ISU researcher studies education paths of Iowa GED program enrollees

05-29-12

Contacts:

Andrew Ryder, Research Institute for Studies in Education, 515-294-3947, aryder@iastate.edu

Mike Ferlazzo, News Service, 515-294-8986, 515-450-2908 (c), ferlazzo@iastate.edu

ISU researcher studies education paths of Iowa GED program enrollees

AMES, Iowa -- Among 11,675 Iowa high school dropouts who enrolled in the General Education Development (GED) preparation program during the 2003-04 fiscal year, fewer than a third (31.5 percent or 3,680) earned a GED by the end of the 2009 fiscal year. Just 12.9 percent of them (1,504) went on to enroll in community college, and only 2 percent (229) completed a community college credential by the end of June 2010.

That's according to the doctoral dissertation by Andrew Ryder, a research and evaluation scientist in Iowa State University's Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE). Ryder's research, which analyzed data collected by the Iowa Department of Education, earned the Council for the Study of Community Colleges' "Dissertation of the Year" award last month.

Ryder had interest in tracking the GED candidates and their education paths because his brother, Chris, was a GED earner who is now a successful electrician in Ohio. He also sees that group being critical to President Obama's educational goal.

"I was very interested in looking at President Obama's desire and stated goal of having the highest percentage of population in the world having a college degree or some form of college training by the year 2020," said Ryder, who earned his Ph.D. from Iowa State last December with a concentration in higher education. "It seemed to me that an interesting group of people to study were those people who left high school without a diploma, but pursued the GED. That's because we're talking about people who are most likely to have spotty employment or are underemployed -- working in low wage jobs that don't necessarily provide upward economic mobility."

Partnering with the Iowa Dept. of Education

Ryder worked with Tom Schenk, a past consultant on institutional effectiveness and accountability for the Iowa Department of Education, to analyze individual records for the Iowa candidates who enrolled in the GED preparation program by the end of the 2003-04 fiscal year. Community colleges are the exclusive GED preparation and testing providers in Iowa.

By state policy, GED candidates aren't permitted to sit for the GED exam until they demonstrate the ability to pass. Because of that policy, Ryder says Iowa has consistently had one of the best pass rates for the GED. He reports that among all the candidates who enrolled in the GED program, 4,089 qualified to sit for the test and nearly 90 percent (3,680) earned their GED.

Of those who earned their GED certificate, Ryder was surprised that just under 41 percent (1,504) eventually enrolled in community college -- particularly since community colleges conduct the GED preparation program.

"It was surprising to me how few of the people ended up enrolling in community college," he said. "And I think that's where community colleges in Iowa need to focus, particularly since they manage the GED preparation program. If we're serious about increasing the number or percentage of people who have some sort of college education or credential, then we must focus greater resources and effort in moving people from a GED program into the college classroom -- and then providing the students with academic support.

"I think a lot of what's happening with students in this particular population is that there's an interest in getting whatever that next level of educational accomplishment is that allows them to take their next step with their jobs," Ryder said. "Perhaps they're working at job where either a promotion or making the next higher wage levels requires them to have a high school diploma or equivalency. So having the GED becomes more important from that perspective, but they don't then take the next step to move on to community college."

Small percentage earn community college certificates

Just 15.2 percent of the GED earners went on to complete community college certificates. And Ryder sees that being a product of career motivation, too.

"The reality is that a lot of community college students are not there to get a two-year degree or a one-year certificate," he said. "They're there to get coursework that they need in order to take the next step in their job or career. They also have to balance family demands, so they may not be able to attend full-time, which means they're not eligible for a lot of aid and don't want to take out loans. They take what they can afford to take that next step incrementally."

Ryder hopes to publish the results of the study in a professional journal. He also plans to continue tracking GED candidates through their enrollment in four-year institutions someday.

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