New York Education Commissioner John King announced last week that the State Department of Education is contracting with publisher CTB McGraw-Hill to create a New York high school equivalency diploma assessment to replace the General Educational Development (GED) test currently offered in the state.
The change comes as the GED Testing Service rolls out its new assessment with an increased price tag. The New York Board of Regents finds the $120 cost of the new test prohibitive, and believes New Yorkers will be better served by a New York State exam.
The GED was developed by the American Council on Education (ACE), a not-for-profit group. In March 2011, ACE joined with Pearson to form the for-profit GED Testing Service.
"The members of the Board of Regents are concerned with two things: accessibility and rigor. While the GED was run by a not-for-profit, the system worked fairly well, But a Pearson GED monopoly would put our students at the mercy of Pearson’s pricing. We can’t let price deny anyone the opportunity for success.” — State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch
The new test, the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), will be administered by CTB McGraw-Hill’s Online Testing Service. It will reflect changes to New York State learning standards that came with the adoption of the Common Core Standards. The test will be operational by Jan. 2, 2014 and will cost $54.
Test-takers that have already passed a portion of the current GED test must pass remaining portions by the end of the year to earn a GED diploma. Those that fail to complete the GED this year must take the new exam in its entirety.
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