In school, Caulkins’ problems were with math, a subject that plagues many adults who hope to earn their GED. He failed to graduate in 1976, but he became a carpenter and successful businessman. Three years ago, Caulkins decided to earn his GED, not because he needed a better job or a college education, but because he wanted the satisfaction of having the degree he lacked. Even though he was already a successful businessman, Caulkins’ lack of a degree carried with it a feeling of failure, one that was lifted when he earned the GED.

Caulkins set up a scholarship to help others achieve that feeling. Many people without GEDs struggle with childcare and financial problems that interfere with studying. No matter how many ways that life can get in the way, the satisfaction and rewards of earning a GED are worth the struggle.

To learn more about Caulkins and the scholarship, read the story on News Channel 8 in Virginia: http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0210/702450.html

Nichole and Patricia Kumse of Blount County, Tennessee, are sisters who earned their GED diplomas, becoming the first high school graduates in their family. Both women are mothers. Patricia Kumse is a mother of three, while Nichole Kumse is a mother of two, all between 3 and 10 years old.

The two mothers, like many GED students, were motivated to earn a GED diploma by their families, and particularly their children. Every parent wants their children to have all the opportunities the world can offer, and in today’s world, education is the key to opportunity. Parents want to set an example for their children, and getting the GED is a first step for many parents to show their children how important education is.

At the same time, the GED opens doors to provide a better life for a family. Nichole and Patricia Kumse both passed the GED with high enough scores to qualify for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship toward higher education. Patricia Kumse plans to study business, while Nichole Kumse plans to study holistic nutrition and writing.

Just as family can inspire adults to earn their GED, family can help greatly during the GED process. By studying for the GED together, Nichole and Patricia Kumse were able to provide each other support, with studying, homework, and motivation. By involving family or friends who can provide help and support, adult learners can achieve more in their educational experience, from the GED to the highest levels of post-secondary achievement.

Far from being something for “losers,” the GED is a chance for people to turn their lives around. Staying in the same place, with a low paying job, or no job at all, and low self-esteem is not the answer. The GED is the path to get back on track, and one of the best roads it can lead to is college.

Recently, three students who earned their GEDs at New Mexico State University were profiled in the Cibola Beacon. All three have gone on to succeed in college, on their ways to new careers. Stefanie Grandjean, mother of a seven-year-old daughter, is studying to become a nurse with a graduate degree, as well as teaching math to other students studying for their GEDs.

Arnold Davis also works for the GED program where he studied for his GED. He is studying for a degree in automotive mechanics and is active in student government. His future goals include earning a degree in social work. Sandra Daily, who earned her GED in 2006, already has an AA in general studies and is planning to get a degree in fine arts. Over the course of three months, she went from grade-school level to being ready for college.

The GED is a step forward, toward more confidence, higher education, and better jobs. It is a path toward tearing down those walls built up by voices saying, “You’re stupid.” Just succeeding at the GED goes a long way toward students regaining belief in themselves.

See the Cibola Beacon article here: http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2009/11/05/features/doc4af36314ae42e018756565.txt

Why would a medical doctor go back to earn a high school equivalency diploma? When Adams went to college early in the 1940s, he wasn’t required to graduate high school. He skipped forward again into medical school, at a time when the requirements weren’t as formalized as they are today. In more recent years, Adams has been active in water issues in his community of West Linn, Oregon, and he wanted to earn certification as a water plant operator. That’s when he ran into a problem. The certification requires a high school diploma.

Adams’s problem is similar to the situation many adults today are facing. In the past, many jobs and opportunities were open to those without a high school diploma. In many cases, quitting high school early didn’t seem like a major issue, since it was easy to enter the job market without a diploma. That’s changed. If a person without a high school diploma or GED loses their job, it’s much harder to get a new job now, without a diploma. Promotions, higher education, and changes in career can be closed off, even to a seasoned professional, without a diploma.

The good news is that the GED gives adults the opportunity to catch up with a world that demands a high school diploma. Adams took a GED practice test and discovered that he was ready to earn a GED right away, and many adults will have the same experience. For many others, just a few weeks of brush-up is enough to catch up on high school skills and be ready for the GED. Even for those who left school many years ago or didn’t do well in school, a good study program can provide quick and easy preparation.

A high school diploma is quickly becoming a necessity in today’s world, even for someone like William Adams, with many accomplishments and a long-standing career. For the 39 million American adults with no high school diploma, the GED is the answer, and it’s never too late to start moving forward with a GED diploma.

Graves knew that she’d need to get her high school diploma to move forward with her life. That’s when she found out about the GED. Instead of taking night classes to finish high school, Graves was able to earn her GED diploma. Now, Graves works as an office manager. This year, she spoke at the GED graduation ceremony for local GED graduates, who included her two youngest brothers who earned their GED this year.

Graves hopes to earn a college degree, and keep moving forward in her life. Her story shows the challenges that face American adults who never graduated high school. The GED provides the opportunity to qualify legitimately for the better jobs and higher education that allow adults to care for their families and accomplish their goals in life.

The road to success takes a commitment to get your GED, but passing the GED is an achievable goal. Many people can prepare for the exams with a few weeks of brush-up. Most adults have more of a foundation of high school skills than they think. Learners, even if they’ve been out of school for a while or had trouble in the classroom, can gain the essential skills the GED tests through a good study program. Taking Pam Graves’ example and earning your GED can be a breakthrough decision for the rest of your life.

Most people think of physical disabilities, when they think of test-taking accommodations. The GED provides accommodations for people with many types of disabilities, though, including physical disabilities, emotional and mental health disabilities, learning disabilities, and ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). The GED testing center can provide extended time, an audiocassette version, a braille test version, a calculator for the second math test, a talking calculator for the entire math test, a private room, supervised frequent breaks, or other accommodations specific to the disability. A qualified professional, such as your doctor, will need to provide documentation of your diagnosis and needs.

One of the most common disabilities is ADHD, or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD can often go undiagnosed, and cause people to perform poorly in school. People suffering from ADHD may drop out because school is so difficult when you can’t concentrate, focus, or sit still. To get accommodations for ADHD, you’ll need information from a psychiatrist, medical doctor, or psychologist who specializes in ADHD, along with information about your history and symptoms. You’ll need to take a test of attention, like the TOVA Gordon Diagnostic Battery. The GED test accommodations you can receive (such as frequent breaks or extra time) will be based on your symptoms, and how they’ll limit you during the test.

Accommodations may also be given for learning disabilities, such as dyslexia (reading disabilities), dysgraphia (writing disabilities), or dyscalculia (math disabilities). For these types of disabilities, you’ll also need a diagnosis from a doctor, who will need to report your scores on tests for learning and cognitive disabilities.

Talk to your doctor if you feel you need accommodations. Discuss what tests you may need to take, and whether you need to see a specialist.

Even with accommodations, the GED may be difficult for people with disabilities. Studying can also be a problem. The GED Academy strives to make its program as accessible as possible for students with disabilities. Go to the GED Academy website at http://www.passGED.com to learn more about our program, and how it’s designed to help everyone learn.

For more information and GED test-taking accommodation forms, visit the ACE GED Testing Service website: http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/test/Take/Accommodations_Disab.htm

An innovative new GED preparation software program brings GED students to life in a virtual classroom. Maria Ramirez, a Latino single mother, makes connections with learners’ real-life experiences and problems.

The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative passGED study program, The GED Academy brings a virtual classroom to life on students’ computer screens—a classroom peopled with fellow students who struggle with real-life problems. “Maria Ramirez is a virtual student at The GED Academy,” says Michael Ormsby, the Academy’s president. “Her story shows how easily young people’s lives can be side-tracked by personal issues. But she’s back on track now.”

Maria is a 22-year-old Latino single mother with a young son, Roberto. “My mother is proud of me,” she says, “and Roberto, too. They want me to do good on my GED, and I want to do it for them.” Maria’s focus on family reflects many students’ priorities. Her main goal is to make a better life for her son. “I want to become a nurse,” Maria says. “No, I mean I am going to become a nurse. Because I know that I can achieve my goals.”

The GED Academy believes that human interest and entertainment are essential to education. “Learning is a process that takes place inside the student’s mind. Engaging students—involving them in the lives and stories of others—creates learning.” Students follow Maria’s story as she struggles with and learns language skills, math skills, and critical thinking skills.

“Maybe I haven’t always made the best choices,” Maria says, “but I know getting my GED is a good choice.” Roberto’s father and Maria’s ex-boyfriend is a convicted drug dealer named Octavio, who claims to have turned over a new leaf. Maria struggles with deciding whether to let him be involved in her son’s life.

A native Spanish speaker, Maria sometimes has difficulty with English. “English spelling is so hard! Nothing is spelled like it sounds. But it helps me to have a reason to write, like when I wrote a letter to my son, when he is older, so he’ll know better about his father. Writing something important like that helps me learn better.” Maria now hosts a reading blog to help GED students learn better reading skills and prepare for the GED, called ¡GED Ahora!

Ultimately, Maria’s purpose is to help others learn. Many of the issues that Maria faces are shared by adult learners who want to get their GED—having to support a family, learning English as a second language, and struggling to change the course of their lives. “Following Maria’s story and her learning process helps our students,” Ormsby comments. “Like Maria, passGED students are changing their lives.”

For more information about The GED Academy, Maria, and the passGED study program, visit: www.passged.com

An innovative new GED preparation software program brings GED students to life in a virtual classroom. Dwayne Stone, a twenty-something who delivers pizza for a living, makes connections with learners’ real-life experiences and problems.

The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative passGED study program, The GED Academy brings a virtual classroom to life on students’ computer screens—a classroom peopled with fellow students who struggle with real-life problems. “Dwayne Stone is one of our most memorable virtual students,” says Michael Ormsby, the Academy’s president. “He is the class clown—and every classroom needs one. He’s also our go-to guy for pop culture—movies, music, things students enjoy. But underneath his wacky joking, Dwayne has some substance. He wants to make everyone else happy—and struggles with his own low self-esteem.”

Dwayne is a classic underachiever, living with his brother and delivers pizza for his rent money. When asked to come up with a goal for himself, his first instinct is humor: “A solid gold pizza?” he says, brightly. But when Dwayne is pressed, he reveals a way of thinking that many adult learners have developed. “Why come up with a goal at all? I mean, I can’t really do anything good.”

The GED Academy believes that human interest and entertainment are essential to education. “Learning is a process that takes place inside the student’s mind. Engaging students…involving them in the lives and stories of others…creates learning.” Dwayne’s wild imagination also adds an air of surreal humor to the passGED virtual classroom.

“Commas are the boringest thing I can think of,” says Dwayne. “So when we had to be studying commas, I decided that I’d be a Samurai warrior, the Great Comma Warrior, slashing up sentences with the mighty comma. Whack! Slash! Whack! Come on you sentences. Let me slice you up! Oh, err, what was I saying? Oh, yeah, I mean, then commas weren’t so boring anymore.”

With bright green hair and an orange t-shirt, Dwayne certainly stands out in the virtual classroom. Dwayne exhibits a visual learning style and a tendency to jump to conclusions. “I guess I don’t always think things through,” he says, “but sometimes just pick what seems right off the top of my head. I guess I’m learning that you’ve got to slow down and think about things. And sometimes do some work.”

Watching Dwayne struggle with thinking through problems helps passGED users learn how to think about math, reading, writing, and critical thinking. Through adding humor, Dwayne also makes lessons more memorable. “Dwayne adds enjoyment and substance to students’ learning experiences,” Ormsby comments. “We all learn from mistakes…and Dwayne gives us a lot to learn from.”

Dwayne is a big science fiction fan, and he helps out GED students with science in his science blog, Dwayne’s Study Zombies.

For more information about Dwayne, The GED Academy, and the passGED study program, visit: http://www.passged.com

An innovative new GED preparation software program brings GED students to life in a virtual classroom. Curtis Jackson, an African-American with a checkered past, makes connections with learners’ real-life experiences and problems.

The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative passGED study program, The GED Academy brings a virtual classroom to life on students’ computer screens–a classroom peopled with fellow students who struggle with real-life problems.

“One of our most interesting virtual students is Curtis Jackson,” says Michael Ormsby, the Academy’s president. “Curtis is extremely bright. He has street smarts and thinking skills. But his formal education hasn’t given him much, so he struggles with standard English and with the restrictions of a traditional classroom.”

Curtis is in his twenties, and he thinks big in terms of the future. “I want to do something really worthwhile, you know. I did things the wrong way round, I see that now. But if I can get ahead on the streets, don’t see why I can’t get ahead on the straight and narrow.” Curtis spent some time in prison for gang-related activities, and he’s turning over a new leaf. “Prison was the best thing could’ve happened to me, believe it or not. I got some training, got some good advice. Now I just got to keep focused on getting an education.”

The GED Academy believes that human interest and entertainment are essential to education. “Learning is a process that takes place inside the student’s mind. Engaging students–involving them in the lives and stories of others–creates learning.” Curtis brings his quick mind to the passGED virtual classroom, helping explain concepts that he’s grasped and showing off his mental math skills. “You learn quick to figure out how much money there is in a transaction on the street,” he says.

Curtis also runs a GED blog about math called Curtis’s Speed GED. Curtis answers GED math questions through his blog. Students can e-mail him at curtis@passged.com.

Curtis brings strong opinions and curiosity to the classroom. “Who I am, that’s important. Lots of black Americans like me end up in gangs and involved in drugs. Now, why’s that? You gotta wonder. So, I figure I’ll try to learn about why things are the way they are. Why didn’t I know when I was twelve that I wanted an education? That’s something I want to know. Man, when I was twelve all I wanted was to make a big splash on the street. Now I know that’s a small, little world.”

Curtis makes connections with many inner-city young adults who come from struggling, and often failing, educational systems. “Curtis shows that high-school drop-outs aren’t stupid people. The truth is, sometimes it’s the smartest people who are left behind by school systems,” Ormsby comments. “I expect Curtis to be very successful.”

For more information about Curtis, The GED Academy, and the passGED study program, visit: http://www.passged.com