Education Q&A

What's GED?

Q. Heard on the tonight show: "She cut the tires because she wanted to go to prison to get her GED." What's GED?

A. The initials stand for General Educational Development and, on passing the set of exams, the test-taker is awarded a high school equivalency diploma. If is for people who did not complete high school. A student may leave high school early, pass the GED, and go on to college Or an older person or someone educated abroad may need to complete it in order to get a job. When I went to high school in New York, there was the GED (something like "General Educational Development") diploma, the local high-school diploma, and the Regents Diploma. The GED test was roughly the minimum requirements for a local diploma, and a local diploma didn't necessarily mean anything more than a GED diploma. Either one was sufficient to get into a community or junior college, where you could complete the first two years of a four-year bachelor's degree, or to qualify for jobs or military service requiring a high-school diploma. Either one _might_ be enough to get into a four-year college directly. Because _some_ local programs covered more than the GED test required, the GED way is sometimes looked at as an easy way out (though it may well be a difficult way for those who actually end up earning one). At the other end was the Regents Diploma, which required a certain amount of diversity and a certain level of scores. The top end academic program at a decent high school would typically give the background to take the tests (say, four to six each year). It didn't leave much room for occupational programs, so it's not like _not_ having one is particularly significant; but those in an academic program would know they had a high-school diploma if they had both the local one and a Regents Diploma. The folks who brought you the GED high-school test also offered a GED college test (which I took just for the heck of it while I was in the Army and a friend of mine was taking the GED high-school test). It's supposed to be the equivalent of a year or two of college in the way that the GED test is sort of the equivalent of four years of high school (though it never did me any good (unless maybe it adds a little something to this posting)). I suspect that anyone with a Regents Diploma wouldn't have much trouble with the GED college test. Back then and nowadays there are other programs like Advanced Placement Tests and the College Level Examination Program to help people in the tougher high-school programs past the remedial programs in college, but I suspect there that there's an inclination towards academic aneurysm, where you could learn a little more in a few areas and act like you know something. But the serious certificate for high school nowadays is the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which is supposed to be world-wide and papers and examinations are judged by teachers in other countries, so there is theoretically less chance to slide through. The exams are along the lines of the Advanced Placement Tests, and can be traded in for similar credit in college, but the whole thing is a balanced program like the Regents Diploma, but maybe a year or two ahead of it or the college GED. My hat is off to anyone with an IB Diploma. An interesting program that I've mentioned before is also available, possibly as a predictor for things like Regents and IB diplomas. Normally you can't take the GED test unless you're over 16 and have been out of school for a year. But there is a GED practice test, given under similar pproctoring and scoring conditions, but half as long, and that can be taken at any age. I suspect that passing that with high marks before seventh grade indicates the possibility of doing well in the IB program (or real well with AP tests or a Regents Diploma). I think any public library in the USA can probably set that up.