Information for School Staff

GED Process Guidelines for Staff: 

1. Meet with the student to determine if they are a good candidate for the GED, considering the following qualifiers: 

• • Ensure that you and the student have discussed all other options, and have deemed the GED as the right direction as a last resort option. 

    • • If you're not sure, please refer to the Re-Engagement Specialist for Dropout Intervention to assist in discussing the options available to the student and creating a plan for next steps (303-921-6787, link to referral form here).

      • Click here for a document that outlines all of the Alternative Education Options to consider. 

  • Students must be 17-years-old to take the GED test and MUST have a government issued ID (passport, Driver's License, Learner's permit).  

    • • If they are not, please refer to the Re-Engagement Specialist for Dropout Intervention to assist in discussing the options available to the student and creating a plan for next steps (303-921-6787, link to referral form here).

      • Under 17 GED Process 

  • GED= High School Equivalency.  Students wanting to get their GED should have attended and obtained the overall high school knowledge necessary to complete high school.  

    • • The knowledge required includes but is not limited to:  Algebra, Geometry, some Chemistry, some Physics and Language Arts.  

      • If a student has not passed these classes, they may not be an ideal candidate for the GED.

      • Please review these guidelines about how to understand Practice Test Scores: Practice Test Score Breakdown 

- If they are a student with an IEP, please reach out to their IEP Case Manager to initiate the GED Protocol for Students with IEPs.  

• • • • The SPED Department has finalized guidelines for students with IEPs who are interested in pursuing their GED, please see this protocol: Process for Consideration of the GED for Students With IEPs . 

      • For those students with IEPs with approval to pursue the GED, and who might need accommodations, the following document will assist in applying for accommodations for the GED Tests: How to Apply for Accommodations  

      • GED Information- Student with an IEP 

2. Do NOT withdraw the student from school. Keep the student enrolled at their home school. 

• Keep the student with an active line of enrollment (LOE). 

• Following the completion of the GED Ready Practice Tests and completion of their GED Orientation Meeting, ONLY REGISTRARS will add the HSED placeholder when advised by the GED Team to do so.

• Students should CONTINUE TO ATTEND THEIR CLASSES until they complete their GED Orientation Meeting. 

• The Student Assistance Department Registrar will then put in a partial/secondary Line of Enrollment until the student completes. 

3. Please be advised that you will remain a vital part of the student's GED process. 

4. Refer the student to the district Re-Engagement Specialist for Dropout Intervention (303-921-6787, link to referral form here). 

4. Re-Engagement Specialist will guide the student to register with the GED Testing Service by creating an account at www.ged.com (using their personal email address-- NOT their dcsdk12 email)-- this will be the students’ start-to-finish tool for the GED. 

5. The student should then take GED Ready Practice Tests through GED.com ($6.99/subject) to determine their readiness to test. 

• They will receive scores of “Likely to Pass,” “Too Close to Call,” or “Not Likely to Pass,” on each of the four subjects. This will tell you whether they are ready to take the final GED Tests or if they need time to study and prepare. 

  • • See the "What Your Score Means" & "Practice Test Score Breakdown" tab below for more information. 

    • If they score “Likely to Pass,” that means they are ready to test, the Dropout Reduction Specialist will connect them to the GED team to schedule their final tests. 

    • Please review these guidelines about how to understand Practice Test Scores: Practice Test Score Breakdown 

    • Students have access to free tutoring in any of the subjects (available in-person or virtually).

    • Whether they need some time to study or are ready to test, they will be connected with the GED Team to schedule their GED Orientation.

6. Final tests: Once the student has scored “Likely to Pass” on all four subjects, the DCSD Testing Center is located at 373 Inverness Pkwy, Suite 201, Englewood, CO 80112. 

• DCSD GED Center covers the cost of all final GED tests for students who test at our testing center. 

• The GED may provide students the opportunity to test online, but we strongly recommend that students test in-person at our testing center so as to facilitate the best testing environment.  

7. Post GED Support: When finished with all four tests, the student will be able to receive a diploma, and will be able to access a Re-engagement Specialist from the Student Assistance Department for next steps planning.