The Performance Context

Overview

All of your learners regardless of their needs, knowledge level, or instructional context will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in some performance context. In contrast to the instructional (or learning) context, the 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.

Some (but certainly not all) learners in adult basic education programs are enrolled in courses as a means of completing high school equivalency exams, such as the General Educational Development (GED), HiSET, or the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC). While other adult learners may have different goals, such as gaining new skills to get a job, let's spend a moment reviewing the performance context of the high school equivalency exams, including the testing environment, types of exams, examples of questions, and the cost for each exam. 

The GED Test

The GED test has been administered for over 70 years. The test originated as 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 Links to an external site., 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 Links to an external site. 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 more detail in Module 2, the CCRS were crafted to dovetail with the K12 Common Core Standards. Please watch this brief video (3:16 minutes) Links to an external site. from the GED Testing Service that describes the goal to transform the GED from a high school equivalency certification into a lifelong learning opportunity.

 

(See Subtitled Video 3:16 minutes) Links to an external site.

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:

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) Links to an external site. 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 Links to an external site. offered in the state’s community and technical colleges.

Want more.pngWant to know more?

If you would like additional information about the GED performance context, please see part M1 of the Supplementary Readings & Exercises section of this course, and review the GED website Links to an external site.. Take a moment and visualize a time when you had to take a standardized test (e.g., ACT, SAT, etc.), and think about the testing environment. Did you have a strategy going into the test? How did you feel before, during, and after the tests? How could you utilize what you know about the performance context when designing instruction for your learners?