Most frequently asked question about offering GED® classes in a Virginia nonprofit organization (business/church/501c3).

PLEASE NOTE: Changes in GED Tests are scheduled.

Contact state GED administrator Debbie Bergtholdt for updates and details. (See contact information below.)

What kind of certification do I need to teach the classes?

Requirements for teaching classes are determined by the organization doing the hiring. For instance, some adult education programs require a Bachelors degree and state teaching license. The Office of Adult Education and Literacy, Virginia Department of Education requires that adult education teachers of state funded programs also attend classes towards completing the requirements of the Virginia Adult Certification Program. If you are not receiving funds from the Department of Education and you are running your own adult education/GED® classes, then you can set your own qualifications for teaching. However, a high school diploma or GED® credential is probably a good idea.

What books should I use and where can I get them?

There are numerous publishing companies that put out GED® and Pre-GED® level books. You can find a wide selection of them at most book stores. Surveying your options there is a good start. To buy books in bulk, you can contact the publisher of the books you’re interested in through the Internet or their contact information listed in the book. Your local adult education program may already have a relationship with curriculum publishers and may be interested in collaborating on a bulk order. Libraries are also good sources for adult education materials, however they are usually classified as reference materials and may not leave the premises. For online material, see the websites listed at GEDVA http://www.gedva.com and feel free to call the GED® Helpline with questions (877-376-9433).

Do I need to give assessment tests?

The most important step in offering Adult Basic Education and GED® classes is the assessment of the students’ needs. In order to get a clear understanding of your students’ reading levels, math abilities, and other skills that you would like to address, you must administer an assessment. Assessment tests identify student strengths and weaknesses so they can be referred to the correct material. If your program is not able to give assessment tests, partnering with your local adult education program may be a good option for the initial intake and orientation phase of student enrollment.

Can you give me GED® promotional materials?

Please contact your local adult education program for informational brochures and promotional materials.

We have a computer lab; how can the students use the web to study?

Learners who want to prepare online have no shortage of options on the Internet. Although many programs are free of charge, not all are well designed or particularly effective, and many are deceptive money-making schemes that offer little assistance to the learner. First, be sure that all of your online learners know that GED® Tests cannot be taken on the Internet. To find a list of free GED® study sites, check out the website (http://www.GEDVA.com) and call 877-376-9433 with questions. Helping adult learners to integrate technology into their preparation is a valuable service and other service providers will appreciate knowing about the availability of your computer lab.

My program serves a different part of town (or population) than the adult education program, so do we really need to contact them?

It is often helpful to an adult education program just getting started to get input from experienced professionals in the field. Partnering with your local adult education program is optional, but the benefits of their guidance outweigh the costs. Your programs can refer learners to one another, share resources, and trade services.

I’ve talked to my local adult education program manager and was told to send everyone to their location. Can’t we serve them ourselves?

You are welcome to provide any service to your community that you see fit. However, state-funded adult education programs are often better equipped to serve many of the needs of adult GED learners than community-based start-up programs.Assessment and GED® testing are already established in your city or county and your program should consider making use of them. In some cases, local adult education teachers might be willing to come to your location to assist with instruction. Your organization could serve as a satellite location for adult education services in your region. Your program might provide one-on-one or small group tutors to provide extra help in specific subject areas (like reading, math, or writing) to students who are also enrolled in classes with your local adult education program. It is up to you to decide what kind of partnership will best benefit your learners.

How can we attend Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC) trainings if we’re not state funded?

Although VALRC trainings are intended for state-funded adult education programs, open seats can also be filled by not-for-profit groups. When a training is specifically intended for a local adult education program, the program manager will often invite members of their partnering agencies. This is another benefit of working closely with your local state-funded adult education program. After talking about working with the local program, think about joining the VAELN listserv (http://www.valrc.org/listservs/index.html) on the Resource Center website. This listserv announces important information about upcoming trainings and news pertaining to adult education and literacy. Professional development for your teachers is just as important as any other aspect of your organization, because it ensures that your teachers are equipped to run effective classes with the latest best practices in adult education.

How can we become an official testing center?

For information on becoming a GED® testing center, please contact Virginia’s state GED® Administrator, Debbie Bergtholdt (see contact information below).

Contact information for Virginia

• Virginia’s  GED® State Administrator:

Debbie Bergtholdt
Email address: Debbie.Bergtholdt@doe.virginia.gov
Telephone: 804-371-2333

Office of Adult Education and Literacy, Virginia Department of Education

GED® information
101 North 14th Street
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120

• Virginia GED® Helpline – 877-37- MY-GED (or 1-877-376-9433)

• Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center

Iris Guillet

Email: iguillet@vcu.edu

Phone: (804) 828-6521 or (800) 237-0178

Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
3600 West Broad Street, Ste 669
Richmond, VA 23230

Virginia GED® Helpline: 1-877-376-9433

Changes are coming to the GED test!   Many testing centers are offering the GED test as a part of a pilot program for computer based testing.  Check out the article below about one such testing center.

March 8, 2012

Keeling “told me it was simple, fast and easy,” after taking the computerized test, said Allison Jennings, program manager for GED Testing Service based in Washington, D.C.

“You should have seen the look in Esther’s face when she saw she passed,” said center director Jeff Bopp.
Immediate feedback after taking the test is a major advantage of computerized GED testing, Jennings said.

Traditional GED tests are all done with pencil and paper.

People taking the GED test by computer get instant score reports on all tests except for English, which include writing which must be gone over by a human. “With pencil and paper testing, students have to wait weeks for results,” Jennings said.

Another advantage of the computerized version of the test is it can take less time. “You can take the test on your own time and leave when you’re done, or take the next test when you’re finished,” said Jennings.
The computerized GED testing program was introduced at Williston State College Tuesday, and the Valley City site was the second in North Dakota, Jennings said. “This is site No. 2 for North Dakota, and North Dakota was the fourth state in the nation. North Dakota is cutting edge,” with delivery of GED testing by computer. “It’s been great to work here,” Jennings said.

Along with being the second computerized site in North Dakota, the 140 to 160 computers that will be used for testing in North Dakota are all being built at the Valley City school and being installed by its students, Bopp said.

The Valley City center got a grant from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to build the computers, Bopp said.

One of the reasons for starting out small is “it gives us feedback. In 2014 when the new test is introduced it will only be delivered by computer, and we wanted to do it (computerized testing) now to make sure it is all running smoothly,” Jennings said.

GED is working with a company called Pearson Vue as its technical partner. Pearson put the pencil and paper test into a computerized version.

Bopp said the Valley City center has also been accepted as a testing center by Pearson Vue, meaning other computerized tests the company handles will be given in Valley City. “We’ve given a lot of tests to people in Grand Forks and Fargo.”

http://www.times-online.com/content/vc-second-nd-location-computer-geds