Colleagues,

On July 23rd, on the National Institute for Literacy Special Topics  
list, we will begin discussing the General Educational Development  
(GED) diploma outcomes research of Dr. John Tyler. Dr. Tyler is  
Associate Professor of Education, Economics, and Public Policy at  
Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. An applied  
microeconomist, his research focuses on what is happening to low- 
skilled individuals in today's high-skill economy. He is regarded as  
one of the nation's experts on the economic returns to the General  
Educational Development (GED) certificate. Dr. Tyler's interests also  
include school reform issues, program evaluation, and quantitative  
research methods.

Dr. Tyler will take our questions from the week's discussion, will  
respond to them the following Monday, and will continue to respond to  
follow-up questions throughout the week of July 30th.

You or your colleagues who may wish to join this discussion can  
subscribe by going to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/specialtopics
After you complete the simple registration form (30 seconds) you will  
receive an email asking you to confirm that you wish to subscribe.   
Immediately reply to the email to complete your subscription. After  
the discussion ends you can unsubscribe from the same Web address, or  
stay on for the next discussion.

To prepare for this discussion please look at a 30-minute video  
discussion with John Tyler; teacher, Sara Fass; and professional  
development coordinator, Sue Snider.  The video panel discussion  
focuses on the economic benefits that accrue to holders of the GED  
credential. It was based on a review by John Tyler of eight  
(published and working) research papers on the GED. Several of these  
papers were authored by John Tyler, Richard Murnane, and John  
Willett, researchers with the National Center for the Study of Adult  
Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) whose work has influenced what we know  
about the economic benefits of the GED.
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/webcasts/ged/webcast_ged.html

The following readings, mentioned in the video panel discussion,  
would also be useful preparation for this discussion:

NCSALL GED Research Briefs
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=27
Seven briefs by John Tyler are linked on this page, among which are:
"The Economic Benefits of the GED: A Research Synthesis", "So You  
Want a GED? Estimating the Impact of the GED on the Earnings of  
Dropouts Who Seek the Credential", "Who Benefits from Obtaining a  
GED? Evidence from High School and Beyond", and "Estimating the Labor  
Market Signaling Value of the GED"

Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the GED and Your Future
http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmins/resources/teach/beyond_ged.pdf

The following additional GED research articles by John Tyler will be  
found in .pdf  on his Web page at
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Education/personnel.php? 
who=jhtyler#pubs
2005 - "Is the GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education?"
2004 - "Does the GED Improve Earnings? Estimates from a Sample of  
Both Successful and Unsuccessful GED Candidates?" Industrial and  
Labor Relations Review 57:4 (2004), 579-98.
2004 - "The Devil’s in the Details: Evidence from the GED on the  
Large Effects of Small Differences in High Stakes Exams ".  Economics  
of Education Review 23:4 (2004), 336-49. With Richard J. Murnane and  
John B. Willett.

GED teachers, especially, will find the following publication of GED  
outcomes data -- intended to be used by GED teachers and their  
students -- of special interest. It was written by Sara Fass and  
Barbara Garner in 2000, and updated by Eileen Barry in 2006.
"Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the GED and Your Future"
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=1099

I look forward to having you join us in this discussion.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net