mary considerations when reviewingpassages for appropriateness. Somekinds of bias, such as blatant offen-siveness (e.g., direct stereotyping)can be screened out easily.Sometimes, however, the bias thatderails passages can be more implicit.

For example, some passages areoffensive because they show a lack ofsensitivity to the way a group hasbeen represented over time. In test-ing lingo, this bias is sometimestermed "secondary offensiveness."

A passage that focuses principal-ly on a woman's beauty may berejected, not because the passagecontains derogatory comments aboutwomen ("primary offensiveness"),but because women have so oftenbeen defined by their appearanceand thereby demeaned. Whenscreening for bias, one cannot con-sider a passage in isolation. It isimportant to note that many pas-sages inappropriate for use on theInterpreting Literature and the ArtsTest because of bias work well in theclassroom where students have theopportunity to discuss the relevantbias issues.

continued on page 6

Page 4 o November/December 1996 GED Items

.5 8

iltem* and Test Devellopment Flow ChartItem Development

VTest Specialist (GEDTS staff)

Advertises for item writers in

appropriate ublications

Item Writers (external)

Prepare raw items

(stimulus /passage and questions).

Test Specialist (GEDTS staff)

Revises or rejects items

Content Reviewers (external)

Director, Test Development(GEDTS staff)

Four independent reviewers judgecontent accuracy, clarity, suitability,

level, and fairness of items.


Revises or rejects items per reviewers'

comments

Measurement and FairnessReviewers (external)

Director, PsychometricServices (GEDTS staff)

Three independent reviewers judgeitems to ensure sound test construction,

detect item flaws, and ensure fairness.

MEL


Revises or rejects items per reviewers'

comments

Professional Editor/Proofer (external)

Edits and proofreads items forlanguage and "surface" errors


Revises items per editor/proofer's comments

GED ExamineesRespond to field test items during

actual test administration

Final FormDevelopment


Selects items and assembles GED test

based on test specifications, examineeperformance, and judgmental and

statistical fairness reviews

* "Item" refers to a passage, graph or other stimulus and its related test questions.

Director, Test Developmentand Director, Psychometric

Services (GEDTS staff)

Fairness ReviewersFinal Form Reviewers

Measurement Reviewers(all external)

Nine independent reviewers judgecontent and fairness of individual items

and test as a whole.


Revises test composition per

reviewers' comments

Standardization ofNew Test Forms

VHigh School Seniors

GED Tests are administered, duringspring, to graduating seniors from a

stratified random sam le of high schools.

Director, PsychometricServices (GEDTS staff)

Test forms equated

Final OperationalGED Test Forms

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Passages from page 4

Some passages are inappropriatefor the GED Interpreting Literatureand the Arts Test because they evoketoo much emotion. For example, ifa passage treats the death of a lovedone in a car accident, some exami-nees may become so preoccupied bytheir own painful memories thatthey cannot concentrate as well onanswering test questions. Such apassage could be discussed in theclassroom, where consequences arenot so significant. For the GEDpopulation in particular, passagesabout high school experiences maybe similarly inappropriate. Otherpassages, less disturbing but stillinteresting and compelling, canassess the same literary skills. Whileadmittedly, some person, some-where, will be offended or disturbedby any passage, the objective inlarge-scale testing is to avoid offend-ing or disturbing a significant sub-group of the test-taking population,and thereby impair their ability toperform well.

In screening passages for biasand sensitivity considerations, onemust remember that the InterpretingLiterature and the Arts Test is ahigh-stakes test. Answering evenone or two additional questions cor-rectly may make the differencebetween an examinee's receiving ornot receiving a high school diploma.

The Item and Test DevelopmentFlow Chart on page 5 underscoresthe need for each passage to meet allsix of the passage selection criteria,from correctness of length to appro-priateness of topic. Each passage isrepeatedly reviewed by internal staffat the GED Testing Service and bymany external experts across theUnited States and Canada to assureits suitability. At any point in thedevelopment process, a passage canbe rejected if it does not meet theselection criteria.

What are the implications of thepassage selection criteria for GEDteachers? Sharing the six criteria

with students may help to demystifythe test and relieve student anxietyabout the kind of literature they willencounter on the test. Awareness ofthe criteria can also inspire severaluseful student assignments. Forexample, a teacher could ask stu-dents to select a passage which theybelieve is appropriate for the test,based on the six selection criteria,and then defend their choice,orallyand/or in writing.

Literary passages selected for

use on the GED Tests must

meet standards in six areas:

O Length

Coherence

Level of dculty

Model of good writing

Richness for questions

Appropriateness of topic

For an easier assignment, stu-dents could be asked to chooseamong passages preselected by theteacher. Using the six criteria toselect a passage encourages studentsto gain a sense of ownership of apiece of literature while they simul-taneously analyze the literature frommultiple perspectives. The teachermight extend the assignment by ask-ing students to write sample ques-tions based on their passage, andthen perhaps to give their passageand questions to other students.

When most people think of aGED Interpreting Literature and theArts Test, they think of the 45 ques-tions. Good questions emerge fromgood passages.

Katherine S. Woodward, Ph.D. isthe Test Specialist for Interpreting

Literature and the Arts at theGED Testing Service. She alsooversees the development of SpecialEditions.


60

FOgROg ©UN 0,,@CFROEla 00gC60000©g

Experience, Research ShedLight on Reading Problemsby Meg Schofield

of long ago, my husband, amotorcycle racing enthusi-ast, took me to a well-

known racetrack out in the desert,where I had an experience thathelped me get closer to the adultstudents in my literacy program. Iwas more or less on my own becausemy husband was working down inthe pits. I knew only the most obvi-ous things about motorcycle racing

the riders would go as fast as theycould (ideally, in the same direction),someone would end up first, andsomeone would finish last.

All around me, the fans in thestands frequently turned to eachother, as if on cue, screaming in uni-son, "Did you see THAT!!?" Iwould spin my head around, squint-ing, scanning the blur, thinking,"See what? WHAT?" Within twen-ty minutes, the thrill of the deafen-ing engine revs reverberatingthrough my body had worn off, andI had settled down into a glazed-

over state of disoriented confusion.Races started, stopped, stalled, start-ed over, ended, or seemed to end, allfor reasons which I, apparently,could not discern. I failed to"O000h" and "Ahhhh" on cue withmy fellow fans. My confusion mademe anxious, and I eventually grewbored and listless. While everyonearound me seemed to be derivingenormous pleasure from the event, Iwas thinking of all the things Iwould rather be doing. I retreated tothe car and read my book. I made amental note to return to the trackthe following month. NOT!

I understand better now theexperiences of the many adult learn-ers I know, for whom reading hasbeen a lifelong struggle. My experi-ence at the racetrack was similar inone very germane respect to theirproblems with printed text. Like mystudents facing a page brimmingwith indecipherable words, I couldsee the 'whole' all right, but my pic-

ture was a frustrating messdecid-edly not greater than the sum of itsproverbial parts. In fact, it was pre-cisely the parts which I failed tograsp, because I did not know howto look. What seemed to me a mad-dening chaos of noise and exhaust,was, in fact, governed by a definitesystem. The system provides the ini-tiated with a host of helpful cues(colored flags, the riders' numbersand plates, exhaust noises, etc.)which, once understood, bringfocus, meaning, and thus satisfactionto the racetrack experience.

Some adult students ... may

score into the junior high

school range on tests of word

recognition, but don't be

fooled!

Likewise, an emerging consen-sus of research findings points to theneed to get down to the 'parts' level,waaay down, to make the systemwhich governs written languageaccessible to disabled readers.Without access to the system upon

continued on page 8

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GED Items

61November/December 1996o Page 7

Learning Disabilities from page 7

written language is built, many poorreaders are not likely to derive satis-faction on their own from pages ofprint. I know just how it feels to`scan the blur.'

During the past several years,the National Institute of ChildHealth and Human Development(NICHD) has invested more than$80 million in large-scale researchand longitudinal studies of childrento ascertain the causes of learningdisabilities. NICHD researchers havedocumented that the primary prob-lem underlying the difficulties mayindividuals have with reading andspelling lies with the most basic oflanguage blocks: phonemes.According the 1995 publication,Research in Learning Disabilities atthe NICHD, "Disabled readers donot readily acquire the alphabeticcode when learning to read, due todeficiencies in phonological process-ing." (p.12) It also states: "Deficits inphonological awareness reflect thecore deficit in dyslexia." (p. 10).

Most of us internalize the alpha-betic code with seemingly littleeffort. A beginning reader might, forexample, recognize the word 'circle'on sight. When shown for the firsttime the word 'circus,' he probablybegins to build a generalization thatthe letters, `c-i-r; correspond to the

sound he hears at the beginning ofboth words. This concept would bereinforced if he is taught that 'c' fol-lowed `e,"i; or 'y' makes a /s/sound. Much later, he mayencounter words like 'circa' and 'cir-cumference' and handily pronouncethem, even before he is aware oftheir meaning. This process of mak-ing and registering sound/letter gen-eralizations goes on thousands oftimes over throughout the period inwhich a "normal" reader developsmastery over written language.

But what about people for

The interventions that would

have helped [adult students] in

elementary school can still help

them now, whether their

reading problems stem from

poor instruction or a

neurological deficit.

whom this process is not easilyacquired, for whom years of primaryeducationoften (yes, often!)including phonics programshavefailed to alleviate their struggle withreading and spelling? Many adult lit-eracy students have been exposed tosome phonics instruction but (andthis is a big 'but'), those with a Ian-

Phonics Lessons Boost Retention Rates

At the Chula Vista Public Library's Literacy Team Center, every English-speaking

adult learner is screened for phonological awareness, decoding and spelling skills, aswell as for a history of reading problems in school.

If deficits are identified in these areas, the student is likely to be placed in a highly

structured, systematic, multisensory phonology program. The program uses the Wilson

Reading System and Lindamood Auditory Discrimination in Depth products to logically

structure and control the vocabulary introduced. Students are tutored by volunteers whohave undergone an intensive 18-hour training, followed by staff monitoring and sup-port.

The Wilson and Lindamood-based instruction is offered alongside context-based

life skill lessons. Students may take advantage of both approaches depending on per-

sonal need, skill level, and available time. Following the introduction of the phonology

program, the Literacy Team's overall one-year retention rate soared from 30% to 63%.The one-year retention rate for students using the phonology program is 77%.

guage-based learning disability werenot able to absorb, internalize, orapply that instruction. They learnedinstead to rely almost exclusively ontwo well-rehearsed strategies: mem-orizing whole words and guessing.

Without screening measuresdesigned to test phonologicalknowledge and the ability to applythat knowledge to reading andspelling, adult literacy (non-ESL)programs may be missing the markentirely in identifying the underlyinginstructional needs in up to 70% oftheir students. Some adults havemanaged to memorize a staggeringnumber of words. They may scoreinto the junior high school range ontests of word recognition, but don'tbe fooled! Many of them read farbelow their potential and continueto find reading and writing a greatstruggle. They may recognize theword 'photograph,' but be unable tospell it, or to read correctly 'photo-graphic' or 'photogenic.'

Should research on learning dis-abilities in children inform our workwith adult students? You bet! Theinterventions that would have helpedthem in elementary school can stillhelp them now, whether their read-ing problems stem from poorinstruction or a neurological deficit.At our adult literacy center we havelearned from direct experience thatwe must provide approximately 70%of our students with activities thatteach them directly and systematical-ly how to look at words, how todetermine the sequence of sounds inwords, how to predict the soundbehavior of groups of letters in thechunks we call syllables. Our teach-ing needs to engage our students'visual, auditory, and tactile braincenters. So many of my students arepractically euphoric when they dis-cover that there is a system govern-ing the English language and thatthe system can, at last, belong tothem too! The overwhelmingmajority of these students have



62

GED graduates at the Region XVI Education Service Center in Amarillo, TX relax allowingan August, 1996, cap and gown ceremony. With more than 1,700 looking on from the

audience, 190 graduates crossed the stage to take possession of their diplomas.

Cleveland, TN, graduateSteven Calfee proposed tohis sweetheart of sevenyears, Christy May, afterclaiming his GED diploma.

44.

-14-

AIL

Friends an ami y gather to congratulate Laverne "Coo ie"Clarke, of Hampton, VA, on earning her External Diploma.Before she could read, Cookie mobilized her neighbors topetition the city for an adult education center. It has now servedher community for 15 years.

Reminder!Minimum ScoresRise in New Year

n January 1, the passingstandard for the GED Testsbecomes a minimum stan-

dard score of 40 on each test ANDan average standard score of 45, alevel now met by 66% of graduatingU.S. high school seniors. Manystates, provinces, and territoriesalready meet or exceed this standard.

In jurisdictions where lowerminimum scores have been in effect,only GED examinees who passedthe GED Tests under the 1996 scorerequirements and completed testingby December 31, 1996, are eligiblefor a GED diploma. Candidates whohaven't completed testing by the end'of 1996, or whose partial scoresdon't meet the 1997 standard, mustmeet the new standard across all fivetests to earn a GED diploma.

Some U.S. states may face leg-islative delays and have applied forextensions. If you have a questionabout how the new minimum scorestandards affect you, please call theGED Administrator for your state,province, or territory, or contactAllida Joyce at the GED TestingService, (202) 939-9490.

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AmeriCorps Application Deadline Approacheso you know a GED studentor graduate who's in themarket for their next chal-

lenge? The National CivilianCommunity Corps, part of theAmeriCorps national service pro-gram created by Congress andPresident Clinton in 1993, is seekingmen and women ages 18 to 24 toserve communities throughout theUnited States beginning nextSeptember. The deadline for appli-cations is April 15, 1997.

AmeriCorps*NCCC is open toU.S. citizens, nationals, and lawfulpermanent resident aliens of theUnited States who are committed tospending up to a year of their lives"getting things done" for a stronger,safer, smarter, and healthierAmerica. Young men and women ofall educational, economic, and socialbackgrounds have participated inand benefited from this full-time res-idential program operated by theCorporation for National Service.

The program takes its inspira-

tion from theDepression-eraCivilian ConservationCorps, which putthousands of youngAmericans to workrestoring the naturalenvironment. Whileretaining the focus onthe environment,AmeriCorps*NCCCalso recognizes that asthe challenges ournation faces becomemore diverse, so mustthe solutions.

Participants("Corpsmembers")take on such enter-prises as constructing,mapping and improv-ing urban and ruralparks, restoringstreams and rivers, renovating seniorcitizen housing, and developing andimplementing child immunizationcampaigns. Corpsmembers are

AmeriCorps members from diverse backgrounds work in teams toaddress community problems.

trained in disaster relief and someteams even learn to fight forest fires.Over the ten months of service,members will work in permanentteams of 10-15 on many types ofprojects, each lasting anywhere froma few days to several months.

Corpsmembers receive lodging,meals, uniforms, skills training, lim-ited health benefits, and a modestliving allowance during the timethey serve in the Corps. Those withdependent children can receivematching funds to assist with childcare costs, however, children are notpermitted on campus. Upon pro-gram completion; Corpsmembersare entitled to a $4,725 award towardfurther education and training orrepayment of existing student loans.

The program begins inSeptember with rigorous training inleadership, team building, citizen-ship, and physical conditioning atone of four locations: Charleston,SC; Denver, CO; San Diego, CA;and Perry Point, MD. Participants

continued on next page

Tips for a good applicationAn application's purpose, whether it's to a training program or a college, is

to represent you to people you've never met. Think carefully and ask yourself"What do I want this application to say about me?"

Select references carefully; this is one time when friends and relatives don't count!

Ask a teacher, former supervisor or coach, your minister, or your probation officer toserve as a reference for you. References should come from people who know you butdon't "owe" you.

Read over the application carefully; get help with the parts you don't understand.

Gather all information requested on the application.

Set aside time to work on a "draft" application, completing all the sections on a sep-arate piece of paper.

Respond thoughtfully and honestly to all the questions and plan the written portionscarefully. Lying on an application is the one sure way to be disqualified.

Remember that most people don't complete a long application all in one sitting. It'sokay to set it aside and come back to it; just don't miss the deadline!

Gather your draft and any other information and have it all handy when you sitdown to complete the application.

Type or hand print the application neatly in ink.

Keep a photocopy for your records.

Make sure that you put the correct amount of postage on the envelope.

Page 100 November/December 1996 64 GED Items

AmeriCorps from page 10

live in dormitory style residencesand eat meals in an on-campus cafe-teria. Prospective Corpsmembersapply to the AmeriCorps*NCCCprogram and, if accepted, will beassigned to one of the campus loca-tions. They have most evenings andweekends free, but extracurricularactivities keep them busy beyond anormal work day. Some teams canbe sent on special short-term pro-jects where camping and "roughingit" may be required.

Travel to the campus, and backhome at the end of service, is pro-vided by the program andCorpsmembers may bring their caror bike to campus, if they have one.There is a two-week vacationaround the winter holidays and fed-eral holidays are observed. Selectionfor the program is based on a sevenpage application, two personal refer-ences, and a telephone interview. Allselected applicants undergo a drugscreen and background check.

The Corporation for NationalService has other AmeriCorps pro-grams and programs that get seniorcitizens and school-aged childreninvolved in their communities.

For more information or torequest an AmeriCorps application,check with your local GED TestingCenter, call (800) 942-2677, orpoint to http://www.cns.gov.

Symbol Key

Mailing Address

Telephone Numberor Internet

Address/URL

oopsilThe September/October issueof GED Items reported that 91%of Canada's provinces meet thenew minimum score standard....The figure should be 100%.Our apologies for the error!

"Open the Doors..." BrochureNow in Bilingual Version

For those who have alwayswanted to say, "Ouvir les Portes surVotre Avenir!" but didn't know how,a new French/English version of thepopular four-color folded brochure,"Open the Door to Your Future" isnow available from the GEDFulfillment House.

About 3,500 examinees take theFrench-language GED Tests eachyear and, until now, no French-lan-guage materials were available toreach them. The French-languagetests are based on Canadian high-school curriculum and normed onFrench-speaking Canadian highschool students. The bilingualbrochure was produced in coopera-tion with Editions d'Acadie, pub-lishers of the only French-languageGED preparation manual.

To order, IT GED FulfillmentHouse, (301) 604-9073 and requestitem #250612.

LDA Conference Slated forFebruary

The Learning DisabilitiesAssociation of America hosts itsannual conference at the PalmerHouse in Chicago, IL, February16-22, 1997. For more informationand registration materials tEl LDA,4146 Library Road, Pittsburgh, PA15234 Tr (412) 341-1515

Laubach Literacy Action Meetsin June 1998

The U.S. Program Division ofLaubach Literacy has scheduled itsBiennial Conference for June 11-141998 in Columbus, OH. Foradvance information, El JanetHiemstra, Director of Conferences,Laubach Literacy Action, 1320

Jamesville Ave., Box 131, SyracuseNY 13210 tr (315) 422-9376, ext.283.

NIFL Spreads Info on Welfare,Adult Ed Reform

The National Institute forLiteracy (NIFL) wants to informadult educators about the changes inthe federal-state financial relation-ship resulting from the new U.S.welfare law which took effect inOctober, 1996. The changes haveimportant implications for the adultand education and literacy field.

NIFL provides a series of policyupdates and fact sheets for adult edu-cation and literacy practitioners andprogram directors on a variety ofissues related to legislation and regu-lations. To be added to the PolicyUpdate list, 13° (202) 632-1500 andselect option 6.

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GED Items November/December 1996o Page 1 1

Learning Disabilities from page 8

declared, "This is what I alwaysneeded. Why hasn't anybody taughtme this way before?"

Most of us offer programs tomeet the external needs, the lifeskills and 'competencies' which Weknow adults require. Of course theyneed to be able to complete jobapplications, write checks, readdirections at the gas pump and onthe Tylenol bottle. But what most ofthem really want just one thing: tobe able to read and write just aboutanything. They want to be able tobring the 'blur' into focus, so thatthey too can derive pleasure andinformation from the printed page.

Meg Schofield directs the ChulaVista Public Library's LiteracyTeam Center in San DiegoCounty, California. Earlier thisyear, the program was named thestate's top community-basedliteracy provider by the State

Collaborative Literacy Council.

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Today's Special: Test Answers on Rye...Hold the Mayo!Rome, Italy

Ef you're an experienced GEDExaminer and you think youknow all the tricks... here's a

new one for your files:An Italian teacher who handed

out salami sandwiches to studentstaking an exam has been disci-plinednot for allowing them to eatduring the test, but for hiding theanswers between the slices of bread!

Ettore Szokoll, 30, was suspend-ed as an examination supervisor atthe Fratelli Cgvi high school inBergamo, a town in northern Italy,the Italian news agency ANSAreported.

It said that Szokoll, a law teach-er, slipped out of the room wherestudents were taking an electronics

test on June 27, got a friend to workout the answers, photocopied them,and struck a deal with a nearby bar-keeper to slip them into 15 salamisandwiches.

Another exam supervisor grewsuspicious and found an answer sheetinside one of the snacks.

The ANSA report said thatSzokoll could face charges of abuseof office and a damages suit from theschool.

The bulk of the preceding story is

reprinted from the July 20, 1996,edition of the Bermuda RoyalGazette and comes courtesy ofJanet Snow, the GEDAdministrator for Connecticut.

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13,- 1996. - ERIC › fulltext › ED412252.pdf · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 412 252 TM 027 522. AUTHOR Richards, Lisa, Ed. TITLE GED Items. The Newsletter of the GED Testing Service. Volume