The Myth of Achievement Tests : The GED and the Role of Character in American Life

Achievement tests play an important role in modern societies. They are used to evaluate schools, to assign students to tracks within schools, and to identify weaknesses in student knowledge. The GED is an achievement test used to grant the status of high school graduate to anyone who passes it. GED recipients currently account for 12 percent of all high school credentials issued each year in the United States. But do achievement tests predict success in life? __The Myth of Achievement Tests__ shows that achievement tests like the GED fail to measure important life skills. James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Tim Kautz, and a group of scholars offer an in-depth exploration of how the GED came to be used throughout the United States and why our reliance on it is dangerous. Drawing on decades of research, the authors show that, while GED recipients score as well on achievement tests as high school graduates who do not enroll in college, high school graduates vastly outperform GED recipients in terms of their earnings, employment opportunities, educational attainment, and health. The authors show that the differences in success between GED recipients and high school graduates are driven by character skills. Achievement tests like the GED do not adequately capture character skills like conscientiousness, perseverance, sociability, and curiosity. These skills are important in predicting a variety of life outcomes. They can be measured, and they can be taught. Using the GED as a case study__,__ the authors explore what achievement tests miss and show the dangers of an educational system based on them. They call for a return to an emphasis on character in our schools, our systems of accountability, and our national dialogue. Contributors Eric Grodsky, University of Wisconsin–Madison Andrew Halpern-Manners, Indiana University Bloomington Paul A. LaFontaine, Federal Communications Commission Janice H. Laurence, Temple University Lois M. Quinn, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Pedro L. Rodríguez, Institute of Advanced Studies in Administration John Robert Warren, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities "Achievement tests play an important role in modern societies. They are used to evaluate schools, to assign students to tracks within schools, and to identify weaknesses in student knowledge. The GED is an achievement test used to grant the status of high school graduate to anyone who passes it. GED recipients currently account for 12 percent of all high school credentials issued each year in the United States. But do achievement tests predict success in life? The Myth of Achievement Tests shows that achievement tests like the GED fail to measure important life skills. James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Tim Kautz, and a group of scholars offer an in-depth exploration of how the GED came to be used throughout the United States and why our reliance on it is dangerous. Drawing on decades of research, the authors show that, while GED recipients score as well on achievement tests as high school graduates who do not enroll in college, high school graduates vastly outperform GED recipients in terms of their earnings, employment opportunities, educational attainment, and health. The authors show that the differences in success between GED recipients and high school graduates are driven by character skills. Achievement tests like the GED do not adequately capture character skills like conscientiousness, perseverance, sociability, and curiosity. These skills are important in predicting a variety of life outcomes. They can be measured, and they can be taught. Using the GED as a case study, the authors explore what achievement tests miss and show the dangers of an educational system based on them. They call for a return to an emphasis on character in our schools, our systems of accountability, and our national dialogue"--From the dust-jacket front flap Modern Societies Rely On Written Tests. Achievement Tests Have Come To Play A Prominent Role. They Are Used To Sift And Sort People, To Evaluate Schools, And To Assess The Performance Of Entire Nations. This Book Evaluates The Predictive Power Of Achievement Tests For Life Outcomes By Examining One Widely Used Achievement Test - The General Educational Development Test - The Ged For Short. The Ged Enables High School Dropouts To Certify High School Equivalency. Currently The Ged Programme Produces Roughly 12% Of All High School Credentials Issued In The U.s. Achievement Tests And The Role Of Character In American Life / James J. Heckman And Tim Kautz -- Institutional History Of The Ged / Lois M. Quinn -- Growth In Ged Testing / John Eric Humphries -- Who Are The Geds? / James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, And Tim Kautz -- Economic And Social Benefits Of Ged Certification / James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, And Tim Kautz -- Military Performance Of Ged Holders / Janice H. Laurence -- Ged Testing Program Induces Students To Drop Out / James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Paul A. Lafontaine, And Pedro Rodríguez -- High-stakes Testing And The Rise Of The Ged / Andrew Halpern-manners, John Robert Warren, And Eric Grodsky -- Fostering And Measuring Skills : Interventions That Improve Character And Cognition / James J. Heckman And Tim Kautz -- What Should Be Done? / James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, And Tim Kautz. Edited By James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, And Tim Kautz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The GED is used to grant the status of high school graduate to anyone who passes the test. Recipients account for twelve percent of all high school credentials issued each year in the US. But do achievement tests predict success in life? This book explores how the GED came to be used throughout the US and why our reliance on it is dangerous.