GED Academy Articles

Do you need your GED diploma, but are worried about going back to school? Online learning might be the solution. A recent study for the U.S. Department of Education ( http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf ) reviewed studies of online learning from 1996 through July 2008 and found that students using online learning performed better than students in face-to-face classrooms. Surprising? Not really. Online education has many benefits. It’s easily tailored to the individual learner’s needs. Online courses can teach in your learning style, at your learning level, and at your speed, giving you immediate feedback and leading you step-by-step to your learning goal.

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The Better Business Bureau is investigating online diploma mills, those websites that offer quick and easy “high school diplomas” if you take an online test (for a fee, of course). So, how easy is it? Oreo C. Collins, a black and white cat from Macon, Georgia, owned by Kevin Collins, CEO of Georgia’s Better Business Bureau, earned a “high school diploma” from a diploma website. Though Oreo had a little help answering the online quiz, the diploma mill apparently had no qualms about issuing a “high school diploma” to a feline–for a fee, of course.

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The number of adult Americans who never finished high school is staggering: about 39 million Americans, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. In today’s marketplace, what is the outlook for these Americans?

Income for adults without high school diplomas has dropped up to $8,000 over the past 20 years, while salaries for the college educated continue to rise. Education has become essential in today’s competitive, information-based job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States require some sort of education or training after high school. People without high school educations earn the least income and have the highest unemployment in the country, over 6%. The outlook doesn’t seem promising for the millions of adult Americans without high school diplomas. What are the options?

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Research indicates that inmates who earn a GED in prison are less likely to be re-incarcerated for crimes in the future. As correctional facilities search for solutions to implement low-cost, effective GED programs, technology provides new options.

A recent study, “The Effect of Earning a GED on Recidivism Rates” (http://essentialed.org/research.htm) shows that inmates who earned their GED while incarcerated were up to 14% less likely to return to prison in the next three years. With the cost of incarcerating a prisoner well above $20,000 per year and the number of inmates rising, correctional facilities are focusing on finding efficient ways to reduce recidivism, and implementing GED programs is a promising possibility.

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The GED Academy has unveiled an innovative online GED practice test that helps adults who have difficulty studying for the GED and testing their own abilities. Many potential GED candidates never learned how to learn. They struggle with traditional classroom environments and test-taking materials. GED practice tests are one example. Traditional pen-and-paper tests require hand-scoring, and GED candidates often aren’t skilled enough to evaluate their own performance, especially on the GED essay. Practice tests often require a lot of support, and community programs aren’t well funded.

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An innovative new GED preparation software program tackles the most difficult subject for many adult learners: math. The approach focuses on real-world applications and true-to-life virtual students.

The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative GED prep 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 the hardest subjects for many adult learners is math. The GED Academy saw the need to approach math in a way that students can really relate to.

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If you’re wondering about the GED, you probably need your high school diploma. The GED is a second chance for people who never graduated high school. How does it work? The GED exam is made up of 5 tests, in reading, writing, science, social studies, and math. After passing the GED exam at an official GED test center, your state department of education awards you a diploma. The GED diploma is accepted by almost all U.S. colleges and employers, including the U.S. military and police academies across the country.

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Over 39 million American adults lack a high school diploma, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures, and around 30 million American adults rank “Below Basic” in prose literacy, the lowest literacy ranking, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). In quantitative literacy, that number is 46 million. Even among college student, significant numbers lack prose, document, or quantitative literacy.

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The Internet offers a lot of options. It offers convenience and personalization. But it’s riddled with fraud: fake e-mails from banks or the IRS, pleas for international assistance promising wealth, and dishonest buyers and sellers on E-bay. Now, online education is blighted with its own scam artists: fake high schools. 39 million Americans need a high school diploma to get better jobs and higher education, and they are becoming victims of websites that prey on their needs.

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The GED is designed so that only 60% of high school seniors can pass this comprehensive exam. For the employer, this means that a GED graduate has a higher skill level than 40% of high school graduates. Hiring GED graduates takes the guesswork out of employee basic skill level.

Employers have many questions about the GED. How does a GED compare to a high school diploma? What skills does the GED graduate possess? How do these skills interface with the job market?

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