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Reprinted from Between The Lines, newsletter of COA.
College of The Albemarle's GED/AHS program set a record for the 1995-1996 school year in the number of
graduates that received high school diplomas. The total number of graduates between June 1995 and May 1996
was 371. The previous record was 332 in 1993-94.
Students are
comfortable
with someone
they
know and
used to..."
The college has been over the 300 mark for four straight years. Ryanee
Whitehurst attributes the rise to several factors including a stable group of
instructors, new positions within the department, and new testing sites.
"We've had a very stable group of instructors with little turnover," Whitehurst
said. "Our instructors are getting people ready to take the test. There are some
that come here that need very little study. Others need more. We instruct
according to people's goals." Whitehurst said shidents begin with a pre-test. If
they do well on Ae per-test, students can set up right away for the first GED test.
Other students need more instruction. Last year, Anne Lennon became COA's full
time GED examiner and Louis Stephenson was designated as an alternate
examiner. Whitehurst said these personnel moves have made it easier on students
to take the tests. "Students are comfortable with someone they know and are used
to," she said. Also, for the first time, tests were allowed to be taken to other test
sites and students were allowed to take tests at multiple sites. "The schedule is more convenient. This year the
tests can be taken to other sites and students can go back and forth between the sites. Students couldn't change
sites in the past." Whitehurst said. "This could speed up the time frame it takes to take the test." For example, a
student could now take one test at the Chowan County Center and take another test at the main campus. GED
test sites include the Chowan County Center, main campus, area prisons, Knotts Island, and the Dare County
Detention Center. "The GED test is normed on high school seniors," Whitehurst said. "So 30 percent of high
school seniors couldn't pass the test."
COA has also been successful on the state's goats for completions. The North Carolina Community College
System goal is to have at least 25 percent of those students initially enrolled to earn a diploma within a year.
The state average is 24.57 percent. COA's average is slightly over 31 percent. That says some good things about
the programs, the instructors, and the students," Whitehurst said.
JtitQf’s /Ificjic: In TtiE fim
Come one, come aU to the
North Carolina State Fair!
Thursday, Octoher 24 is "Winn Dixie Day".
The only admission charge is 5 cans of Thrifty
Maid canned food which will he donated to the
l€>eal food hank. Also on Thursday, John Anderson
will he playing at Dorton Arena at 7 pm. Doors open at
6 pm for this free concert. Additional entertainment for
the night includes the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show at 8:30
pm in the Grandstand (admission fee charged) and
fireworks at 9:45 pm.