Race to GED - Milestones of Success: 2003-2010(July 27, 2010)

The Race to GED report delivered to programs in May 2010 is now available as a high resolution PDF (15.6 MB). Programs who want to print additional copies may either print directly from the PDF or they may provide the link to local printers for professionally printed and bound copies. Using Adobe Acrobat, it is possible to isolate portions or pages of the report for use in PowerPoint or other presentations.

Click here to read more. (.pdf 15.6 MB)

GED Banners and Buttons (June 24, 2010)

We need the help of every adult education program to raise the profile of GED services in Virginia. The statewide GED informational website at GEDVA.com now has buttons and banner ads that supportive agencies and stakeholders’ can post on their websites. Many of your partnering agencies around the state would be more than happy to feature a banner ad or a Race to GED button on their site to better enable seamless referrals to adult education services. Last month we received over a hundred hits from the Tidewater Community College webpage (tcc.edu) simply because their enrollment requirement of a GED was made into a hot link that directed community college applicants to GEDVA.com.

Every learner that is directed to GEDVA.com becomes better informed, is referred to their local adult education program, and helps build a higher profile for credible GED services in Virginia. Please use these resources to expand your outreach and strengthen your ties with other social and educational services in your area. If you or your partnering agencies need any help working with your webmaster to post these GED buttons, please feel free to contact Katie Bratisax (804-827-1046 kbratisax@vcu.edu) or Jason Guard (804-827-2635 jkguard@vcu.edu ).

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VA is Hosting a Computer-based GED Practice Test Study (May 25, 2010)

From the Virginia's GED Adminstrator:

I am pleased to announce that Virginia and ten other states are participating in a comparability study of the GED Tests on computer. The GED Testing Service has an agreement with Pearson VUE to run the study. Twenty three Virginia testing centers, with a contracted Pearson VUE center within 10 miles, have agreed to be the pilot sites. These centers will inform their candidates of the opportunity to take the practice opportunity. The candidates will receive payment for their participation. If you get questions about this comparability study, please refer the caller to the nearest participating center. I’ve attached a list of the centers and their phone numbers for your convenience.

As I get more information about the outcomes of this study, I will pass the information along.

Debbie Bergtholdt
GED Administrator

eLearnVA as a Summer GED resource (April 27, 2010)

As the end of the academic term approaches, some of your GED learners may need a study option to keep their progress going. During the summer months, GED classes can be scarce. If you have learners who want to get started studying or continue their education during that time, please consider referring them to eLearn Virginia for online preparation (assuming they meet the criteria below). During their time with us, your learners will be matched with a GED teacher (we call them "online mentors") who will facilitate their studies via email. Each learner's progress will be chronicled in eLearn's online database so your adult education program can monitor the participation of learners from your locality. And, we will help them find testing opportunities when they are ready.

Criteria for participation: We require TABE Reading scores of 520 or better for enrollment in eLearn Virginia. Learners must be computer literate, motivated to work, somewhat self-directed, and ready to communicate via email on a regular basis. Your help identifying these characteristics of a successful online learner is a great help to us. The final step in the referral process is simply to have the learner fill out our registration form at eLearnVA.com. The site will prompt them to call us to do a quick intake and then we will begin sending instructions and assignments via email.

You are welcome to print and hand out our promotional materials from this website: http://www.valrc.org/content/ged/ged_materials.html. If you would like a small supply of eLearn brochures, reply to this message with your mailing address and we will get some out to you ASAP. If you have any questions, just call me or Karen Chervenak (chervenakke@vcu.edu) at 888-589-9003.

Moving Beyond the GED video spots from SwVA (April 16, 2010)

Southwest Virginia Regional Adult Education program produced three new videos to promote their Moving Beyond the GED initiative. The videos showcase individuals from the Southwest VA region who discuss how earning a GED helped them pursue additional education and training so they could achieve their career dreams.

GED Connection: DVDs available for order (April 13, 2010)

Adult Educators:

The 39 episodes of GED Connection are available again in DVD form from the Resource Center.  Because we have a state license to broadcast and duplicate the programs, Virginia's adult education centers do not have to pay the full price from the publisher (in the neighborhood of $1,000.00 for a set).  If you would like a set of DVDs (or two, or three...), they are $50 per set (shipped).  At this moment, there are only about 50 DVD sets available.  So, please respond to this message with the number of sets you want, and we will get an invoice to you ASAP.  

Some teachers/students prefer to use the GED Connection videos as supplemental lessons to be completed between classes or when learners "stop-out" and have gaps in their attendance.  To refer your learners to the GED Connection programs, send them to the http://www.GEDVA.com website and have them choose "Videos" from the "Study" section of the page.  Also, OnDemand access is available for the "digital cable" subscribers of Cox, Comcast, and Charter Media.

Jason Guard
GED and Distance Learning Specialist
Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
Virginia Commonwealth University
3600 West Broad Street, Suite 669
Richmond, VA 23230-4930
Phone: 1-800-237-0178 or 804-827-2635

Taking the GED Tests: Requesting Accommodations (March 29, 2010)

For our students with learning disabilities or ADD/ADHD, accommodations on the GED may be the only path to success. Neil Sturomski of GEDTS outlines the process of filling out the forms for requesting accommodations on the GED at: http://www.ldonline.org/article/15574

GED Testing Service Seeks Your Feedback (March 5, 2010)

GED Testing Services is in the process of creating marketing materials to use with prospective GED test-takers later this year. We will be conducting focus groups with prospects, but we also want feedback from adult education and GED testing professionals because your thoughts and opinions are important to us!

We are specifically looking for those of you who spend more than half of your time working with adults pursuing a GED credential, or if you are a GED examiner. If you fit these criteria and may be interested, please keep reading.

Here are the details you need to know:
Who: We will be conducting an online focus groups the week of March 15, and only 14 spots are available. We will operate on a first-come-first-serve basis, so the faster you respond, the better your chances for getting a spot.

When: The focus group will be held:
#1) Thursday, March 11 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm eastern time Where: The focus group will be conducted online, so you’ll need to be somewhere that has an internet connection and a telephone. You’ll see images on the screen and the telephone will allow us to talk with you.

What: This is just an informal conversation between two of us here at GED testing service and about 10-12 others like you. You just need to show up – no need to prepare – and be ready to share your honest opinions!

If you want to participate just do the following 4 easy things:

1. Make sure you can participate on the date/time available, and will have access to a computer and telephone at the same time.
2. Respond to this email with the subject FOCUS GROUP. Be sure to include your first and last name, the state where you work, and your title.
3. Wait for an email confirmation (this will only take about 1-2 business days)
4. Mark your calendar and join us for the group conversation!

There are no risks involved in participating in the focus group. Your identity is confidential to our marketing team here so no one else in the focus group will know your full name, location, or email address. We will not share this information with anyone outside the group. And you are under no obligation to participate.

Thank you for thinking about this opportunity to share your ideas and feedback with us. Your opinions will help us help others!

If you have any questions, please contact me by email or by phone using the information below. If you would like to participation in the focus group, please remember to respond soon by email and indicate which date best works for you.

CT Turner, Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Chris_turner@ace.nche.edu
202/939.9720

GED Online program (February 17, 2010)

McGraw Hill Contemporary rep, Gary Rubin, recently announced the debut of the GED Online program. This is essentially their MHC Interactive software in a web-based format (no longer dependant on CD Roms). Transitioning a curricula onto the web deserves some attention, so we asked Gary to set something up so Virginia's adult educators could find out more.

For those interested in seeing how the newly online MHC program works and to see it for yourselves, the publisher is having a 1-hour webinar on March 1st. If you are interested, Gary's webinar registration link is provided below. Questions should go to Gary as well ( garyrubin23@gmail.com ). Space is limited, but MHC can schedule additional sessions if March 1st fills up.

This should not be viewed as an endorsement of any publisher's product.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/179882952

NAASLN Webinar on GED Testing Accommodations for Students with Special Learning Needs (January 25, 2010)

How do we level the playing field for adults with special learning needs?

Register ONLINE: Go to www.naasln.org/webinars.htm

February 16th from 4:00 - 5:00 ET

Description:
Adults with special learning needs taking the GED fall into two categories: (1) Those adults with documented disabilities, who require accommodations such as extended time, supervised breaks, scribes, audiocassettes. (2) Those adults, for whom teachers have identified learning needs requiring adaptations or modifications such as magnifiers, colored overlays, straight edges, rooms without fluorescent lighting, etc. These latter adaptations do not require prior approval by the GED state offices.

This session will clarify information concerning accommodations and adaptations and will provide effective ways to prepare your students to use these tools to successfully pass the GED Test.

Presenter:
Connie Leading brings 30 years of professional and personal experience to her position with the Ohio Department of Education's GED Office. As GED Testing Accommodations Consultant and as the Chief Examiner for Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools in Groveport, OH, she has been instrumental in the development of curricula for public and private institutions which addresses the challenges faced by students with disabling conditions. In these capacities and as a mother of two "accommodated learners" who have experienced the emotional and physical aspects of learning through accommodations, Connie serves as a strong advocate for the needs of special students.

Register ONLINE: Go to www.naasln.org/webinars.htm

Fee per session:
$40.00 Non-Members
$20.00 Members **

Fee per video of this session and other archived sessions:
$40.00 Non-Members
$20.00 Members **

**NAASLN Members: To get this discounted fee of $20.00 when you register online, use your Members Only Code. If you don t have your code, contact us at info@naasln.org and we will send it to you.