We Need a “GED” for College Students � The Quick and the Ed

We Need a “GED” for College Students � The Quick and the Ed

We Need a “GED” for College Students

by Chad Aldeman

Almost 27 million Americans, 13.6 percent of all adults, are college dropouts.* To put that in perspective, that’s 10 million more than the number who have completed associates degrees and more than the number who’ve completed Master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees combined. These are adults over the age of 25 who were once enrolled in higher education somewhere but did not finish any certificate or degree and are no longer enrolled to do so. Unlike high school, where a dropout has the chance to earn an equivalent diploma through a battery of tests, students who drop out of college get no credit. Their money, plus the taxpayer dollars invested in them, goes down the drain. To remedy this problem, higher education needs its own version of the GED.
General Educational Development tests were launched in 1942 to support World War II veterans who, upon returning from the war without a high school credential, wanted to attend college or find a job requiring a high school degree. Applicants must take a battery of five subject area tests and to pass they must meet certain

QUICK Hits

by Forrest Hinton

Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day. The content of these Hits is not necessarily endorsed by the organization or any particular team member.

• Are we ready to embrace Edutopia? (Education Next)
• CAP and AEI agree on an education policy? (Center for American Progress)
• Why does Arne Duncan think that for-profit colleges play a “vital role” in our economy? (College Guide)
• How has the NewSchools Summit evolved during the past 11 years? (NewSchools)