Attempted Reform of the GED Credential in Wisconsin

Abstract

This paper summarizes the Wisconsin research that led to educational policy changes for the GED (General Education Development) high school equivalency credential and tracks the attempted reform of the GED credential in the 1980s, development of alternative instructional programs in the 1990s, and subsequent reestablishment of the GED in the state’s high schools. The history sheds light on the role of the test publisher in promoting its product at the state level, the function of the GED in alleviating pressures imposed on local school districts by higher graduation requirements, and the competitive marketing advantages of a nationally-known GED credential over harder-to-earn locally-developed alternatives.