Education in America and the purpose of GEDforFree

The Silent Explosion

What was feared years ago has already occurred. Hardly anyone talks about it. There is less being done today to prevent it from increasing than ever before. It’s the number of high school dropouts across the country.

According to educator and author Paul Barton "Almost 45 years ago, James Conant, former president of Harvard, said that the dropout problem was ‘social dynamite.' The explosion has occurred, and will continue to occur. This is seen in growing prison populations and increasing welfare costs; in ever lower wages; in a limited labor supply for, we are told, an economy with an increasing appetite for educated workers; and in the likelihood of raising a new generation with dim prospects of doing better — and perhaps of doing worse."

 “This is a story of losing ground," he adds. "At the same time that the dropout rate is increasing, out-of-school education and training opportunities are dwindling, and the economic status of young dropouts has been in a free fall since the late 1970s.”

Here are the some of the facts:

• In high school completion rates, the United States has now slipped to 10th place in the world.
• On average, only one certified counselor is available for 285 students in high schools. The ratio is higher for minority students.
• High School graduation peaked nationally in 1969 with a 77 percent graduation rate and has slipped each year for the past 37 years.

The Impact on Career Colleges

The impact on Career Colleges is dramatic. This is the population who to a large degree, with a high school diploma or its equivalent in hand, would be looking to you for an education and a new career. And the numbers are huge. The estimates by the Department of Education, the American Council on Education and others, tell us that there already 30 million known dropouts and an at least 1.3 million new dropouts every year. Often without realizing it, they are slamming the door on their future.

Leave No Adult Behind™

In order to try and help this underserved, mostly forgotten population, we developed a Leave No Adult Behind™ campaign.  We wanted to focus a brighter spotlight upon this group, and make people aware that it’s not just children who are being left behind by the educational system. The campaign is focused on the belief that widespread access to quality public education for everyone of all ages is a primary responsibility of our society. We believe that all Americans are needed to help this country grow and prosper in order not to lose our future. The skills and talents of everyone are critical for our success in this new Knowledge Economy.

We have launched two online programs as part of the campaign. The first is GEDforFREE, a GED test prep program that is free to anyone who wants to study for their high school equivalency degree.

Our research shows that over 70% of this population either owns or has access to a computer through a job centers, welfare-to-work centers, state sponsored computer labs, libraries and homes of friends. The online solution is the same for them as it is for Career College student. They are working adults, many with families and other obligations, unable to go back to an actual school, but able to find the time to attend a virtual classroom.