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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Employment Plus Program in the Chesapeake(VA)Public Schools by determining the extent to which the program was effective in achieving its goals. Six questions were addressed: (1) What proportion of the students completed in each year between 1991 and 1997 all five parts of the GED test at a passing level? (2) To what extent did the program change the behavior of the students? (3) What pre-employment skills of the students were developed as a result of participation in the program? (4) What employment skills of the students were developed as a result of participation in the program? (5) What basic living skills of the students improved as a result of participation in the program? (6) To what extent did the program provide hope for the students to graduate in the Employment Plus Program? Except for the data on the first question-- the propor- tion of students passing the GED between 1991-97, forty randomly selected students (50 percent) from the 1993-94 school year were the focus of this study. This was the first year that the program was in all five high schools in the school division. Data were obtained through teacher, student, and employer interviews and through a review of written program materials. Data were analyzed thematically and findings were shared through tables and narrative summaries. The researcher reported the Employment Plus Program findings to be (in order of importance): 71.6 percent of the students passed the GED in the years 1991-97, only two students were dismissed for discipline infractions in 1993- 94, four of the Employment Plus students that started working in 1993-94 are still working in the same job today. In the years 1991 through 1996, progress has been made in the number of students obtaining their GED. One year, 1996-97, showed a regression of students obtaining their GED. The researcher concluded as a result of the findings that the Employment Plus Program is meeting the majority of the stated goals. The 1993-94 baseline data should be used for future comparisons. Variables which affect the Employment Plus Program that could be manipulated to increase the number of students in obtaining their GED would be to improve upon the student truancy and drop-out rates. Educators should use this information to continue to help the students obtain their GED in the future. / Ed. D.

In this study, the researcher compared the success of community college graduates who entered college with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma. The researcher used a quantitative analysis method with the existing data of students for three years within a single community college system to answer research questions to determine success of community college graduates who entered college with various high school diplomas or equivalences. The researcher asked four research questions to compare the success of the selected community college graduates: What is the grade point average (GPA) at the end of the first semester, number of credits earned, and graduation rate for community college graduates who entered college with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma? Is the GPA at the end of the first semester for community college graduates who entered college with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma statistically significantly different? Is the number of credits earned for community college graduates who entered with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma statistically significantly different? Is the graduation rate for community college students who entered college with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma statistically significantly different? The researcher’s purpose in this study was to compare the success of community college graduates who entered college with a GED, a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma. In Conclusion 1, the researcher determined that findings from this study show that GED graduates have the least success as community college students with a lower GPA and credit hours attempted than high school diploma graduates, but they do have a statistically equivalent graduation rate of 22.7% compared to alternative diploma graduates of 19.6%. Supporting Conclusion 2, the researcher’s analysis shows that high school graduates are more successful in community college studies with a higher GPA the first semester, more credit hours earned, but a statistically equivalent graduation rate compared to GED graduates or alternative diploma graduates.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that affect whether or not students persist in completion of the GED. Exploration of characteristics of participants that do/do not persist and obtain their GED not only assists the high school dropout, potential GED recipient, and GED program staff, but also society as a whole. More information was needed in order to effectively address issues that adversely affect students enrolled in GED programs at rural community colleges. Therefore, examination of the GED program’s student database contributed in finding factors that both help and impede student success. Factors identified were investigated in an effort to assist in the retention of future participants in the GED program. The subjects of this study consisted of 976 students enrolled in the GED program at a rural community college. The data utilized were archived data, so there was no direct contact with subjects. The data were provided by the GED staff via charts and spreadsheets of student files and records (i.e. demographic sheet information, entry tests-locator test or TABE test, pre-GED testing, exit tests-GED, etc.). A discriminant function analysis was utilized in this study. This was done by weighting the variables and combining them into discriminant functions that separate the groups maximally. The discriminating variables were considered as predictor variables and the group membership variables were considered as dummy criterion variables. Also, a quantitative, non-experimental design was employed to show the direction and magnitude of the relationships between independent variables. The essential features of the design were the abilities to find associations, relate variables, and make predictions. The variables of age, race, gender, employment, public assistance, rural, single parent, and entry/exit levels significantly discriminated into the following groups at a 59.5% rate of accuracy: (1) GED completion, (2) GED continuation, and (3) GED dropouts. Also, age, race, gender, entry level, and rural had a significant impact on persistence/GED completion. With respect to age, it was revealed that older participants were more apt to persist and complete the GED program. White and black participants completed at higher rates than Asian and Hispanic participants. While males completed at higher rates than females. Participants with higher entry levels (4, 5, and 6) completed the program at higher rates. The majority of rural participants completed the GED program.

In January of 2014, GED Testing Services launched the GED 21st Century Initiative, which was comprised of 2 achievement levels: a high school equivalency standard and a college and career readiness standard. One of the most important goals of this initiative and the redesign of the 2014 GED test was to demonstrate that GED test takers are college and career ready. Using a qualitative case study cross analysis research approach focused on two Adult Basic Education (ABE) GED test preparation sites, this study focused on developing a holistic view of the GED 21st Century Initiative by addressing 5 research questions. Emphasis for the 5 research questions focused on the implementation and the impact of the GED 21st Century Initiative, preparation of the students for college and career readiness, technology integration for ABE/GED programs, and professional development for the staff of the ABE/GED programs. Study findings suggested a great need for ABE/GED programs to be restructured to include curriculum development that incorporates Common Core State Standards, Career and College Readiness Standards, computer literacy, and pathways for preparing students to enter into college or into the workforce. Providing pathways that are comprised of a comprehensive approach which includes incorporating several strategies for ABE/GED programs have proved to be a more successful approach to helping students transition to the next level. Another important finding of this study was that the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) assessment provided inaccurate scores of the students’ higher order thinking skills when compared to the 2014 GED test, which caused students to be misplaced in their GED classrooms. One other important finding this study indicated was a continuous need for professional development. Overall, participants thought that the redesign of the 2014 GED test was necessary and they remain hopeful about the benefits of the new test and the possibilities that lie ahead for their ABE/GED programs.

Narrative analysis of high school leavers' individual backgrounds examines both positive and negative reasons that; students terminate their secondary education and experiences, and return to pursue a GED- General Equivalency Diploma. This analysis examines goals for the future of these students including extended education, career choices and family situations. The goals of this study are to determine why informants leave high school before graduation and to examine these reasons across racial, cultural and gender lines. This report analyzes why students returned to receive their GEDs and how they believe the receipt of the GED will affect their goals in regards to education, family and career choices. Five themes about “high school leavers” are evident: Reflection - Why the students dropped out of school; Outside Forces - the negative and positive forces that influence the decisions the student makes; Focus - why the students finally decided to go back to school; Emotion - the role that self esteem played in relation to job status prior to and following the receipt of the GED and finally; Collaboration - the support systems that were available for the individual participants. This research follows the efforts of nine students in their struggle to understand why they became candidates for the general equivalency diploma from their reflection on leaving school, their understanding of the outside forces that aided them in their flight from high school, their focus on opportunities life offered assuming they returned to get a general equivalency diploma, the collaboration of family and friends required to ensure their future success and the overall emotion of achieving the general equivalency diploma that would awaken in them a new reason for life. In the end, it would be the general equivalency diploma that would change them and the lives of their families forever.

This dissertation uses the Latino cultural citizenship framework to show how Mexican immigrant young adults are using the GED classroom to construct, negotiate, and transform their lives in the United States. It examines the educational experiences of Mexican immigrant young adults enrolled in GED classes at Central Texas Community College and specifically documents their motives for enrolling, their educational journeys, the value of the GED, and the impact of the GED program on their lives and on their future aspirations. The significance of this study is that it will give Adult Basic and Secondary Education programs, especially the program housed at Central Texas Community College, an ethnographic snapshot of one of their fastest growing student populations. Latina/o students represent 73 percent of GED enrollment in this program. Although this dissertation only includes a very small subgroup of Latinos, findings will supplement the limited academic research available on Mexican immigrant young adults within the scope of adult education. / text

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Yes / Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for embryonic development and wound healing, and occurs in fibrotic disease and carcinoma. Here, we show that EMT also occurs within the bulge, the epithelial stem cell (eSC) niche of human scalp hair follicles, during the inflammatory permanent alopecia, lichen planopilaris. We show that a molecular EMT signature can be experimentally induced in healthy human eSCs in situ by antagonizing E-cadherin, combined with transforming growth factor-β1, epidermal growth factor, and IFN-γ administration, which to our knowledge has not been reported previously. Moreover, induction of EMT within primary human eSCs can be prevented and even partially reversed ex vivo by peroxisome proliferator−activated receptor-γ agonists, likely through suppression of the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. Furthermore, we show that peroxisome proliferator−activated receptor-γ agonists also attenuates the EMT signature even in lesional lichen planopilaris hair follicles ex vivo. We introduce lichen planopilaris as a model disease for pathological EMT in human adult eSCs, report a preclinical assay for therapeutically manipulating eSC EMT within a healthy human (mini-)organ, and show that peroxisome proliferator−activated receptor-γ agonists are promising agents for suppressing and partially reversing EMT in human hair follicles eSCs ex vivo, including in lichen planopilaris.

This study, a replication of Carbol's (1986), sought to compare GED test performance of first-time GED examinees in Virginia according to the method of testing administration experienced, one day or two half days. Carbol's study was extended to include an examination of how testing administration method affected the relationship of test performance and selected characteristics of the GED examinees (age, gender, race, highest grade completed, geographical location, preparation for the GED and motivations for taking the GED). These selected characteristics were also analyzed for their predictive usage for successful completion of the GED. No significant differences were found with test performance between the two treatment groups either with mean total test scores, pass/fail rate, first and second half of testing, or according to the order in which the five subtests were taken (sequence). Of the selected characteristics of GED examinees examined, testing administration method only affected the relationship of test performance and race of the GED examinees. The method marginally affected the relationship of test performance and age, geographical location and preparation for the GED. The method did not affect the relationship of test performance and any other of the GED examinee characteristics. Those characteristics deemed appropriate predictors of success included race, highest grade completed and preparation for the GED. Two conclusions were drawn from this study. First, the initial testing policy currently utilized in Virginia with respect to method of testing administration utilized does not warrant further review due to the very small difference found between test scores earned in one and two half days of testing. Secondly, counselors should be aware of the various characteristics which might affect test performance and utilize this information in evaluating and updating current screening procedures to assist in advising prospective GED candidates. / Ed. D.