On Thursday, New York became the first state in the nation to drop its GED test, one of the oldest and most well-known high-school equivalency exams, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Education Department officials are now offering an $8.4 million, three-year contract to McGraw-Hill to develop a brand-new, more expensive exam, one that would be administered online and also require approval from the state comptroller.
The change comes as the 70-year-old GED exam has come under intense scrutiny, as academic administrators question its effectiveness in preparing students for advance course study.
The American Council on Education, which offers the exam, already is preparing to give the exam a serious overhaul— one that would make the exam more difficult and better aligned with new academic standards that are being adopted by most states.
The state plans to create a panel to review alternative routes to a high school diploma, such as a portfolio of student work. So if adopted, the new McGraw-Hill test could be one of several options for New York students looking to get a degree.
