THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	James A. Kadamus
COMMITTEE:	EMSC-VESID
TITLE OF ITEM:	Instructional Programming and Testing for Students in Programs Leading to a High School Equivalency Diploma
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	June 10, 2004
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Discussion
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	Review of Regents Policy
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

            The attached report is the second in a series on assessment issues that the Committee will review this year.  It focuses on instructional and testing programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma and includes GED test results.

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment

Instructional Programming and Testing for 

Students in Programs Leading to a High School Equivalency Diploma

 

 

I.          Programs Leading to a High School Equivalency Diploma

 

Commissioner's Regulations 100.7 (h) and (i) provide the authority for school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and the Office of Children and Family Services to operate alternative high school equivalency and high school equivalency programs.  Equivalency programs are designed to assist students gain the knowledge and skills required to pass the General Educational Development (GED) Tests and to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

 

In New York State, there are two distinct programs that allow students below the age of 21 to prepare for the GED examinations in a structured classroom environment. These programs are described in the chart below. The Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) program is intended to serve those students under the age of 19 who, under other circumstances, would be served by a regular high school program.  On the other hand, the High School Equivalency (HSE) program would serve the type of student who, while still under the age of 21, would not normally be expected to attend a regular high school program.  These programs must meet the same program approval requirements as adult education programs. Often students who are in high school equivalency programs learn along with adults. This group is usually smaller than the AHSEP program and serves students who have little or no connection to the regular K-12 system. The information in this report describes the AHSEP program, since it is the program that serves students below the age of 19 who are more likely to remain or return to a regular high school. Students may transfer directly from high school or enroll after having left school.  

 

High School Equivalency Programs for Students Under 21 Years of Age

 

 

A.        Entrance Requirements and Enrollment Data

 

District staff can transfer students to AHSEP and HSE programs if they are beyond compulsory school age, stop attending school, and for the AHSEP have accumulated an average of fewer than 2.75 credits towards graduation for each year enrolled in high school.  Factors that contribute to the enrollment of students in the programs include:

 

·        being retained two or more times during the elementary and middle school grades;

·        poor attendance;

 

 

·        involvement in the judicial system; and

·        family or other social situations that affect academic achievement.

 

            Students who have earned more than 2.75 credits, but less than one-half of the credits they would need to be on track for high school completion, can also be admitted to the program.  However, for these students a variance request must be approved by the superintendent and student’s parent(s) and then submitted to the Department for approval. The Department received 780 variance requests for the 2002-03 program year and 771 for this year (July 2003-May 2004). For this year, approximately 95 percent were approved.  In five percent of the cases, it was determined to be in the best interest of the student to remain in the high school program.  The following are examples of approved 2003-04 variances:

 

·        JR is a 17-year-old student who has completed two years of high school and earned only six credits towards graduation. JR is failing four courses and is on the verge of dropping out of school even though academic support has been provided. JR has been successful in the BOCES vocational career program and would like to earn his high school equivalency diploma and enter the next stage of his life.

 

·        CM is an 18-year-old student who has earned 11 credits towards graduation. CM has received math and reading academic intervention as well as special education resource support. CM has been in high school for four years, has repeated the ninth grade and is taking many tenth grade courses. CM doesn’t have much support outside the school; however, he has passed courses offered in BOCES.

 

B.        Enrollment

 

Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide information regarding the enrollment of students in programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma and the number of students with disabilities in the AHSEP program. The information used for these tables was collected through annual applications to operate these programs, which were submitted by providers. The tables show a trend upward in enrollment and in the number of students with disabilities participating in the AHSEP program. 

 

Table 1

 

Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) Enrollments

1995-1996 to 2002-2003 Applications

 

 

*ROS = Rest of State

 

Table 2

Enrollment of Students with Disabilities in AHSEP Programs

 

Program Year	AHSEP Enrollment Students with Disabilities
	Statewide	NYC	ROS
2002-2003	4,600	1,616	2,984
2001-2002	3,845	1,121	2,724
2000-2001	3,153	1,415	1,738

 

 

Table 3

High School Equivalency (HSE) Enrollments

1995-1996 to 2002-2003 Applications

 

 

Significant Dates

 

1993-1994   First year that data was collected through applications.

 1997-1998    Serious reporting glitch in NYC; significant underreporting found. Met with NYC staff to discuss problem.

1999-2000       System of Accountability for Student Success (accountability system) adopted by Regents in May.

2000-2001       Regional information sharing workshops regarding accountability requirements.

 

NOTE:  School district data on GED programs has been poorly kept historically and has generally not been reliable.  In the mid- and late-nineties, for example, some high-need districts reported no transfers to GED programs or only a handful of transfers.  Some also had wide fluctuations in reporting, up and down, from year to year.

 

            As part of its effort to get districts to report more accurate GED data, the State Education Department has held many training sessions and other meetings with appro-

 

priate school district staff.  These began in 1998-99 and have continued.  This is being done both to ensure that districts are better informed about the rules on reporting and to encourage schools to report more accurately and carefully.  Discussions with school staff concerning various district GED programs have revealed that many had not been following the rules for reporting GED programs and therefore were undercounting the number of students.  As a result of the training sessions and ongoing discussions, most districts have now said they understand the rules better and have begun to report more carefully.

 

            In addition, in the mid-nineties, some school districts reported that there were more students who wanted to participate in GED programs than they could accommodate.  In some cases, capacity to enroll those students has increased over time.

 

            Under the school accountability system now being implemented by the State Education Department, accountability will be measured in two ways:  (1) School districts will be held accountable for the number of students who do not graduate with a regular (non-GED) diploma; and (2) GED programs will be held accountable for the number of students who obtain a high school equivalency diploma, improve literacy skills, and leave the program without obtaining a high school equivalency diploma.  This is expected to go into effect next year, using data from 2002-2003.  The data are now being tabulated.  This move toward greater accountability has helped to improve reporting.

 

GED Transfer Rate

 

            While GED programs are reporting increases in enrollment, school districts do not indicate that the number of students transferring from school into the programs is increasing.

 

Table 4

Public School Students Transferring to GED Programs

 

School Year	Total State GED Transfer Rate	Change in Rate From 95-96	Number of Students Transferring to GED Programs
			Total State	New York City	Rest of State
91-92	2.2	--	16,563	10,670	5,893
92-93	2.3	--	17,190	11,767	5,423
93-94	2.4	--	18,761	12,674	6,087
94-95	2.1	--	16,493	11,110	5,383
95-96	2.1	--	16,649	11,331	5,318
96-97	1.8	-14.3	16,392	11,463	4,929
97-98	1.9	-9.5	14,802	9,702	5,100
98-99	1.9	-9.5	15,087	9,471	5,616
99-00	2.3	9.5	18,942	12,146	6,796
00-01	3.0	42.9	24,920	17,676	7,244
01-02	1.6	-23.8	13,271	7,863	5,408
02-03	2.0	-4.8	16,567	10,446	6,121

 

 

 

A move was made to a new data reporting system for the 2001-2002 school year in which districts were required to report results for each individual student, instead of an aggregate number for all students. These new reporting requirements meant that districts had to explain the whereabouts of each student, who was identified by a separate number.  Prior to this time, districts simply reported an aggregate number of students transferring to GED programs. This has led to more careful reporting on students.

           

C.        Reasons for Growth of Programs

 

There are a number of potential reasons for the growth of the programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma. Some people argue that the higher standards have resulted in the increases, while others argue that we are capturing students who have historically been lost to the system.  However, the number of graduates from New York State high schools has remained stable for the past decade, and the number of graduates as a percentage of high school enrollment has also remained stable (see Table 5).

 

Table 5

 

 

Therefore, it does not appear likely that higher standards are causing more students to enter GED programs. In fact, the research shows that students tend to drop out and/or enroll in GED programs because they reach high school unprepared to do high school-level work. In many cases, they are several grades behind their peers and have only rudimentary skills in reading and writing.

 

 

Nationally, students are increasingly pursuing alternative means to completing their high school program. Russell W. Rumberger, in a research paper presented at the January 2001 Dropouts in America Conference indicates "10 percent of all young people completed high school through an alternative means in 1998 compared to 4 percent in 1988."  The following reasons all contribute to the growth: 

 

1.      Academic performance in the eighth and ninth grades has significant impact on dropout rates. “Connecting Entrance and Departure: The Transition to Ninth Grade and High School Dropout," a paper presented by Ruth Neild, Scott Stonere-Eby, and Frank Furstenberg, Jr., at the January 2001 Dropouts in America Conference, showed that 75 percent of the students who had experienced significant eighth grade failure had dropped out of high school within four years of first having entered the ninth grade. In addition, they concluded that ninth grade outcomes contribute substantially and significantly to the probability of dropping out of school.

 

2.      Students with disabilities have been seeking the high school equivalency diploma in greater numbers. They understand that employers more readily accept the high school equivalency diploma than the IEP diploma, and they are seeking that higher standard.

 

3.      The Center for Advanced Study in Education of the City University of New York Graduate Center published a research paper entitled,  “An Exploratory Case Study of 16-20 Year-Old Students in Adult Education Programs,” in October 2003. The authors indicated that “some causes for increased enrollment in Adult Education by 16 to 20 year-old students include the following:

 

-          greater emphasis on serving out-of-school youth

-          better data collection, so that enrollments are uniformly counted and reported

-          increase in the youth population

-          higher skills/education required for employment

-          increased graduation requirements

-          recruitment to maintain enrollment levels in adult education programs to compensate for lower enrollments of adults caused by welfare reform that requires welfare recipients to be employed

-          adult education programs in some locations that are the only programs available for out-of-school youth, 16-20 year-old youth and/or as a last resort for those who have not been successful elsewhere

-          growing referrals made by the courts to earn a high school credential at a site different from the student’s original school.”   

II.         General Educational Development (GED) Tests

 

A.        What are the GED Tests?

 

            The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a series of five examinations designed to reflect what American high schools are teaching in four subjects:  English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.  Revised in 2002 to reflect more rigorous national and state academic standards, the tests require approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes of test administration time.

 

            The Tests of General Educational Development (GED tests) have been designed to measure major academic skills and knowledge in core content areas that are learned during four years of high school. When individuals pass the GED test battery, the resulting New York State High School Equivalency Diploma certifies that they have attained subject matter knowledge and skills associated with high school completion. Since the passing rate for the GED tests is based on the performance of graduating high school seniors, people who pass the GED tests have skills comparable to those seniors. In fact, those who pass the GED test actually meet or exceed performance of that demonstrated by 40 percent of graduating high school seniors.

 

            The GED Testing Service (GEDTS) sets the minimum scoring requirement for earning credentials, but states and other jurisdictions may choose to adopt higher passing scores.  New York State has adopted the following scoring requirements set by GEDTS to pass the GED tests:

 

1.                  A minimum score of 410 in each of the five subject areas; and

2.                  A minimum total score of 2250.

 

B.        Content Standards Tested by GED 2002 

 

To ensure that the new GED tests reflect the higher standards adopted by many states, the American Council of Education (ACE) worked with curriculum specialists from at least 10 states, including New York.  The following information taken from the publication, Alignment of National and State Standards- A Report by the GED Testing Service, provides a content-specific look at what the test attempts to measure.

 

English Language Arts Standards

 

• Centers on the guiding principle that reading and writing must be taught together.  This integration is stressed to the extent that all ten state documents studied emphasize the integration of the English language arts.

 

• National and state standards unanimously insist that students must learn to read a variety of texts:  fictional, nonfictional, informational, historical, political, and social/cultural.  National and state standards agree that students should also learn to "read" visual texts, such as film, television, photography, graphics such as charts and illustrations, and technological texts such as CD-ROMs and texts available via the Internet.

 

• National and state standards emphasize the importance of writing for a variety of purposes and a variety of audiences.  All recommend the use of a writing process.  The documents regard the mastery of conventions as a vehicle for controlling ideas and enhancing understanding, and they place emphasis on correct usage, mechanics, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and sentence variety.

 

Mathematics Standards

 

• Students should learn to value mathematics, become confident in their ability to do mathematics, become mathematical problem solvers, learn to communicate mathematically, and learn to reason mathematically.

 

• National and state standards call for a broadening of the curriculum to include topics from discrete mathematics and statistics and probability and also a deepening of the study of crucial mathematical topics.

 

• All high school students should study probability and statistics, geometry and right triangle trigonometry, multiple representations of functions, and the fundamentals of algebra, as well as be able to compute, estimate, and use technology.

 

Science Standards

 

• National and state standards are based on the underlying premise that scientific literacy is necessary for everyone.  Students must know science so that they can

be prepared to discuss important scientific and technical issues and make informed decisions.  Students also need to know science for the personal fulfillment that comes from understanding and learning about the natural world.

 

• National and state standards agree on the following eight categories for organizing the study of science: unifying concepts and processes, science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and history and nature of science.

 

• Areas such as systems, optimization, predictions, information systems, safety habits of mind, and mathematics play integral roles in the implementation of science standards but receive differing emphases across the state standards documents.

 

Social Studies Standards:  History, Geography, Civics and Government, and Economics

 

• National and state standards promote the goal of preparing graduating high school seniors for responsible citizenship.  They expect students to understand and value their identities and responsibilities as citizens of the United States, historically and currently connected to all other nations of the world.  The standards expect graduates, with a critical eye, to acknowledge and respect the values, principles, institutions, and laws of the U.S. constitutional government and polity.

 

• National and state standards insist that graduating high school seniors must know concepts and content from across and within the separate disciplines of history, geography, civics, and economics.  Graduates must be able to view and analyze historical and public issues from a variety of social studies perspectives, including historical, geographic, political, economic, social, and cultural perspectives.

 

• National and state standards require students to skillfully find, evaluate, and use various types of information to solve problems and to make decisions in their own, and the public's, interest.

 

• National and state standards require that graduates be able and willing to apply social studies knowledge and skills learned in school to improve their ability to thrive in an economically interdependent world and contribute to society.

 

C.        Testing Accommodations

 

            Under normal circumstances, all candidates are required to follow standard test administration procedures when taking the tests that are required for the New York State High School Equivalency Diploma.  However, since these procedures may make it

difficult or impossible for some candidates with disabling conditions to demonstrate what they have learned, test administration modifications may be authorized for candidates with disabling conditions so that they will not be denied the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned solely because they are disabled.  Eligibility for test administration modifications is determined on an individual basis according to each applicant's documented needs.

 

Any candidate wishing to complete the GED tests under special conditions or to use special editions of the test must provide written verification, by a competent and appropriate professional person, of that candidate's inability to perform test-taking skills required by standard conditions and must include a specific justification for administering the GED tests under special conditions. The test administration modifications that may be approved for candidates with disabling conditions include extended time, special location/private room, audiocassette, large print, calculator, scribe, supervised breaks, and use of interpreter.

 

III.        GED Testing Data

 

            Tables 6-10 provide information regarding the performance of individuals who take the GED Tests. The information shows:

 

·        Individuals enrolled in approved preparation programs pass at higher rates than other testers.

·        Students in AHSEP programs in New York City and Big 4 pass at higher rates than other test takers.

·        The statewide pass rate has increased by 5 percent since the new GED tests were implemented in 2002.

 

 

·        Pass rates of test takers requiring testing accommodations continue to increase.

·        The statewide pass rates for all test takers is higher for the 2003 test than previous years. 

·        Pass rates of various ethnic groups vary according to age, but generally are lower than for test takers (self) identified as White.

 

Table 6

Total Number of GED Testers and Pass Rates

2000-2003

 

Year	Number of Testers	Pass Rate
2003	50,182	56.00%
2002	48,930	51.00%
2001	72,970	54.30%
2000	65,860	53.60%

 

 

Table 7

GED Pass Rate by Enrollment Status

2002 and 2003

 

Year	Enrolled in Preparation Program	Not Enrolled in Preparation Program	Statewide Totals
2003	66.00%	47.00%	56.00%
2002	61.70%	46.00%	53.00%

 

Table 8

GED Pass Rate in New York City and Big 4

for Individuals Enrolled in Preparation Programs

2002 and 2003

 

Year	New York City			Big 4			NYC & Big 4
	AHSEP	HSE	Total	AHSEP	HSE	Total
2003	72.8%	60.2%	69.1%	60.7%	57.6%	59.5%	67.8%
2002	70.1%	54.5%	66.0%	51.5%	41.6%	46.5%	61.0%

 

 

Table 9

GED Pass Rate by Age and Ethnicity

 

 

 

Table 10

GED Pass Rates of Testers with Testing Accommodations

2000-2003

 

Year	Pass Rate
2003	51.00%
2002	42.00%
2001	38.70%
2000	36.70%

 

IV.       Quality Controls: Accountability System for Programs That Lead to a High School Equivalency Diploma

 

            To ensure the quality of programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma, the Board of Regents, in May 2000, approved the System of Accountability for Student Success (SASS) for programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma. This system authorizes the Commissioner to identify programs that are farthest from meeting State performance measures and to place the programs in corrective action. The SASS uses two factors that impact student performance in establishing student groupings and performance measures:

 

(1)   academic readiness levels of students at the point of entry; and

(2)   length of time a student remains in a program. 

 

      Students who attend these programs are assigned to one of three categories as reflected in Table 11.

 

 

Table 11

Accountability Groupings of Students and Performance Measures

 

Category	Academic Readiness at Program Entry and Instructional Hours in Program	Performance Measure and Standard
Group 1	9.0 or higher on both mathematics and reading 150 hours of instruction or more of instruction	GED Success Rate 56 percent
Group 2	8.9 or lower in either mathematics or reading 150 hours of instruction or more	Student Success Rate 64 percent
Group 3	All students 12 or more and 149 or fewer hours of instruction	Dropout Rate 31 percent

 

Accountability measures are necessary to guard against the perception that students are being “pushed-out” of school. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act uses graduation rate as a measure of district performance. Students who are transferred to programs leading to a high school equivalency diploma cannot be counted as graduates, whether or not they earn a GED diploma, and therefore lower a district’s graduation rate which is included in the district report card. This should act as a deterrent to curtail this practice.  In addition, the Department will intervene with districts that report a transfer rate that exceeds a certain threshold in an effort to determine the reasons for the high rate.

 

V.        Future Directions

 

A.        Data Collection and Use

 

·        Data collection, analysis and use need continued improvement. Efforts are under way to move the data to the Oracle system. This will provide additional opportunity for data analysis and the development of program improvement strategies.

·        Staff will continue to support the development and implementation of a unique student identifier and of a statewide student information system. This will help ensure that all students are accounted for and allow educators to follow and assist these students as they transition to different program environments.

·        Staff will explore enhancements to STEP reporting to ensure that districts are reporting and providing the status of all students transferred to these programs.

 

B.        Program/Curriculum Development

 

·        Additional work needs to be accomplished to ensure the integration of Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards into these programs.   Efforts will be undertaken to enhance the curriculum with strategies to encompass SCAN Skills. 

 

 

 

 

C.        Professional Development

 

·        Staff development will be provided to local program managers on how best to use current data to improve student performance. The Regional Adult Education Networks (RAEN) assume a very strategic role in this effort.  RAEN staff has been providing intensive in-service since 2002 on the updated GED test specifications.  This is supplemented by the publication “Bridges to Practice,” a guide in teaching students with disabilities.

·        The Student Support Service Network will be asked to provide staff development to ensure that these environments support student learning and emphasize youth development.

 

D.        Financial Support

 

·        A steady and sufficient State aid funding stream for this population needs to be created and maintained in order to ensure that these students receive necessary support services.  Barriers that serve as disincentives for districts to provide GED instruction to students who otherwise may never benefit from either a GED or a regular high school diploma are:

 

Financial

 

§         The cap on State operating aid has forced some districts to eliminate all programs that are perceived as financial drains in meeting their mission of graduating students in four years; and

§         There is some school district reluctance to enter into the program cooperative service agency with BOCES to fund GED programs.

 

Programmatic

 

§         Districts are not required to provide GED preparation programs, age 16-20, and accountability measures discourage them from doing so; and

§         There is a lack of adequate support services, e.g., counseling, assessments for students with disabilities.