Second Chance for High-school Dropouts? A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Postsecondary Educational Returns to the GED

Christopher Jepsen, Peter Mueser and Kenneth Troske

Open Access publications from School of Economics, University College Dublin

Abstract: We evaluate the educational returns to General Educational Development (GED) certification using state administrative data. We use fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD) methods to account for the fact that GED test takers can repeatedly retake the test until they pass it and the fact that test takers have to pass all five subtests before receiving the GED. We find that the GED increases the likelihood of postsecondary attendance and course completion substantially, but the GED impact on overall credits completed is modest: The GED causes an average increment of only two credits for men and six credits for women.

Keywords: General Educational Development (GED) test; Postsecondary attendance; Postsecondary credits; Postsecondary course completion; Postsecondary award receipt (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2017-07
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published in: Journal of Labor Economics, 35(S1) 2017-07

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http://hdl.handle.net/10197/9008 Open Access version, 2017 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Second Chance for High School Dropouts? A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Postsecondary Educational Returns to the GED (2017)
Working Paper: Second Chance for High School Dropouts? A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Postsecondary Educational Returns to the GED (2017)
Working Paper: Second Chance for High School Dropouts? A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Postsecondary Educational Returns to the GED (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucn:oapubs:10197/9008

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