Evidently, there’s a run on GED classes. Some say this is because the economy is so bad that 16-21 year old dropouts are making the rational choice for education over unemployment. Others say it’s b/c getting the GED is easier than finishing high school (and in some cases taking state exit exams). An NCES report on late dropouts shows that this view of the GED as the easier alternative to high school is one reason they leave.
On the other hand, if you talk to recent dropouts and those on the cusp of dropping out you might hear another part of the story: they're jumping in line to finish the GED because they think it's going to get harder. And they are probably right. They don’t necessarily know when the change is happening (American Council on Education, or ACE, updates the test every so often and is scheduled to do so again for 2012) or what the details are (by Dec. 31, 2011 GED-takers need to have completed and passed all five content area assessments or they need to take the whole battery of tests—about 7 hours worth in all--over). But they do seem clear on one message—if you wait another year or two, you may have to start all over with a new version that’s sure to be more difficult. Hey, it might even be faster and cheaper to re-enroll in high school and get the diploma.
Speaking of, there's a proposal called HOPE USA for ~$2 billion for locally designed small-school slash real-world learning programs to get dropouts back in the system. Described here in the same report that illustrates the scope of the dropout crisis: more than 6 million 16-24 year olds are high school dropouts (60% are men and a disproportionate percent are Black and Latino--18% and 30%).
Besides the re-enrollment approach, which is good but circles back to some testing questions, the dropout crisis has brought a lot of attention to “early warning signs” that might help predict who’s likely to drop out. This seems like the better place to start. There are long lists of early indicators, and some debate over which ones are really predictive. Personally, I’ve found that the straight question: “do you know what grade you’re in?” can cast a good early signal—any response resembling my neighbor’s “I’m not sure, I don’t know if I passed English last year” should serve as a bright red flag.
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Excellent post.
You wrote, " I’ve found that the straight question: “do you know what grade you’re in?” can cast a good early signal—any response resembling my neighbor’s “I’m not sure, I don’t know if I passed English last year” should serve as a bright red flag."
Of course, you are right. Now think of the irony. Kids who are so clueless (and disengaged)in terms of earning a high school education. Yet, they have the smarts to sign up for GED before it gets harder.
This isn't a criticism of the students or even the adults whpoperpetuate this gaming of the system. All types of people do all do sorts of gaming whatever systems they need to deal with. similarly special ed families who are so unconcerned with getting a middle class education can be extremely professional in getting more resrtictive classifications when social security rules changes. Welfare moms can often get their kids to school on the 10th day to avoid truancy courts. And all of that gaming is no worse than the gaming of central offices of numbers and Wall street and Halliburton, etc. Teachers are no better.
The question is how do we "reform" education and other cultures of compliance, and the answer can't be top down mandates.
By the way, our students hear that GEd, like "Credit Recovery" is easier. But unfortunately, most learn that its not easier to pass the GED, and even Credit Recovery is tougher than it seems. So kids see that their doesn't seem to be real consequences and act accordingly. adults argue that the world is changing but how are teens supposed to understand that in a timely basis.
Regardless,, we need many more adults explaining much more often to teens as we set far more clear boundaries, and those interventions need to be timely.
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