Literacy Assistance Center

Literacy Assistance Center
39 Broadway, Suite 1250
New York, NY 10006
Phone (212)803-3300
Fax (212)785-3685

Contact Us

GED Institute 2002

Ira Yankwitt, Director of Professional Development/NYC Regional Adult Education Network

Brief Overview

The new series of GED tests introduced in January 2002 presents both challenges and opportunities for GED instructors. On the one hand, the alignment of the new tests with rigorous state and national standards places greater demands on instructors, who often have limited classroom resources, preparation time, and time allocated for professional development. On the other hand, because the new test places increased emphasis on content knowledge and higher order thinking skills, it allows GED teachers to move beyond a traditional “skill and drill” approach to instruction. Teachers who want to engage their students by using participatory instructional methods and to teach meaningful content rather than isolated skills now have the incentive and the rationale to do so.

The educational standards movement has affected GED programs in at least two significant ways:

  • The establishment of more rigorous high school graduation standards is itself the driving force behind the redesign of the GED Test.
  • Older adolescents who recognize that they are not likely to meet state standards by passing high school exit exams are dropping out of school and entering GED programs in record numbers.

Older adolescents who enroll in GED programs typically come with a distorted preconception about the ease of the GED test. They also tend to come with great wariness and bitterness toward formal schooling. This emotional element compounds the challenges for GED instructors. These teachers not only need to re-envision their approach to curriculum and instruction, but also must find ways to contend with a host of social and psychological issues they typically did not have to confront in classes composed primarily of older adults.

In the spring of 2002, the Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) set out to address some of these issues by developing a five-day GED Lesson Planning Institute. Funded in part by the New York City School-to-Work Alliance, the Institute specifically targeted practitioners working with 16-24 year olds. The goals of the Institute were to:

  • Introduce teachers to promising instructional practices that incorporate “active learning” methods
  • Develop model peer-reviewed GED instructional plans that integrate these approaches

The underlying premise of the Institute was that active learning methods are not only most effective for preparing students for the content and thinking skills tested on the GED, but also most effective for engaging those students who come to programs deeply alienated from the educational process.

The GED Lesson Planning Institute was held on April 18, 19 and 26, and May 17 and 24, 2002. Participants were asked to read excerpts from the GED Testing Service’s report on the alignment of the new GED test with national and state standards prior to attending the first session. This site features the agendas, handouts, and notes for each of the five days. Due to copyright concerns, readings cannot be reproduced here, but bibliographic information is included in the agenda and handouts. While some of the time frames specified in the daily agendas were modified as the Institute proceeded, the activities themselves were carried out as they are described.

The purpose of this compilation is to provide staff developers, program managers, and instructors with ideas for professional development and with a guide to replicate some, or all, of the Institute itself. While the focus in our case was on GED instructors, most of the ideas and activities that were presented in the Institute are appropriate for adult educators working with learners at other levels and in a wide variety of educational settings.


      Top of Page