High-Stakes Testing and the Rise of the GED

Andrew Halpern-Manners, University of Minnesota
John R. Warren, University of Minnesota
Eric Grodsky, University of Minnesota

In this paper, we investigate whether growth in GED certification can be attributed, at least in part, to the rise of state high school exit examinations (HSEEs). Legislation mandating that students pass HSEEs before completing high school has been enacted in many states over the past three decades, and existing HSEEs have become increasingly difficult. There is considerable evidence to suggest that HSEEs increase high school dropout rates, but few studies have examined their consequences for rates of GED testing and/or certification. In an effort to remedy this situation, we use aggregate data from the GED Testing Service, the American Community Survey, the decennial census, and the Common Core of Data to examine the consequences of state HSEEs for rates of GED testing and certification among 16-19 year olds since 1980.

  See extended abstract

Presented in Session 168: Policy and Child Well-Being