EVALUATION OF A LOCAL ADULT GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (GED) PROGRAM

Abstract

The General Educational Development (GED) is a high school equivalency credential sought after by millions of Americans who do not hold a traditional high school diploma. This program evaluation offers insight to a local adult GED program as it seeks to increase the retention and GED completion rates of the students in their program. The evaluation utilized a participatory approach and qualitative design, with document review and semi-structured interviews as the primary data sources. Thematic analysis was utilized to organize evaluation results into themes representing areas of effectiveness and improvement. The recommendations include addressing learner barriers through individualized education plans, focused skill development, peer support structures, highly engaged learning, learner pathways, team professional development, streamlining program processes, and fully leveraging program benefits