South Carolina: raising awareness, raising scores

Above left: Colleen Clark, chief examiner with the South Carolina GED Testing Office, shares test day procedures with Academy teachers. Above right: Academy teachers review notes before class begins.

WHEN THE GED® TESTS WERE REVISED in 2002, Charan Lee, director for adult education in South Carolina’s Anderson School Districts 1 and 2, saw that a lot had changed for adult learners and educators.

"Let’s put together a GED Academy to address those changes," Lee suggested to Dr. Cherry Daniel, then state director for adult education. Past that kernel of an idea, Lee says she "didn’t have a clue what we were going to do with it."

Today, the South Carolina GED Teacher Academy is a required stop for every GED teacher in the state and a proven way to provide South Carolina adult educators with a shared base of knowledge, an opportunity for networking, and a source of inspiration.

The academy covers virtually every topic adult educators need to help their students not just pass the GED Tests but earn a high score. Topics include understanding the adult learner, the role of the instructor, assessments and managing intake, GED Test content areas, teaching techniques, and much more.

"The first part of the academy provides a broad overview," Lee says, "but then we get very specific concerning GED content, teaching strategies, and techniques.

"We do a lot of directed teaching activities and working in groups to help educators understand that adults enjoy hands-on activities just as students in the K-12 system do," she says. "At first the teachers are afraid that it might be too childish for adults, but when we asked them if they enjoyed their hands-on activity, and they always say they did. What a wonderful way to learn something."

"One of the things we have them do is create their own lesson, then they have 20 minutes to present it to the class. The presenter then has one lesson plan that he or she has created as well as all the other plans presented by their colleagues. They can take these back and use them in their classrooms."

Testing and assessment are important parts of the curriculum.

"If we are not all doing assessment the same way by following state and national standards, the results could be skewed," Lee notes. "We also spend a lot of time on managed intake to ensure we are collecting the correct information, using standardized assessment procedures, and providing a positive climate for our students as they begin their work in adult education."

Lee says they give teachers parts of the Official GED Practice Test and notes, "a lot of them had never taken it themselves. When they do, they have a better sense of what is on the GED Tests and how to address the subjects with students."

Personnel from the state GED testing office give a presentation explaining what examinees can expect on test day. They cover everything from what test takers do when they arrive to what happens during the day, which answers a lot of questions the teachers will hear from students.

Since many students come with learning disabilities, teachers learn South Carolina policies, what the law requires, how to request special accommodations, and how to help students with special needs.

Is all the effort worth it?

"The academy is very well worth the time," says Lee. "Our teachers have made so much progress and more and more of our students pass the GED Tests the first time."

South Carolina now expects adult learners to make a high score so they feel confident about going on to college or technical school.

"We have found that students need to score a total of 2400 with a minimum of 430 on each area on the practice test to successfully pass the full length GED exam," Lee says. "Below that they typically do not do well. We are trying to help our teachers understand that we don’t just want our students to score 2250 and pass; instead, we want them to score high so they will be well prepared to enter post-secondary education or training. It is a big transition for teachers."

Except for a $100 training fee, the cost for the academy, including a week at the College of Charleston, has been paid for by the state. The 45-hour course is eligible for South Carolina teacher recertification credit.

"This shared experience brings us all together," Lee says. "It has bonded us and given us a common statewide knowledge of what we are doing. When the teachers return, they have had a wonderful experience and go home with lesson plans they can immediately implement, creative ideas, hands-on experiences, and a renewed excitement for teaching the adult learner. They are definitely more confident and better prepared to help their students."

For more information, phone Charan Lee at 864.847.3549 x 2127, or write her at Anderson School Districts 1 and 2 Adult Education, 702 Belton Highway, Williamston, SC 29697.

Above left: An Academy class poses in front of Randolph Hall on the beautiful College of Charleston campus. Above right: Danny Burns, Spartanburg County Adult Education director and former GED instructor, lectures an Academy class in Charleston.

During the GED Teacher Academy, each teacher presents a lesson that the others can use when they return to their classrooms. Here is an example (The Round of Things), as well as a quiz the teachers take to measure their GED IQ. Find the answers on our "DOWNLOADS" page. Scroll down to find "SC GED IQ Answers." Keep in mind that answers to some of the questions will be unique to each state.

The Round of Things CONCEPT: Circumference of a circle
MATERIALS NEEDED: 2-3 different circular objects (margarine tub lids, tin cans, cut-out paper circles of different sizes) String and scissors ASK: "What is a circle?" Discuss the definition and that the circumference is the length of the circle or the distance around it. The diameter is the straight distance across the circle through the middle, and the radius is ½ of the diameter, or the distance from the center to the outside of the circle. STATE that there is a special formula to determine the circumference of a circle (C= Π d). Ask, "How do you think this formula came into being?" GIVE the students several circular objects and string. Have them cut the string to the diameter of the circular object. TELL them to mark one place on the circular object as a starting point. Then ask them to stretch the string around the object and count the number of times it takes to go around the object. HAVE the students repeat this activity with several different circular objects. Remind the students to use a piece of string the length of the diameter of each object.
The students should discover that it always takes a little more than three diameters to go around the circle. Therefore, the circumference is pi times the diameter and pi is about 3 1/7.

What Is Your GED® IQ?

1. What do the letters in the acronym GED stand for?
2. Is the acronym GED a noun or an adjective?
3. What agency develops the GED Tests?
4. On the GED Exam, what is the total passing score and what is the minimum score for each subject area?
5. What group was used to norm the 2002 GED Tests?
6. What percent of the norm group could not pass the GED Tests?
7. On which part of the GED Math Test can students use a calculator?
8. What is the name of the credential a GED graduate receives in SC?
9. If a student fails the GED Exam with a 2150, what are his options for retesting?
10. How soon can a candidate retake the GED Exam after he has failed it twice?
11. What identification must a student show to be admitted to the GED Exam?
12. How can a GED candidate get a large print test?
13. For a GED candidate who is under 19 years of age or who is 19 or over who has been enrolled in school during the current school year, what additional paperwork must he include with his GED application?
14. What should a candidate do if he does not receive his test confirmation letter by 2 days prior to his test date?
15. Does an AE program automatically receive a copy of a student’s GED score?
16. What time does the GED Test begin?
17. Can a non-resident take the GED?
18. If a student has a learning or physical disability, what should he do to receive testing accommodations?
19. Of the 5 tests on the GED Exam, which two are given first in South Carolina?
20. What happens if a student arrives late for the GED Exam?
21. What is the fee to take all 5 GED Tests?
22. Why is the essay so critical on the 2002 Tests?

Find the answers on our "DOWNLOADS" page. Scroll down to find ’SC GED IQ Answers.’ Keep in mind that answers to some of the questions will be unique to each state.