Performance Context: Overview
In contrast to the instructional context that could vary by student, all of your learners regardless of their needs, knowledge level, or instructional context will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge in the some performance context. Performance context refers to both the actual assessment your learners will face to demonstrate mastery of the learning goals, as well as the context in which the assessment will be administered.
Why is Performance Context Important?
For many of our learners, the ultimate objective will be to successfully complete high school equivalency exams, such as the General Educational Development (GED), HiSET, or the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC). Other learners may have different learning objects. Having an understanding of the testing environment, types of exams, examples of questions, and the cost for each exam can help you as the designer and the instructor create and implement lessons and practice assessments to help their learners become familiar with the ultimate performance context.
History of the GED Test
The GED test has been administered for over 70 years. The test originated as a an an alternative way of educating young members of the military returning from World War II. The GED test soon spread beyond service members, becoming a pathway for adults who didn’t finish school to earn a high school equivalency credential and have the opportunity to go to college, trade school, or find a better job.
According to the GED Testing Service, more than 18 million people have passed the GED test. The test is available in 60 countries around the world. Many go on to attend college, find a better job, and support their family with the help of a GED credential. Notable graduates include a U.S. Surgeon General, state governors, members of Congress, college presidents, entrepreneurs, and even a presidential candidate. It also includes local community leaders like teachers, nurses, firefighters, policymakers, and business leaders.
In 2014, the GED Testing Service amended the requirements for the GED test from the former 2002 version. The new GED test aligns with the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) released in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education as a guide for adult education programs that prepare learners for post-secondary college and career training. As we will cover in detail in Module 2, the CCRS were crafted to dovetail with the K12 Common Core Standards.Please watch this brief video (3:16 minutes) from the GED Testing Service that describes the goal to transform the GED from a high school equivalency certification into a lifelong learning opportunity.
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Other High School Equivalency Pathways
While the GED is a popular path to achieve high school equivalency, it is not an adult learner’s only option. At the same time the GED test was changed in 2014, two alternative tests were developed by other organizations. Like the GED, the following high school equivalency test alternatives focus on competency in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies:
- The HiSET exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service and Iowa Testing Programs. The HiSet website maintains a list of the U.S. states (currently 15) and territories that have approved the test since its inception in 2014.
- The Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam is administered by Data Recognition Corporation | CTB (formerly of McGraw Hill). With far less reach than the GED test, the TASC Test was passed by 22,334 students in 5 states, as reported in the TASC 2014 Annual Statistical Report.
In addition to these exams, other paths to high school equivalency may be available to adult learners in the states where they reside. For example, the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) is an alternative option for adults to earn a high school diploma, as is the State of Washington’s High School 21+ competency-based high school program offered in the state’s community and technical colleges.
Before we move on …
Before going further, please visit the GED website and take a few notes about how and where a learner might take one of the exams. How could you utilize what you know about the performance context when designing instruction for you learners? Take a moment and visualize a time that you had to take a standardized test (e.g., ACT, SAT, Praxis, etc.). What was the testing environment like? Did you have a strategy going into the test? How did you feel before, during, and after the tests?
