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Educational groups oppose bill to change Ohio GED standards

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News

Published: November 21, 2014

Several educational groups are opposing legislation designed to revamp the state’s GED process.

House Bill 343, sponsored by Rep. Gerald Stebelton, R-Lancaster, would permit a person who is at least 18 years old, rather than 19 years old as under current law, to take the tests of general educational development without additional administrative requirements if the individual is officially withdrawn from school and has not received a high school diploma.

The bill also specifies that a person who is at least 16 years old but younger than 18 years old and applies to take the GED must submit written approval from a parent, guardian or a court official to the Ohio Department of Education.

Under current law individuals are required to have written approval from the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the community or STEM school where they were last enrolled.

HB 343 is scheduled for a fifth hearing Wednesday before the House Education Committee.

Although the current standards were intended to encourage students to return to high school, Stebelton said that has not happened.

“Rather than encouraging individuals to return to high school, the current requirement often delays continuing education and employment,” he said.

With regard to adult basic and literacy education or ABLE programs, the proposed legislation would permit any community school that serves students in a dropout prevention and recovery program operated by the school to operate an ABLE program.

ABLE is an adult basic and literacy education program that offers instruction in basic skills such as reading, writing, math, problem-solving and English as a second language, as well as preparation for the GED.

While Stebelton has championed the provisions of HB 343, the Ohio Federation of Teachers and Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding have opposed the proposed legislation.

Darold Johnson, OFT legislative director, said the Ohio Board of Regents website highlights the success of the state’s ABLE program. He said it continues to be one of the best performing in the country, ranking in the top 10 of several performance indicators in fiscal year 2011.

“This evidence suggests there is no need to expand ABLE program funding to charter and drop-out recovery schools,” he said.

“It is a fact that the academic efforts of charters and drop-out recovery schools don’t match the state’s success with the ABLE program. There is no need to expand this option.”

Johnson went on to say OFT officials believe it is bad policy to combine 16- to 18-year-olds in a program with adults who are 22 years old and older.

“We don’t think it’s a good option for local school districts to give up their money in order to pay for the enrollment of 22-year-olds when the current system used now works well,” he said, adding that although the federation opposes HB 343, it “strongly support adults who have not graduated from high schools in their pursuit of a GED.”

In a statement, Ohio E & A Executive Director William Phillis questioned whether the bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“HB 343, on the surface, would seem efficacious in that it would provide educational opportunities at public expense for 22- to 29-year-old high school dropouts,” he said. “But a provision in HB 343 would permit any charter school that serves students enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery program to operate an adult basic and literacy education program for individuals 22 to 29 who have not received a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalence.”

Phillis said the students would be permitted to enroll for up to two cumulative years in either a charter school or one of the Big 8 school districts.

“This scheme would transfer even more funds from school districts to charter school dropout programs that typically have a dismal record of success,” he said.

“The adult basic and literacy education program has been available to high school dropouts for nearly 60 years. Thousands and thousands of high school dropouts have earned a GED from participation in this program. Many of these participants have gone on to earn advanced degrees from colleges and universities. It appears that the only reason for this proposed change in law is to enrich certain charter schools.”

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