[AAACE-NLA] GED test in Spanish

[Katy.O'Connell at state.sd.us]

Does anyone know what states offer the Spanish GED?  Would it be easy to
find out?  

 

Katy O'Connell

AmeriCorps*VISTA

Community Literacy Outreach of Northeastern South Dakota

Aberdeen Area Career Planning Center

420 South Roosevelt Street

Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401

(605) 626-2298

FAX (605) 626-2228

katy.o'connell at state.sd.us <mailto:katy.o'connell at state.sd.us> 

 

"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come."
-Sufi Aphorism

 

-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of Kathleen Muro
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 1:44 PM
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] GED test in Spanish

 

The Spanish GED is a big boost in finding a job. Many employers use the GED
as a screening device for job applicants. They often want oral English
proficiency and a GED, and a Spanish GED is no barrier to that. Likewise, an
individual can meet federal ability to benefit standards to get financial
aid to go to college with a Spanish GED.

I think it is a mistake for WIA to refuse to support the Spanish GED. We
have no official language in the US, (so how is this not a violation of
one's rights?) and the existance of the Spanish and French versions of the
GED test is testimony to the large numbers of returning WWII veterans who
were language dominant in Spanish or French. Good enough to die for the US,
but not good enough to get into government-sponsored job training programs?
Doesn't this apply now with our present military involvements? I cannot
believe the military, for whom the GED was created, would be happy with
this.

Here on the border, I was one of the first advocates of Spanish GED and
programs I worked in generated thousands of new GED graduates using Spanish
GED. Before, a Spanish language student would sit in a class for English GED
for several years without ever passing the GED, and usually dropped out in
frustration with nothing. With a Spanish GED program, such a student would
earn a GED in two or three months, and move on to college, ESL, or job
training, with the added advantage that many employers would now take a look
at them for a job, rather than screening them out.

I see this as one more step in proving the irrelevance of most of WIA to the
real world. (It has already been demonstrated that federal job training
programs have no impact on employment and earnings.) It is unfortunate that
Adult Ed funds will be wasted keeping discouraged students in classes for
long periods of time for an English GED, when they could already be moving
on to their next educational or employment accomplishment. Finally, this is
an effective reduction in seat space for everyone else.

One last point: we discovered that it was too confusing for students to
combine Spanish GED with ESL, so we did them sequentially. With the Spanish
GED, attainment was rapid (two to three months) and almost universal, so
earning it was a major ego boost to the student. Given the frustrating task
of learning English, which is a 'long haul' effort, it was beneficial for
students to attain a major accomplishment so quickly.

Kathleen Bombach
El Paso, Texas & Sunland Park, New Mexico



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