Kentucky students on the verge of dropping out of high school may soon be eligible to earn a General Educational Development certificate before formally leaving school.
The Kentucky state board of education unanimously approved plans Oct. 7 to expand eligibility for the state’s GED program to anyone who is older than 16 and is falling short of meeting graduation requirements. Participants in the program would still need to take the state’s high school tests to earn a GED.
For the new regulation to take effect, a legislative committee must give its approval. The committee will hold a hearing on the plan next month and is expected to vote on it early next year, said Lisa Y. Gross, a spokeswoman for the state education department.
If approved early next year, the new rules would take effect at the start of the 2005-06 school year, Ms. Gross said.