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Git ‘Er Done - GED

Presented by Jeffrey Black, Teacher

Stephanie Carr, TeacherDouglas Carlquist, Director of Education

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SCHOOLIs a private, non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to bettering the communities in our region by

providing effective human services for youth and families

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Outside In School

• Licensed by the Pennsylvania Departments of Education, Public Welfare, and Health

• Accredited by the American Camping Association

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Services at Outside In

• Residential Facility near Ligonier that provides Title I Reading and Math as part of our Alternative Education program

• Wilderness Therapy

• Weekend Program

• Drug and Alcohol Counseling

• Individual and Family Therapy

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Statistics

• PA Data 2007• Only 1% of eligible testers took the GED

• Only 69% pass rate

• 07-08 School Year (Outside In)• 7% of our population took the GED

• 100% pass rate with 6% going on to college

• 08-09 School Year (Outside In)• 18% of our population enrolled in GED program

• 4 students have taken and passed the GED so far

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Pre-testing

• First step of GED preparation

• 5 subject areas – Writing (multiple choice & essay)

– Math

– Science

– Social Studies

– Reading

• Score at least 40% correct on the pre-test to correlate to a passing score on the GED

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Motivation

• Focused individualized attention• Community effort to build confidence

everyday– Regular Education Teachers

– Learning Support Teacher

– Counselors

– Live in staff

– Home Passes

– Medical Appointments

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Logistics

• Items needed to take the test for all students– Photo ID– Letter of Withdraw from Home School District– Cash or Money Order

• Additional Item for students who are either 16 or 17– Letter from Probation Officer/Court Order (could also have a

letter of employment, letter from military or a letter from a secondary/training school)

• Then Schedule with a test center

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Photo ID Requirements

• Original Birth Certificate

• Original Social Security Card

• Three proofs of residency

• Requires the assistance of parents, counselors, and Probation Officers or Case Workers to make sure correct documentation is received

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Test Centers• Must be a non-profit organization• PA has 116 test centers which also operate

satellite sites• Fees vary by test center based on number of

test takers on average• Students must pass each sub-test with a score

of 410 and an average of 450 on the whole battery of tests

• Students may re-test any given sub-test at any testing location

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Subjects

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Reading

• Tests the ability to:– Comprehend information– Apply information– Analyze information– Synthesize information

• Students need to interpret four different literary forms: poetry (15%), fiction (45%), drama (15%), nonfiction prose (25%)

• Test consists of 40 multiple choice questions with a 65 minute time limit

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Social Studies• Requires the ability to comprehend not only reading

passages, but to interpret visuals as well– Graphs, maps, political cartoons, etc…

• Emphasis is placed on U.S. History (25%), World History (15%), Civics and Government (25%), Geography (15%), & Economics (20%)

• Looks at critical points in time and historical periods

• Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with a 70 minute time limit

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Writing Part 1

• Focus on basic English usage (30%), sentence structure (30%), mechanics (25%), and organization (15%)

• Requires recognition and correction of errors on sentences and passages

• Letters, memos, and business related documents included

• Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with a time limit of 75 minutes

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Writing Part 2

• Requires writing an essay based on a given topic with a time limit of 45 minutes

• Approximately 250 words in length

• Focus on:• Audience• Purpose, real life context• Adopt a role• Generation of ideas with clear expression,

organization, and connection

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Science

• Based on National Science Education Standards focusing on Life Science (45%), Earth & Space Science (20%), and Physical Science (35%)

• Focus on scientific understandings, environment, and health– Ways people use science everyday

• Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions with an 80 minute time limit

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Math• Usually the subject requiring the most focus

• Use pretest to find “problem” areas• Number Sense & Operations

• Data, Statistics, & Probability

• Algebra, Functions, & Patterns

• Measurement & Geometry

• Use Accelerated Math internet program to assist with problem areas

• Student will not excel in every aspect, but will master enough areas to pass test

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Math continued…

• Consists mainly of word problems• Requires problem solving and application of computations

• Formula sheets, scratch paper and calculators are given during test

• Part 1 of the test consists of 25 questions, a time limit of 45 minutes – calculators ARE allowed

• Part 2 consists of 25 questions, a time limit of 45 minutes – calculators are NOT allowed

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Career Development

• Use a web based program called Career Cruising to assist the students with college and career interest

• Help students decide if further education is the right choice for them, if it is, then help them apply and complete financial aid

• Help students contact different businesses and fill out applications for employment

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Wrap Up

• Growing Trend, GED will continue to be essential

• Current test structure valid until 2012

• If you have questions regarding Accelerated Math or Career Cruising you can contact Douglas Carlquist (dfcarlquist@yahoo.com)

• Questions????