High School Equivalency Students in Workforce Education: A Two … · 2019-10-17 · High School Diploma vs. High School Equivalency (HSE) 6 High School Diploma •~18 years old •Fewer

High School Equivalency Students in Workforce

Education: A Two-Year Study

Kevin M. Williams

Educational Testing Service

National Council for Workforce Education2019 ConferenceSan Antonio, TXOctober 8, 2019

Outline

• Importance of high school education in the workforce

• Distinguishing high school equivalency (HSE) earners from traditional high school graduates

• HSE earners’ workforce education experiences

• HSE earners’ workforce experiences

• Employers’ skill expectations of high school-educated employees

2

Importance of High School Education in the Workforce

No formal educational credential

13%

High school diploma or equivalent

42%

Some college, no degree< 1%

Postsecondary nondegree award, 6%

Associate's Degree6%

Bachelor's Degree21%

Master's degree4%

Doctoral or professional degree, 8%

3

All U.S. Jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20163


4

No formal educational credential

13%

High school diploma or equivalent

27%

Some college, no degree, 0%

Postsecondary nondegree award, 13%

Associate's Degree, 7%

Bachelor's Degree

10%

Master's degree

20%

Doctoral or professional degree, 10%

30 Fastest Growing U.S. Jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016

4


5

U.S. Population

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017

Less than High School Diploma

11%

High School Diploma or Equivalency

29%

Some College, No Degree

19%Associate's

Degree10%

Bachelor's Degree

20%

Graduate or Professional

Degree11%

5

High School Diploma vs. High School Equivalency (HSE)

6

High School Diploma

• ~18 years old

• Fewer family responsibilities

• Less work experience

High School Equivalency

• e.g., GED, HiSET, TASC, etc.

• Older individuals

• More family responsibilities

• More work experience

High School Equivalency Earners in Workforce Education

7

HSE Earners

Workforce Education

7

• Opinions/evidence for HSE’s value is mixed• Hartwig & Sitlington,

2008• Heckman et al., 2010• Jepsen et al., 2016• Patterson, 2013• Tuck, 2012• Tyler et al., 2003

Research Questions:

8

Who are HSE earners?

What postsecondary and workforce decisions to HSE earners make?

What challenges and improvements do HSE earners experience over time?

What are employers’ skill expectations for HSD/HSE employees?

1

2

3

4

Defining HSE Students Using the HiSET

High

School

Equivalency

Test

• 28 states and territories

• 53,255 HiSET completers in 2018

• Students may receive a basic passing score or “College and Career Ready” designation

• Scores align with high school GPA, ACT scores (Klieger et al., in preparation)

9

Reading Writing

Mathematics Science

Social Studies

9

Who are HSE Earners?

16-1824%

19-2945%

30-3919%

40-498%

50+4% Age (Years)


11

Male56%

Female44%

Gender

Mean (SD) Age

= 26.5 (10.0)

Source: Educational Testing Service (2019). N = 53,225.11

American Indian

4%

Asian2%

African American

16%

White51%

Other13%

No response

14%

Race


12

11

Hispanic23%

Non-Hispanic

63%

No response14%

Hispanic Ethnicity

Source: Educational Testing Service (2019). N = 53,225.

What are HSE Students’ Educational and Workplace Ambitions?

• Various reasons for taking HiSET

13

15%

15%

15%

17%

18%

% OF 2018 HISET TEST-TAKERS

Personal Satisfaction

Community College Enrollment

University Enrollment

Getting a Job

Technical School Enrollment

N = 30,292.

13

Our Study Sample

36,834 HiSET Passers

2,577 Replied

1,063 (41.2%) Seeking Postsecondary Education

1,514 (58.8%) Not Seeking Postsecondary Education

14

14

Sample Demographics

Postsecondary Enrollment? Total

Yes (N = 1,063) No (N = 1,514) N = 2,577

Gender

Male 27.4% 38.4% 33.8%

Female 72.6% 61.6% 66.2%

Age (Years)

18 5.1% 5.1% 5.2%

19-24 43.2% 41.1% 42.4%

25-29 19.2% 19.0% 19.3%

30-39 22.4% 22.5% 22.7%

40-49 8.0% 7.4% 7.7%

50+ 2.1% 4.8% 3.7%

15

Sample Demographics

Postsecondary Enrollment? Total

Yes (N = 1,063) No (N = 1,514) N = 2,577

Race/Ethnicity

African-American 19.4% 10.9% 14.4%

Asian 2.6% 1.5% 2.0%

Latin-American 14.8% 15.4% 15.1%

Native American 2.0% 1.7% 1.8%

White 48.7% 60.2% 55.4%

Multiracial 11.2% 9.6% 10.2%

Other 1.4% 0.7% 1.0%

16

HSE Students’ Academic Knowledge

61%

80%

84%

57%

48%

43%

36%

39%

20%

16%

43%

52%

57%

64%

WRITING - MC

WRITING - ESSAY

WRITING

MATH

SCIENCE

READING

SOCIAL STUDIES

Basic Pass CCR

17

17

HSE Earners’ Vocational Interests

• Interests predict job performance, training performance, fewer turnover intentions and less actual turnover

• e.g., Van Iddekinge et al., 2011

• May be stereotypes that the HSE population has a restricted set of vocational interests (e.g., “blue collar” jobs)

• Do workforce education and job opportunities match HSE earners’ interests?

18

RIASEC Interests Model

e.g., Holland (1997).

19

• Practical, “hands-on”Realistic

• Scholarly, scientificInvestigative

• Creative, unconventionalArtistic

• Teaching, caregivingSocial

• Influential, entrepreneurialEnterprising

• Structured, routineConventional

RIASEC:HSE vs. Community Norms

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Enterprising Conservative

MIN

I-IP

HIG

H P

OIN

T C

OD

E (%

)

HSE Community

20

****

** **

**

*

Note. HSE N = 1,516; Community N = 574 (Rounds et al., 2016; Sample 2). ** = p < .01, * = p < .05.

HSE Students’ Personality

• Personality predicts academic and workplace success (e.g., Barrick & Mount, 1991)

• Surveys show employers value certain personality traits (e.g., initiative, work ethic; NACE, 2018)

• Some researchers argue that high school dropouts score lower on desirable certain personality traits and related behaviors (e.g., conscientiousness, study skills; Heckman et al., 2010)

• Employers may have stereotypes about HSE earners’ personalities

21

HEXACO Personality Model

e.g., Ashton & Lee, 2007; 2009

22

• Sincere, loyal, modestHonesty-Humility

• Oversensitive, sentimental, anxiousEmotionality

• Outgoing, sociable, activeExtraversion

• Patient, tolerant, lenientAgreeableness

• Organized, diligent, preciseConscientiousness

• Intellectual, creative, innovativeOpenness to Experience

HEXACO:HSE vs. College Students

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Honesty-Humility Emotionality Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Openness toExperience

HEX

AC

O-6

0 M

EAN

SC

OR

E

HSE College

23

****

* **--

Note. HSE N = 1,516; College N = 1,126 (hexaco.org). ** = medium difference, * = small difference, -- = no difference (Cohen, 1988).

Empowering HSE Earners

HSE earners reported that they developed various academic and personal skills simply by preparing for and writing the HSE test:

24

Yes, academic skills and/or

personal skills76%

No14%

Unsure10%

Top skills include:

• Everyday Math – 68%

• Goal Setting/Aspirations – 68%

• Planning When Writing – 64%

• Reading Speed/Fluency – 61%

• Adaptability – 59%

• Problem Solving – 59%

HSE Earners’ Experiences:Postsecondary Workforce Education

Which Postsecondary Paths are HSE Passers Choosing?

Of those passers seeking post-secondary education:

26

CTE (Non-Associate's)

14%

Community College

74%

4-year College

12%

N = 1,063.

26

What Programs are HSE Students Choosing?

6%

6%

6%

13%

30%

UNDECIDED

PSYCHOLOGY

COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, AND MARKETING

HEALTH AND RELATED PROFESSIONS

27

27N ≈ 787.

Year 2 Postsecondary Persistence Rates

Enrolled in Postsecondary

Institution31%

Enrolled and Employed

43%

Employed18%

Not Enrolled or Employed

8%

28N ≈ 787.

Why are HSE Students Dropping Out of Postsecondary Institutions?

29

10%

10%

17%

18%

20%

33%

53%

58%

CHANGED CAREER PLANS

POOR ACCESS TO PROGRAMS

LACK OF CHILDCARE

FINANCIAL AID ISSUES

NEEDED A BREAK FROM SCHOOL

COULDN'T AFFORD SCHOOL

WORK CONFLICTS

FAMILY OR PERSONAL PROBLEMS

29

HSE Earners’ Experiences:Workplace

What about HSE Students who Don’t Enroll in Postsecondary Institutions?

34%

30% 29%

9%7%

< 1%

Wanted to work Familyresponsibilities

Too expensive No interest Didn't see value Not admitted

HSE Students’ Reasons for Not Enrolling in

Postsecondary Institutions

31N = 1,514.

HSE Earners Who Did Not Enroll in Postsecondary Institutions

Employed58%

Unemployed/ Looking For

Employment20%

Unemployed/ Not Looking for

Employment13%

Student4%

Other5%

32N = 1,514.

HSE Earners’ Employment Industries

4%

4%

4%

6%

6%

6%

8%

13%

14%

17%

BUILDING AND GROUNDS CLEANING/MAINTENANCE

MANAGEMENT

CONSTRUCTION AND EXTRACTION

PRODUCTION

PERSONAL CARE AND SERVICE

TRANSPORTATION AND MATERIAL MOVING

HEALTHCARE SUPPORT

FOOD PREPARATION AND SERVING RELATED

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

SALES AND RELATED

33

N = 1,398.

HSE Earners’ Job Outlook

Other Job28%

Bright Outlook Job72%

34

N = 1,375.

Financial Benefits of Obtaining HSE

• 26.4% of participants reporting an overall increase in household income after obtaining their HSE

Before Obtaining HSE

After Obtaining HSE

35

$1.35

$1.67

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Ho

url

y In

com

e In

crea

se (

$)

Before Earning HSE to Year 1 Year 1 to Year 2

26.9%

21.3%19.9%

Participation in Public Assistance

Before ObtainingHSE

Post-HSE Year 1

Post-HSE Year 2

National Average: 21.3%

$3.02

Improvements in Job Characteristics after Obtaining HSE

41%

46%

50%

51%

53%

60%

64%

Location

Benefits

Hours

Use of my Experience/Education

Work Environment

Pay

Overall

36

N ≈ 1,349.

Employers’ Expectations of High School Graduates and HSE Earners

Identifying Employer Expectations

• Researchers often use surveys (e.g., NACE, 2018)

• Criticisms:

• Small sample size

• Low response rates

• Self-selection bias

• Non-representative

• Subjective

• Response: Webscraping online job advertisements

• Larger sample

• More representative

• Reflects actual recruitment practice

38

Webscraping Study

• Collected over 400,000 online job ads (e.g., Careerbuilder.com)

• Identified jobs that require a high school diploma or equivalency

• Research Questions:

1. What skills do employers expect of individuals with a high school education?

2. How do these skills compare to those expected of college graduates?

39

Employer Expectations: Results

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

TIME MANAGEMENT

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

SERVICE ORIENTATION

SELF-DIRECTION

PROFESSIONALISM

PROBLEM SOLVING

ORAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICS

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COLLABORATION

ADAPTABILITY

% of Postings

High School

Postsecondary

40

Note. # of Job Postings: HS = 68,505; Postsecondary = 141,941. Postsecondary results source: Rios et al. (in press).


0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40


TIME MANAGEMENT

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

SERVICE ORIENTATION

SELF-DIRECTION

PROFESSIONALISM

PROBLEM SOLVING

ORAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICS

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY


COLLABORATION

ADAPTABILITY

% of Postings

High School

Postsecondary

41

HS ≈ Postsecondary

5%

4%

5%

18%

5%

14%

2%

3%

5%

7%



0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40


TIME MANAGEMENT

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

SERVICE ORIENTATION

SELF-DIRECTION

PROFESSIONALISM

PROBLEM SOLVING

ORAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICS

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY


COLLABORATION

ADAPTABILITY

% of Postings

High School

Postsecondary

42

HS > Postsecondary

1%

4%

32%

35%



0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40


TIME MANAGEMENT

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

SERVICE ORIENTATION

SELF-DIRECTION

PROFESSIONALISM

PROBLEM SOLVING

ORAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICS

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY


COLLABORATION

ADAPTABILITY

% of Postings

High School

Postsecondary

43

HS < Postsecondary


10%

22%

9%

19%

27%

12%

23%

3%

10%

12%

1%

3%

0%

8%

Conclusions and Future Directions

Conclusions

• HSE earners:• Are older than traditional HS grads

• May need support with writing skills

• Have diverse vocational interests

• Score high on measures of Honesty-Humility, Conscientiousness

• Report various skill gains over time

• Postsecondary workforce education:• Gravitate towards community college; healthcare

programs

• High persistence rates

• Occupational, family obligations

45

45

Conclusions

• Workplace experiences:• Diverse employment industries

• Optimistic job outlooks

• Financial, job satisfaction gains

• Employer expectations of HS grads:• Fewer soft skill expectations overall

• Professionalism, customer service skills most highly valued

46

46

Future Directions

• Additional HSE assessments

• Alternative vocational interest models

• Training efficacy studies

• e.g., pre-post changes; experimental designs

• High school diploma vs. HSE:

• Direct comparisons (personality, interests, demographics, etc.)

• Employer expectations, biases

• “Professionalism” is…???

• How is professionalism assessed/taught?

• K-12/Adult education implications

• Additional noncognitive skills?

47

Ashton, M.C., & Lee, K. (2007). Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model of personality structure. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11, 150-166.

Ashton, M.C., & Lee, K. (2009). The HEXACO-60: A short measure of the major dimensions of personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 340-345.

Barrick, M.R., & Mount, M.K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44, 1-26.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016). Employment projections. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm

Educational Testing Service. (2019). 2018 annual statistical report on the HiSET exam.Princeton, NJ: Author.

Hartwig, R., & Sitlingon, P.L. (2008). Employer perspectives on high school diploma options for adolescents with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 19, 5-14.

Heckman, J.J., Humphries, J.E., & Mader, N.S. (2010). The GED (Working paper 16064).Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Hexaco.org. (2019; August 23). Descriptive statistics and internal consistency reliabilities of the HEXACO-60 scales in a college student sample. Retrieved from http://hexaco.org/downloads/descriptives_60.pdf

Holland, J.L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personality and work environments (3rd ed.). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Jepsen, C., Mueser, P., & Troske, K. (2016). Labor market returns to the GED using regression discontinuity analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 124, 621-649.

48

References

https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm

http://hexaco.org/downloads/descriptives_60.pdf

Klieger, D.M., Williams, K.M., Bochenek, J.L., Ezzo, C., & Jackson, T. Validating HiSET as high school equivalency tests that improve educational, vocational, and quality-of-life outcomes.Manuscript in preparation.

National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2018). Job outlook 2019. Bethlehem, PA: Author.

Patterson, M.B. (2013). Post-GED-credential employment experiences of adults with special needs. Journal of Research and Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary, and Basic Education, 2, 156-169.

Rios, J.A., Ling, G., Pugh, R., Becker, D., & Bacall, A. (in press). Identifying critical 21st century skills for workplace success: A content analysis of job advertisements. Educational Researcher.

Rounds, J., Ming, C.W.J., Cao, M., Song, C., & Lewis, P. (2016). Development of an O*NET Mini Interest Profiler (Mini-IP) for mobile devices: Psychometric characteristics. Raleigh, NC: National Center for O*NET Development.

Tuck, E. (2012). Repatriating the GED: Urban youth and the alternative to a high school diploma. The High School Journal, 95, 4-18.

Tyler, J.H., Murnane, R.J., & Willett, J.B. (2003). Who benefits from a GED? Evidence for females from High School and Beyond. Economics of Education Review, 22, 237-247.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Current Population Survey, 2018 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Van Iddekinge, C.H., Roth, P.L., Putka, D.J., & Lanivich, S.E. (2011). Are you interested? A meta-analysis of relations between vocational interests and employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96, 1167-1194.

49

References

Thank You!Kevin Williams

[email protected]

50

Copyright © 2018 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, MEASURING THE POWER OF LEARNING and HiSET are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). 39649

ETS Acknowledgements:

Jenni Bochenek Gernissia Cherfrere

Steven Holtzman Teresa Jackson

David Klieger Phil Leung

Guangming Ling Lydia Liu

Tao Wang Lin Yang

Documents

High School Equivalency Students in Workforce Education: A Two … · 2019-10-17 · High School Diploma vs. High School Equivalency (HSE) 6 High School Diploma •~18 years old •Fewer