TY  - JOUR
AU  - Heckman,James J.
AU  - Humphries,John Eric
AU  - LaFontaine,Paul A.
AU  - Rodriguez,Pedro L.
TI  - Taking the Easy Way Out: How the GED Testing Program Induces Students to Drop Out
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 14044
PY  - 2008
Y2  - May 2008
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14044
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14044.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
James J. Heckman
Department of Economics
The University of Chicago
1126 E. 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Tel: 773/702-0634
Fax: 773/702-8490
E-Mail: jjh@uchicago.edu

John Eric Humphries
Department of Economics
The University of Chicago
1126 E. 59th Street
Chicago  IL  60637
E-Mail: johnerichumphries@gmail.com

Paul A. LaFontaine
NORC
1155 E. 60th Street
Chicago  IL  60637
E-Mail: plafonta@gmail.com

Pedro L. Rodriguez
Center for Social Program Evaluation
1155 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL  60637
E-Mail: pedrolrs@uchicago.edu
AB  - The option to obtain a General Education Development (GED) certificate changes the incentives facing high school students. This paper evaluates the effect of three different GED policy innovations on high school graduation rates. A six point decrease in the GED pass rate due to an increase in national passing standards produced a 1.3 point decline in overall high school dropout rates. The introduction of a GED certification program in high schools in Oregon produced a four percent decrease in high school graduation rates. Introduction of GED certificates for civilians in California increased the high school dropout rate by 3 points. The GED program induces students to drop out of high school.
ER  -