Oregon Department of Education - Oregon Achieves Together

GED Testing Policy Changes for Youth Aged 16 and 17

Oregon Department of Education sent this bulletin at 09/19/2023 08:13 AM PDT

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To: Superintendents and Principals, K-12 PIOS, Charter School Leaders
From: Annie Marges, Alternative Education Options Specialist
Date: September 19, 2023
Re: GED Testing Policy Changes for Youth Aged 16 and 17

Dear Education Partners,

We are writing to keep you informed of a recent change to General Equivalency Diploma (GED) testing requirements for youth aged 16 and 17.

In accordance with HB 3068, youth in this age range only need parental consent to take the GED tests, removing the requirement that youth also secure an exemption from compulsory education from their resident district or local ESD.

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) has issued a memo to the GED Testing Service (attached for your reference) notifying them of this change, and will be working to amend related OARs.

We also want to take this opportunity to remind you of other relevant policies related to the GED:

The new law impacts testing only, not enrollment in GED programs.
The GED Testing Service has a process for McKinney-Vento students who may not have a relationship with a parent or guardian to become eligible to test.
Students under the age of maximum enrollment (19 or 21, depending on district policy, special education status, and credential pursued) may continue to be claimed for state school funding after earning a GED, provided that they are working towards a diploma. See the Cumulative ADM Manual for more information.
Districts should collect leaver information on students who withdraw from school prior to becoming graduates, including those who earn or plan to earn GEDs (ORS 339.520).
GED earners may apply for the Oregon Promise Grant. See Oregon Promise FAQs for information on how GED scores are applied to Oregon Promise eligibility requirements.
Students who earn a GED are reported with ADM End Date Code 4E. This code can be attached to a regular enrollment record, if the student earned a GED while enrolled in a public Oregon school district, or to a program type 14 record, if the student was not enrolled. Oregon counts GED recipients (who do not also earn a diploma or transfer out) as completers (not graduates) when calculating cohort graduation and completer rates, and uses data reported in ADM as well as data provided by the GED testing service to calculate those rates.

For additional information or questions, please reach out to Annie Marges at annie.marges@ode.oregon.gov

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