Git Er Done - GED Presented by Jeffrey Black, Teacher Stephanie Carr, Teacher Douglas Carlquist, Director of Education

OUTSIDE IN SCHOOL Is a private, non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to bettering the communities in our region by providing effective human services for youth and families

Outside In School Licensed by the Pennsylvania Departments of Education, Public Welfare, and Health Accredited by the American Camping Association

Services at Outside In Residential Facility near Ligonier that provides Title I Reading and Math as part of our Alternative Education program Wilderness Therapy Weekend Program Drug and Alcohol Counseling Individual and Family Therapy

Statistics PA Data 2007 Only 1% of eligible testers took the GED Only 69% pass rate School Year (Outside In) 7% of our population took the GED 100% pass rate with 6% going on to college School Year (Outside In) 18% of our population enrolled in GED program 4 students have taken and passed the GED so far

Pre-testing First step of GED preparation 5 subject areas –Writing (multiple choice & essay) –Math –Science –Social Studies –Reading Score at least 40% correct on the pre-test to correlate to a passing score on the GED

Motivation Focused individualized attention Community effort to build confidence everyday –Regular Education Teachers –Learning Support Teacher –Counselors –Live in staff –Home Passes –Medical Appointments

Logistics Items needed to take the test for all students –Photo ID –Letter of Withdraw from Home School District –Cash or Money Order Additional Item for students who are either 16 or 17 –Letter from Probation Officer/Court Order (could also have a letter of employment, letter from military or a letter from a secondary/training school) Then Schedule with a test center

Photo ID Requirements Original Birth Certificate Original Social Security Card Three proofs of residency Requires the assistance of parents, counselors, and Probation Officers or Case Workers to make sure correct documentation is received

Test Centers Must be a non-profit organization PA has 116 test centers which also operate satellite sites Fees vary by test center based on number of test takers on average Students must pass each sub-test with a score of 410 and an average of 450 on the whole battery of tests Students may re-test any given sub-test at any testing location

Subjects

Reading Tests the ability to: –Comprehend information –Apply information –Analyze information –Synthesize information Students need to interpret four different literary forms: poetry (15%), fiction (45%), drama (15%), nonfiction prose (25%) Test consists of 40 multiple choice questions with a 65 minute time limit

Social Studies Requires the ability to comprehend not only reading passages, but to interpret visuals as well –Graphs, maps, political cartoons, etc… Emphasis is placed on U.S. History (25%), World History (15%), Civics and Government (25%), Geography (15%), & Economics (20%) Looks at critical points in time and historical periods Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with a 70 minute time limit

Writing Part 1 Focus on basic English usage (30%), sentence structure (30%), mechanics (25%), and organization (15%) Requires recognition and correction of errors on sentences and passages Letters, memos, and business related documents included Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with a time limit of 75 minutes

Writing Part 2 Requires writing an essay based on a given topic with a time limit of 45 minutes Approximately 250 words in length Focus on: Audience Purpose, real life context Adopt a role Generation of ideas with clear expression, organization, and connection

Science Based on National Science Education Standards focusing on Life Science (45%), Earth & Space Science (20%), and Physical Science (35%) Focus on scientific understandings, environment, and health –Ways people use science everyday Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with an 80 minute time limit

Math Usually the subject requiring the most focus Use pretest to find problem areas Number Sense & Operations Data, Statistics, & Probability Algebra, Functions, & Patterns Measurement & Geometry Use Accelerated Math internet program to assist with problem areas Student will not excel in every aspect, but will master enough areas to pass test

Math continued… Consists mainly of word problems Requires problem solving and application of computations Formula sheets, scratch paper and calculators are given during test Part 1 of the test consists of 25 questions, a time limit of 45 minutes – calculators ARE allowed Part 2 consists of 25 questions, a time limit of 45 minutes – calculators are NOT allowed

Career Development Use a web based program called Career Cruising to assist the students with college and career interest Help students decide if further education is the right choice for them, if it is, then help them apply and complete financial aid Help students contact different businesses and fill out applications for employment

Wrap Up Growing Trend, GED will continue to be essential Current test structure valid until 2012 If you have questions regarding Accelerated Math or Career Cruising you can contact Douglas Carlquist Questions????