Wyoming Approves ETS's HiSET® Program for High School Equivalency

Joins growing number of states offering the affordable, accessible alternative to the GED® test

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wyoming has become the ninth state to choose the HiSET® program for high school equivalency testing, which provides an accessible, affordable alternative to the GED® test for states, educators, test takers and test center administrators.

Wyoming is the ninth state that will begin using the HiSET program, which offers paper-based testing in addition to computer-based testing to serve a greater number of candidates.

The announcement follows adoption of the HiSET test by Montana, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada and Maine during the last several months. The number of states, educators, policymakers and employers looking for a high school proficiency exam replacement that includes elements that are critical to providing out-of-school youth and adults with proof of their readiness for higher education or the workplace is expected to grow. 

Wyoming's Department of Education concluded that the addition of the HiSET test to the Wyoming High School Equivalency Certificate (HSEC) Program adds value and testing options for their students. Testing centers across the state, however, will decide for themselves which of the authorized assessments to offer in 2014 and beyond.

"We believe students seeking a particular assessment to complete their HSEC will find Wyoming has created an inclusive environment with as many options as possible," said Troy Tallabas, Wyoming HSEC Program Manager.

Developed by nonprofit Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the University of Iowa's Iowa Testing Program (ITP), the HiSET exam covers the same content areas as the current GED® test, and will be accepted by institutions in the same way; however, the HiSET program's advantages include:

• Affordable test fee to keep this valuable credential accessible for candidates, states and educational programs
• Up to two retests within 12 months at no additional cost
• Flexibility with the use of existing test centers, test prep and curricula
• English and Spanish versions of the test
• Computer-based and paper-based testing options
• Test design and validation by experts in assessment development for fair and reliable results

"ETS and ITP welcome the inclusion into Wyoming's High School Equivalency Certificate Program and we look forward to serving the state and its candidates," said John Oswald, Vice President and General Manager, K–12 Student Assessment Programs, ETS. 

"The Phase 1 HiSET test, which will launch in January will be compatible with current instructional materials used for high school equivalency assessment," added Oswald. "It will measure the more rigorous college- and career-readiness standards that most states will use beginning in 2014–2015, such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in reading, writing and mathematics as well as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)."  

The Phase 2 HiSET test will align even more fully with the CCSS and NGSS once instructional programs for those standards are developed and instructional providers learn how to teach to the new standards. ETS and ITP will work with the states in designing the Phase 2 assessments.

For more information about the ETS HiSET program, please visit http://hiset.ets.org/.

About ETS

At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC ® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

*GED is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education.

SOURCE Educational Testing Service

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