SC GED Pass Rate Exceeds National Average Again
July 25, 2012
COLUMBIA, SC – July 25, 2012 – South Carolina GED test-takerscontinued to improve their passage rate on the high school equivalencyexam in 2011, and the state has continued to outperform the nationalpassage rate for the past two years, the State Department of Educationreported today.
The state’s passage rate rose to 77.6 percent from last year’s 75.3percent, compared to the national average of 72.2 percent. SouthCarolina achieved the second highest GED passage rate in the Southeast.Only North Carolina (86.9 percent) exceeded South Carolina’s passagerate. South Carolina was 10th in the number of candidates passing and26th in the nation for total pass rate.
Since 2006, South Carolina’s passage rate on the GED has increased 12.6percent. The number of GEDs earned in 2011 was 8,265, an increase of 516from 2010. Since 2004, the number of GED diplomas in South Carolina hasincreased every year.
“Encouraging every student to graduate with a high school diploma willalways be our top priority,” said State Superintendent of Education MickZais. “However, a GED is a better alternative to dropping out of highschool and it opens doors to careers or post-secondary education. Thecredit for improving GED passage rates goes to the students and theirparents, teachers, and mentors who support them in this process.”
General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of fivemultiple-choice tests designed to measure the general knowledge andthinking skills required for a high school diploma. The South CarolinaDepartment of Education issues a high school equivalency diploma tothose who pass all five tests with an average score of 450 – for a totalof 2250 – and a minimum score of 410 on each exam.
South Carolina’s GED administrator, David Stout, believes that expandedopportunities to take the GED exam at the local level and an increasedcommitment to professional development for adult education instructorshave been key factors in improved performance.
In January 2010, South Carolina’s first five stand-alone GED testcenters were established in Columbia, Rock Hill, Greenville, Summervilleand Florence. In January 2011, two additional centers were establishedin Sumter and Conway. Instead of offering GED exams monthly orquarterly, multiple testing opportunities are provided each month atthese centers.
Beginning this fall, GED test centers in South Carolina will pilotcomputer-based testing. The provider of the GED test, the AmericanCouncil on Education, is implementing a plan to transition the GED testfrom a paper-and-pencil format to computer-based during 2012-2013. Onlycomputer-based testing will be available beginning January 2, 2014. Inaddition, the GED test will be revised to provide students and educatorscollege-readiness benchmarks.
A new opportunity for GED test-takers in the Midlands has recently alsobeen announced. The Fast and Free Track GED program is a partnershipbetween religious, governmental, business and educational entities whoseobjective is to make obtaining a GED easier for at-risk students.
The Nehemiah Project, an enterprise of Christ Central Ministries,abbreviates the classroom experience by focusing on student deficiencyareas and improving those areas where a student can pass the GED. Afterreceiving their GED, test-takers can take skill-based classes or careertraining at Midlands Technical College.
Additional information about the GED testing program in South Carolina may be found at the program’s website http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/92/ or by calling 803-734-8238.
