[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-264578-105":59,"doc-detail-264578-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","ged-college-readiness-benchmarks-and-post-secondary-success-edworkingpaper-24-914","GED® College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success - EdWorkingPaper 24-914","","The GED introduced college readiness benchmarks in 2016 to identify test-takers academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting “college-ready” GED graduates from remedial study. Evidence shows higher college enrollment and persistence for those flagged college-ready, yet lower rates than recent high school diploma graduates. Regression discontinuity results indicate that crossing the benchmark threshold does not meaningfully affect enrollment or persistence within two years, and retaking is limited near the readiness cutoffs.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/ged-college-readiness-benchmarks-and-post-secondary-success-edworkingpaper-24-914/264578/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/ged-college-readiness-benchmarks-and-post-secondary-success-edworkingpaper-24-914/264578.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Sage","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-14",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What are the GED college readiness benchmarks intended to do?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"They are designed to identify test-takers academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework, with the goal of awarding college credits or exempting “college-ready” graduates from remedial coursework.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Do the benchmarks improve college enrollment and persistence after the first test attempt?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Individuals identified as college-ready enroll and persist at significantly higher rates than other GED passers, but crossing the readiness threshold itself does not substantially influence enrollment or persistence during the two years following the first test attempt.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does retaking behavior near readiness benchmarks compare with retaking near the GED passing threshold?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Retaking is observed to be limited for those narrowly below the minimum college readiness score thresholds, contrasting strongly with much higher retaking near the lower GED passing threshold used for eligibility for a high school equivalency credential.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},264578,1789383920,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},687197207057,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","EdWorkingPaper No. 24-914  \nGED® College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success  \nBlake H. Heller  \nUniversity of Houston  \nIn 2016, the GED® introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to identify testers who are academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting “college-ready” GED® graduates from remedial coursework. I show descriptive evidence that those identified as college-ready by these benchmarks enroll and persist in college at significantly higher rates than others who pass the GED® exam, but at lower rates than recent graduates with traditional high school diplomas. Regression discontinuity estimates show that crossing a college readiness threshold does not substantially influence testers' college enrollment or persistence during the two years following their first test attempt. Relatedly, I observe little exam retaking by those who fall narrowly short of the minimum college readiness score thresholds. This contrasts strongly with retaking behavior near the lower GED® passing threshold that determines eligibility for a high school equivalency credential. Those who narrowly fail a GED® subject test are over 100 times more likely to retest than those who fall just short of a college readiness benchmark in the same subject. GED® college readiness benchmarks do not currently appear to promote better college outcomes, but in the absence of more detailed test score information they offer a simple heuristic to predict short-run college enrollment and persistence among GED® graduates, particularly for those who identify educational gain as a primary reason for testing. The results highlight the promise and challenges associated with building pathways for non-traditional students to earn credit for prior learning.  \nVERSION: February 2024  \nSuggested citation: Heller, Blake H.. (2024). GED® College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success. (EdWorkingPaper: 24-914). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: [https://doi.org/10.26300/mvvp-cf18](https://doi.org/10.26300/mvvp-cf18)  \nGED College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success  \nBlake H. Heller􀀃  \nUniversity of Houston Hobby School of Public A􀀋airs  \nJanuary 2024  \nAbstract  \nIn 2016, the GED introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to identify testers who are academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting \\college-ready\" GED  graduates from remedial coursework. I show descriptive evidence that those identi􀀌ed as college-ready by these benchmarks enroll and persist in college at signi􀀌cantly higher rates than others who pass the GED  exam, but at lower rates than recent graduates with traditional high school diplomas. Regression discontinuity estimates show that crossing a college readiness threshold does not substantially in􀀍uence testers' college enrollment or persistence during the two years following their 􀀌rst test attempt. Relatedly, I observe little exam retaking by those who fall narrowly short of the minimum college readiness score thresholds. This contrasts strongly with retaking behavior near the lower GED passing threshold that determines eligibility for a high school equivalency credential. Those who narrowly fail a GED subject test are over 100 times more likely to retest than those who fall just short of a college readiness benchmark in the same subject. GED  college readiness benchmarks do not currently appear to promote better college outcomes, but in the absence of more detailed test score information they o􀀋er a simple heuristic to predict short-run college enrollment and persistence among GED  graduates, particularly for those who identify educational gain as a primary reason for testing. The results highlight the promise and challenges associated with building pathways for non-traditional students to earn credit for prior learning.  \n􀀃 Spec","cbCaild5rLHltdhT","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaild5rLHltdhT","pdf",1239598,66,"English","# Introduction\n## GED college readiness benchmarks and policy claims\n## Evidence on enrollment and persistence outcomes\n## Threshold effects and retaking behavior","[{\"question\":\"What are the GED college readiness benchmarks intended to do?\",\"answer\":\"They are designed to identify test-takers academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework, with the goal of awarding college credits or exempting “college-ready” graduates from remedial coursework.\"},{\"question\":\"Do the benchmarks improve college enrollment and persistence after the first test attempt?\",\"answer\":\"Individuals identified as college-ready enroll and persist at significantly higher rates than other GED passers, but crossing the readiness threshold itself does not substantially influence enrollment or persistence during the two years following the first test attempt.\"},{\"question\":\"How does retaking behavior near readiness benchmarks compare with retaking near the GED passing threshold?\",\"answer\":\"Retaking is observed to be limited for those narrowly below the minimum college readiness score thresholds, contrasting strongly with much higher retaking near the lower GED passing threshold used for eligibility for a high school equivalency credential.\"}]","GED® College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success - EdWorkingPaper 24-914 | PDF",166]