In March of 1998 CIR and Women Employed Institute jointly published a research report detailing the low number of Chicagoans who take and pass the GED examination each year. The GED, which stands for Tests of General Educational Development, is a 7.5 hour test that enables adults who have not succeeded the first time around in school to obtain a high school equivalency certificate.

The report found that only 64% of people taking the GED test passed in Illinois, ranking the state 42nd of the 50 states. Chicago¹s 46% pass rate lagged considerably behind the state rate and put Chicago near the bottom when compared with ten other major U.S. cities.

Focus groups with community organizations mentioned long waits to take the GED test, mainly offered at inaccessible locations (with no downtown testing site), which they believed discouraged adults and contributed to the low pass rate.

The Illinois State Board of Education quickly responded to remedy many of the problems with the GED test-taking system identified in the research report, with the opening of many additional testing sites, including a downtown location. In addition, the agency allocated funds to enable a marketing program for the GED to be implemented in the fall of 1999, involving public service announcements, bus cards, and printed materials that encourage adults to investigate the test.

In March 2000 CIR issued a further research report, GED Issues Brief #1, detailing innovative strategies employed by other states to make the GED test more affordable, accessible, and passable.

Project Publications

GED Issues Brief #1
3/00
New research on innovative GED test-taking procedures.
Full Brief

A SECOND CHANCE: Improving Chicago's GED Performance
3/98
An analysis of Chicago's low GED pass rate and suggestions for improvement.
Full Report