Introduction.
Section
37-13-92
of The Mississippi Code of 1972 Annotated authorized school districts in
Mississippi to provide a program of General Education Development (GED)
preparatory instruction as a part of the Alternative Education Program. Section
37-35-3
mandates that students who are enrolled in an approved GED program shall not be
classified as dropouts and that the school district will continue to receive
State funding for the students while they are enrolled in the GED Program.
Students placed in the GED Program shall not be eligible to participate in
regular academic courses or other programmatic activities within the school
district, including athletics, choir, band, or any other extracurricular
activities, except that a GED student may participate in existing job and skill
development programs or in programs developed in conjunction with the GED
Program and the Vocational Education Director. Local school districts are also
authorized to contract with a Community College for the purpose of preparing
students for the GED testing process. If a school district contracts with a
Community College to provide a GED Program, the students placed in the program
will be reported on the monthly attendance report of the public school district
of origin and counted in the average daily attendance.
Minimum Guidelines for Implementing a GED Program in
Mississippi School Districts
1. The
GED Program is defined through written policies approved by the local school
board. Approved policies and procedures for the GED Program are published and
available to the public for review. All policies and procedures for the
operation of the GED Program must meet minimum requirements specified in
Section
37-13-92.
Further, the program must meet the requirements and applicable policies of the
State Board for Community and Junior Colleges as stated in Section
37-35-1.
2. Selection procedures shall
ensure that students who enroll in the GED Option will not graduate with their
class because of credit deficiency and are otherwise capable of completing
graduation requirements. Recommendation for student participation in the GED
Program will be made by a committee of school staff consisting of campus
administrators, counselors, classroom teachers, and support staff. Written
documentation of the committee recommendation shall be maintained for each
student. The criteria for student participation in the GED Option Program as
outlined in Section
37-35-3
will consist of the following:
a. The student
must be at least 16 years of age;
b. The student must be at least one (1) full
grade level behind his or her ninth grade cohort or must have acquired less
than four (4) Carnegie units;
c.
The student must have taken every opportunity to continue to participate in
course work leading to a regular diploma; and
d. The student must be certified to be
eligible to participate in the GED course by the school district
superintendent, based on the developed criteria.
Additionally, according to the American Council on Education
(ACE), students that have been referred to the Alternative Education Program
for disciplinary reasons shall not be eligible for placement in the GED Option
Program until behavioral modification goals for exiting the Alternative
Education Program have been attained.
3. The recommendation for placement in the
GED Program must be approved by the superintendent of the school district.
Students shall not be placed in a GED Program prior to obtaining written
parental or guardian consent for placement. Documentation of parental consent
for placement in the program will be maintained for each student. {MS Code
{37-13-92 and 37-35-3}(1972) (ACE Guidelines)
4. American Council on Education recommends
that students demonstrate the ability to perform on the Test of Adult Basic
Education (TABE) at an eighth grade level.
5. Counseling is required prior to enrollment
in GED Option and must be available on a regular basis throughout participation
in the program. Student motivation and individual needs are critical factors to
consider when determining the quantity of counseling services Students should
have access to certified counselors. {MS Code 37-13-92} (1972) (ACE Guidelines)
6. The GED component will remain
under the supervision of the Alternative Education Administrator. {MS Code
37-13-92}(1972)
7. GED Option
should offer a full range of instruction that aligns with the core content
measured by GED Tests. Content will align with high school mathematics,
writing, social studies, reading and science. {ACE Guidelines}
8. To ensure effective instructional
delivery, sufficient instructional resources and qualified instructional staff
must be assigned to instruct and supervise GED classes. According to ACE
guidelines students should participate in the GED academic instructional
program for a minimum of 15 hours each week. Individualized instruction should
be outlined in the student's Individual Education and Career Plan (lECP) and
based solely on the individual needs of the student.
Content should include instructor-prepared material,
standardized GED- instructional material from publishers, instructional
materials from secondary publishers and developers. Workforce development
instruction and activities should focus knowledge, skills, and abilities
required for securing and maintaining employment. GED Option instructional time
and workforce development shall be determined by the district based on the
individualized needs of students. GED TESTING IS SET WHEN A STUDENT HAS STUDIED
SUFFICIENTLY TO PASS.
9. The
student/teacher ratio in the GED Program shall not exceed 15:1 with an
exception of 20:1 when an aide is employed full time to assist the teacher.
{ACE Guidelines}
10. The curriculum
and instructional methodology must address the individual needs of each student
as specified in an Individual Education and Career Plan (IECP) developed at the
time of placement. The IECP committee (the committee should include an academic
counselor, academic teacher, principal, and vocational personnel) will
emphasize academic/instructional needs of the student, job readiness skills,
and work experience options. {MS Code 37-35-3}
11. Under normal circumstances, students
cannot circumvent the State's Compulsory School Attendance Law or receive a GED
certificate/diploma prior to their age equivalent peers. However, students in
GED Option may be eligible to receive a GED equivalency diploma prior to their
age equivalent peers and/or prior to reaching mandatory compulsory school age,
as outlined in Mississippi Code Section
37-13-91,
provided the district in which the student resides is in compliance with the
minimum guidelines for implementing a GED Program in Mississippi School
Districts. Any abuse of this policy (i.e. habitually exiting students early
will result in a review of the district's GED Option program for future
authorization. {ACE Guidelines}
12.
School districts must comply with GED Option testing guidelines provided by the
State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.
13. Evaluation of the student's progress
shall be conducted at regular intervals according to GED policy and the
appropriate records shall be maintained and subject to the Mississippi
Department of Education review. {MS Code §
37-13-92}
(1972)
14. The facility housing the
GED Program shall be commensurate with facilities provided to other students by
the local school district and shall meet minimum accreditation standards for
public school buildings as required in the current edition of the Public School
Accountability Standards. The GED Program shall not be housed in a vocational
facility unless a request for waiver has been granted by the State Board of
Education. {MS Code §
37-13-92
and §
37-35-3}(1972)
15. Two or more local school
districts may form a consortium to provide a GED Program for eligible students.
{MS Code § 39-13-92}(1972)
a. The
consortium formed to provide a GED Program shall be bound by a Mississippi
Board of Education approved contract;
b. The district designated as the lead
district will be responsible for the operation and governance of the program;
and
c. Transportation services
shall be the responsibility of each student's school district of origin.
16. The cumulative
folder and permanent record of each eligible student placed in an approved GED
Program shall remain at and be maintained by the school district of origin. {MS
Code §
37-13-92}(1972)
17. Evaluation of the student's
progress shall be conducted at regular intervals according to GED policy and
the appropriate records shall be maintained and subject to the Mississippi
Department of Education's review. {MS Code §
37-13-92}(1972)
(ACE Guidelines)
18. Appropriate
assessment and evaluation of each student's educational progress shall be
conducted at regular intervals according to established policy approved by the
local school board. Assessment and evaluation records will be appropriately
maintained to ensure individual student confidentiality. {MS Code §
37-13-92}(1972)
19. Data will be collected by the
Office of Compulsory School Attendance annually and reported to the State Board
of Education. {37-13-92} (ACE Guidelines)
a.
The total number of students enrolled in the GED Program;
b. The age range of students enrolled in the
GED Program;
c. The reading level
of students entering and exiting the GED Program;
d. The total number of students successfully
completing the GED Program each school year; and
e. All school districts will complete an
annual report provided by GED Testing Services beginning with the end of the
2009-2010 school year. Reports should be completed and submitted after the end
of each school year but no later than July 31.
20. Students participating in an approved GED
Option program, who are enrolled in subject area courses through January 31 in
a school with a traditional class schedule or who are enrolled in subject area
courses through October 31 or through March 31 in a school on a block schedule,
shall be required to take the end-of-course subject area tests for those
courses in which they are enrolled {MS Code §
37-35-3(1972)
21. GED Option graduates should receive
official school recognition of their achievement. The student who fails to meet
the graduation requirements is not permitted to participate in the graduation
exercises (Accountability Standard 20.4). A separate graduation ceremony should
be held near the same time as the high school graduation ceremony for their
peers. The following students are eligible to participate in graduation
ceremonies:
a. Student receiving a standard
high school diploma. (SB Policies 2902 and 2903)
b. Student receiving a special diploma or
certificate of completion, which states: "This student has successfully
completed an Individualized Education Program." {MS Code §
37-16-11(1)}
c. Student with disabilities
receiving a Mississippi Occupational Diploma. {MS Code §
37-16-11(2)}(1972)
(See Appendix G)
22.
Local school districts that fail to comply with the above requirements will
risk future approval for providing a GED Option Program in their
district.
