That's a crisis in the making for tens of thousands of city residents who will miss out on the credential they need to escape poverty in years to come if nothing changes, the study states. It hurts New York's employers, too, depriving them of the skilled workers who can help their businesses thrive.

NYS' switch from the GED to the TASC in 2014 is one reason for the sharp decline.  The TASC is harder and far fewer people are able to pass it.

Literacy New York (LNY) has been watching the situation, realizing the enormity of the problem it causes for all adult literacy and adult education programs. Many students of LNY providers are directly impacted by this newer, harder test—and because the test is so much harder—students need more resources and more instructional time to prepare for the assessment. Already strapped adult literacy providers struggle under the weight of the increased burden, particularly since no additional funding is available to increase the level of services that students need to pass the TASC.

Even further, and as any LNY provider knows, many of the adult learners we serve are unable to participate in high school equivalency classes because their reading levels are too low. That is why the work of LNY and its providers is so important. Our work raises literacy levels so that students can work on their high school equivalency. We want these students to be able to pass the TASC, and are very concerned to hear the results of this study.

As the study underscores, "Obtaining high school equivalency, of course, is no guarantee of an upwardly mobile career. But without it, forget it."

And as the LNY network knows, many times our students have a way to go to even get to the high school equivalency.

The final recommendation is one that Literacy New York has pushed through our entire existence.  "Policymakers need to think bigger — by fundamentally retooling the state's adult education system. Legislators can start by upping the state's investment in its main adult ed funding source, which hasn't seen a funding increase since 1995.

High school equivalency is the first rung on the ladder of economic opportunity. More New Yorkers need to start climbing."

Full article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/adults-stranded-credential-article-1.2994711