NMC intensifies preparation for GED
The Northern Marianas College Adult Basic Education program is its doubling efforts to ensure students who will be taking the General Education Diploma test in 2002 are ready to face tougher examination questions.
With its freshly-approved $348,000 GED grant from the American Council on Education, the college hopes to jump-start intensive preparation measures by making available more training materials for its students.
According to ABE Director Fe Calixterio, the program has just acquired new reference materials for students.
The materials include books, certain education sites on the Internet, and documentary videos aired on national television (PBS, Discovery Channel).
With these resources, Ms. Calixterio expressed optimism that ABE students will catch on pretty well with changes in the GED 2002.
“I think there will be a comparable number of students who will be passing the test,” said Ms. Calixterio.
The college is not limiting its preparations to focus on students only, rather it is also eyeing more training for teachers at ABE.
“What we are actually doing is to make GED credible. . .to make it of real value to those who pass it.”
The Washington-based GED Testing Services under the American Council on Education is in the process formulating tougher GED test items that would ensure that successful examinees equal those that have actually gone through four years of senior high school.
The agency is eyeing some 30,000 students to take the trial test before the implementation of the new GED test in 2002. Highest scorers of the experimental test will set the standards for the same test from then on, according to Ms. Calixterio.
But no matter how tough the GED test gets, NMC foresees maintaining the college’s current standard score at 45. The passing GED standard score used to be 35.
GED Testing Services top researchers are reportedly spending close to $2 million for the development of new GED test items, spending some $350,000 per subject area.
“This is a expensive endeavor and that’s why they are very, very strict with the implementation because once security is compromised on one test, they have to do away with everything and restart all over again,” she explained.
In efforts to improve the scholastic aptitude of high school dropouts, the GED Testing Services has vowed to come up with the test changes to advance the students’ competence in acquiring well-paying jobs. (MM)
