Access and Innovation: Evaluating GED Programs in Washington, DC

As advances in technology, shifts in labor markets and rising skill demands have transformed K-12 and higher education, adult basic education providers continue to play a vital role in ensuring those without a traditional high school diploma have on-ramps to opportunity. In our nation‘s capital, steady investments into local GED (General Educational Development) programs provide pathways to credential attainment, college access and career growth for thousands of residents.

GED Attainment: Foundational Workforce Credential

A 2019 national ROI report found strong economic value of the GED credential over a lifetime – approximately $224,000 in additional earnings when compared to peers without an equivalency or regular high school diploma. Locally, the credential can provide access to civil service careers, skilled trades, higher wage jobs and postsecondary programs previously out of reach.

For an older adult or immigrant with established careers, passing the GED exam can also protect against vulnerability if positions are unexpectedly eliminated later in life. Especially through economic downturns like the Great Recession, those without the essential high school-level certification can quickly slide into structural poverty and long-term financial hardship.

By the Numbers: GED Testing and Credential Rates

According to GED Testing Service, over 90% of U.S. employers consider the GED credential on par with a standard high school diploma during their review of applicant materials and minimum education requirements.

In 2022, approximately 4,400 DC residents registered to take the GED exam‘s four core subject areas. 67% of test takers went on to pass and attain their certification, outpacing the national pass rate by nearly 10%. Pass rates for younger adult test takers tend to significantly lag older peers, indicating room for stronger preparation support.

Table 1. GED Pass Rates by Age Group, Washington DC

An estimated 13% of Washington, DC residents lack a high school credential, underscoring the need for continued investments into local Adult Basic Education systems. Too many struggle to discern reputable, quality program options from predatory providers amid a crowded and complex landscape.

Integrating Innovations: More Personalized, Accelerated and Career-Connected Adult Education

Traditional models of GED preparation do not work at scale for today‘s generation of young adult learners, millions of whom have very fragile connections to schooling.

Washington, DC providers are piloting evidence-based interventions to re-engage opportunity youth and ages 16-24:

• Personalized, Competency-Based Progression: Flipped classrooms, differentiated digital curricula meeting students at their level.

• Concurrent Enrollment and Career Exposure: Dual credit recovery, CTE coursework andBridge programming, workplace site visits and guest speakers.

• Persistence Coaching and Success Plans: Relationship-driven support addressing life hurdles in real time before they derail progress.

Spotlight: Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School

Founded in 1970, Carlos Rosario serves as a national model for its holistic approach to Adult Basic Education, workforce training and immigration integration services. Of its nearly 2,000 students enrolled annually, 55% specifically target their High School Equivalency (HSE) credential.

Once a segregated vocational school, Carlos Rosario is now an educational home for students of all ages and backgrounds from over 100 countries. Jessica, for example, fled gang violence in Honduras as a teenager before landing in DC. She reflected, "I will be the first woman in my family to graduate high school. I didn‘t think college was possible for someone like me until I came to Carlos Rosario. My teachers always told me ‘Yes, you can!‘"

Jessica passed her GED in Spring 2022 and is now thriving in the Medical Assistant program alongside her ESL studies. Carlos Rosario specializes in helping similar students unlock their potential through tailored educational experiences integrating language acquisition, technical skills and credential attainment.

Policy Recommendations: Expanding Pathways to In-Demand Careers

High School Equivalency is necessary but insufficient on its own to fulfill the promise of economic mobility. As GED attainment has shown only incremental workforce value for participants without further education or training, DC must close this gap for residents to properly translate effort into opportunity.

The DC Workforce Investment Council has prioritized building better on-ramps between Adult Basic Ed, non-credit workforce training in high-demand fields and formal degree programs. This integration of systems around the individual – not institutional silos – should be an national roadmap toward economic inclusion.

Stackable credentials, career pathway approaches and equitable access to postsecondary opportunities provide the next rung on the ladder – but only with intentional processes fostering student self-efficacy, resilience and the real-life navigation skills to persist amid barriers. Here, programs like Carlos Rosario show the standard for the rest of the country.

Earning a GED empowers residents across the District to access new trajectories once unavailable to them academically and economically. By integrating modern innovations and policy reforms, Washington, DC has built infrastructure and expanded options for residents to actualize their full potential no matter their start in life. The GED programs leading this charge understand education as an act of empowerment and economic justice. Their efforts to meet adult learners where they are embody the spirit of adult education‘s purpose – to plant seeds of possibility and cultivate the talents of all.