Does Acquisition of a Ged Lead to More Training, Post-Secondary Education, and Military Service for School Dropouts?

36 Pages Posted: 14 Aug 2000 Last revised: 17 Nov 2022

See all articles by Richard J. Murnane

Richard J. Murnane

Harvard University - Harvard Graduate School of Education; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

John B. Willett

Harvard University - Harvard Graduate School of Education

Kathryn Parker Boudett

Harvard University

Date Written: April 1997

Abstract

This paper uses longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine whether acquisition of a GED increases the probability that male and female school dropouts obtain training, post-secondary education, or military service. Random effects probit models are used to account for both the dichotomous nature of the dependent variables and non-zero correlations among error terms pertaining to different years of data for the same individual. We find that acquisition of a GED increases the probability that school dropouts obtain post-secondary education and the probability that they obtain non-company training, defined as training provided by government or by proprietary schools. However, it is still the case that the majority of GED recipients obtain no post-secondary education or training through the age of 26.

Suggested Citation

Murnane, Richard J. and Willett, John B. and Parker Boudett, Kathryn, Does Acquisition of a Ged Lead to More Training, Post-Secondary Education, and Military Service for School Dropouts? (April 1997). NBER Working Paper No. w5992, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=225771

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John B. Willett

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Kathryn Parker Boudett

Harvard University ( email )

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