Adult Basic Education Definitions
ABE - Adult Basic Education serves adults over the age of 16, not currently enrolled in school, and functioning at or below the 12th grade level. It enables them to gain the basic literacy skills necessary to function in family and society; to continue their education to at least the level of a high school diploma; to secure needed training and education to become more employable, productive, and responsible citizens; and to learn to speak, understand, read, and write English as a second language. ABE is grant funded through the Idaho Division of Professional Technical Education and ISU.
ESL - English as a Second Language teaches English to people who have a first language other than English. This program is designed to give conversation and survival skills to the students. When their English level is high enough, they are mainstreamed into regular ABE/GED classes.
GED - General Educational Development is a series of five tests developed to judge when skills are equal to high school completion. The test is normed against high school seniors during the two years prior to adoption. The scores required to pass the GED in Idaho would not be achieved by 1/3 of the high school seniors.
State of Idaho Equivalency Certificate is equivalent to a diploma issued by a high school district. It requires one credit in government and passing the GED Tests. The government credit can be obtained from previous attendance at a high school, a single test at the Counseling and Testing Center, or studying at Adult Basic Education and passing a test of 25 sections with no score below a 70.