Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j7CFpnG00635; Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:51:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:51:49 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <s2fc8c26.040@mail.jsi.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Silja Kallenbach" <silja_kallenbach@worlded.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1449] Re: GED passage doesn't prepare students X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 6.5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 2614 Lines: 66 Because it's possible to pass the GED without knowing algebra or how to write a college paper, etc. is exactly why we need to have free college prep programs that both motivate and prepare GED recipients and others to not just enter college but to do well and complete their studies. With open admissions in many community colleges it's easy to get students in the door, and count them as positive outcomes for NRS, but the question is, are they prepared for the academic requirements of college or know how to navigate the system, advocate for themselves, in order to persist and achieve their academic goals. One interesting figure from Adelman's research is that students who have to take more than one year of remedial reading have less than 5% college persistence/completion rate in two-year colleges. That means 95% drop out. Even if you account for transfers and stop outs that's a staggering figure and suggest that our field can do much better in teaching reading strategies for college, among other thing. Silja ********************************************* Silja Kallenbach, Coordinator New England Literacy Resource Center World Education 44 Farnsworth Street Boston, MA 02201 tel. 617-482-9485 fax. 617-482-0617 email. silja_kallenbach@worlded.org www.nelrc.org Get free resources about ABE/ESOL-to-college transitions at www.collegetransition.org Teach critical thinking with The Change Agent, a social justice publication for the adult education community, available at www.nelrc.org/changeagent >>> shellcraig@ix.netcom.com 08/11 6:21 PM >>> Because of their eagerness to receive their GED, many of my students pass the GED with just a 450 average. I would say that this isn't a likely indicator of success in other learning endeavors. If you correlate this barely passing score with say CASAs scores for the same students in math and reading, they are reading and doing math at a 6th grade level.Similarly, what passes in a GED essay would not pass in English 1A. Is this college preparation? These students would not receive decent scores on SATs or ACTs neccesary to enroll in a four year college. Even at a two year college they will probably score into the lowest remedial courses. The GED test is not college preparation in my opinion. I would say that if the researchers checked the passage scores of GED students who went on to college, the more successful students would be those who scored at 600 or higher. I would like to see some kind of study that would look merely at whether a student passed the test, but at how they passed it. Michele Craig Woodland Adult School
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