News
Students Hurry to Finish GED® Test Before It Changes in 2014
Post date: Friday, May 24, 2013 - 12:54pm
The following article was published by News For You Online on April 3, 2013.
Are you working toward passing the GED test? You might want to finish soon. The test will change next year.
The GED test now has five parts. People will have to start over if they do not pass all five parts this year. The new test will be used starting on January 2, 2014.
The GED test measures adults’ skills and knowledge. Passing the test is like getting a high school diploma.
Most states have just approved new standards for schools. They are called the Common Core State Standards. They help students get ready for college and careers. The new GED test fits in with the standards.
The new test will have four parts. Writing is not a separate test anymore. It will now be part of all four tests.
Students will have to take the new test on a computer. This year, they can use pencil and paper.
The changes are the first since 2002.
Close to Passing
Joyce Monroe is 24. She has been studying in a GED class in Buffalo, New York. She wants to take the test before it changes. She has taken some practice tests. She thinks she is ready for writing and science. But she needs more work in math.
She needs to pass all five parts by the end of the year. Otherwise, she will have to start over with the new test.
“I’m so close,” she said. “I don’t want to start all over. That would make me drop GED like I did high school.” She wants to show her 5-year-old daughter she can do it.
About 700,000 adults take the test each year. About 72 percent pass it. More than 1 million may take it this year before the changes.
History and Changes
The GED test was first offered in 1942. It was for soldiers who did not get to finish high school.
Armando Diaz works for the GED Testing Service.
“We see that higher ed has new standards,” he said. “The workforce (and) the economy (are) changing.
“We decided it’s time to give the (test) a face-lift,” he said.
There is one more reason to pass the test now. The new test may cost twice as much. Some states will pay part of the $120 cost of the new test.
For more information about the Waukegan Public Library’s resources for GED students, call the Literacy Department at 847-623-2041, ext. 225 or janderson [at] waukeganpl [dot] info (email).
Enjoy Summer Courtyard Concerts Every Friday in June, July, and August
Post date: Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 1:23pm
Starting in June, many Waukegan residents and employees will continue their longstanding tradition of lunching outdoors every Friday during the summer months while listening to free concerts held in the Waukegan Public Library courtyard.
Every Friday from June 7 to August 30, musicians will perform a wide range of musical styles including jazz, rock, folk, and bluegrass from noon to 1 p.m. in front of the library on Clayton and County Streets. If it rains, concerts will move indoors to the Bradbury Room in the library’s lower level. Listeners can bring their own lunch or pick up lunch available for sale onsite from Jerry’s Tacos. Drinks and baked goods are also available for purchase by the Friends of the Waukegan Public Library.
On June 7, the concert series will kick off with a statue dedication of the library’s new courtyard statues. Concertgoers are invited to the dedication, which will take place at 11:50 a.m. in the courtyard, right before Jim Green takes the stage.
The Courtyard Concerts are generously sponsored each year by the Friends of the Waukegan Public Library. This year the concert series is sponsored in memory of Elinor Leech, a longtime friend of the library.
June 7: Jim Green
June 14: The Hollands
June 21: Kraig Kenning
June 28: Jim Jacobs Trio
July 5: The Bruce Williams Band
July 12: Sipos & Young
July 19: Loko Amor
July 26: Banna Irish Duo
Aug. 2: Patchouli
Aug. 9: Montana Skies
Aug. 16: Mike Basa
Aug. 23: The Thomas Brothers Band
Aug. 30: Tony Bernard & The Boppers
To listen to a clip of featured bands, go here. For questions about the Courtyard Concert series, call Rena Morrow, Marketing, Programming, and Exhibits Manager, at (847) 623-2041, ext. 231.
