Tim KautzBook Chapter · 2014
The Economic and Social Benefits of GED Certification
Heckman, James J., John Eric Humphries, and Tim Kautz
In The Myth of Achievement Tests, edited by J.J. Heckman, J.E. Humphries, and T. Kautz. University of Chicago Press. pp. 171-267
Summary
This chapter surveys the previous literature on the effectiveness of the GED. It also conducts original empirical studies using seven data sets collected in different time periods to evaluate the effectiveness of the GED testing program using a variety of outcome measures. All data show that GED recipients do not perform at the level of high school graduates. After controlling for cognition and background, the vast majority of male GED recipients do no better than uncertified dropouts.