Statutory Authority: The provisions of this Subchapter C issued under the Texas Education Code, §7.111, unless otherwise noted.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) shall be the only agency in
Texas authorized to issue a certificate of high school
equivalency on the basis of the General Educational
Development (GED) Tests. Tests shall be administered by
authorized contracted testing centers under applicable state
law and rules of the American Council on Education and the
State Board of Education (SBOE).
Source: The provisions of this §89.41 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.
(a) When authorized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA),
official testing centers shall be established by annual
contract with an accredited school district, institution of
higher learning, or education service center (ESC). The
testing center must be located at a high school in an
accredited district, an adult learning center, an accredited
institution of higher learning, or ESC. The chief
administrative officer of a school, institution of higher
learning, or ESC desiring to provide the General Educational
Development (GED) testing service to residents in the
community must request authorization to do so from TEA. If
the need for a testing center in the location exists, the
appropriate agency official, in writing, shall inform the
American Council on Education that the establishment of an
official testing center is authorized at that particular
institution. The center shall be sent four copies of an
annual contract, together with order forms and other
material, relating to the operation of the testing center.
The contract forms must be signed by the chief
administrative officer of the school, institution of higher
learning, or ESC.
(b) The chief administrative officer of the school, institution
of higher learning, or ESC at which an official testing
center is established must agree to maintain test records
permanently, to provide appropriate storage for restricted
test materials, and to provide a suitable place for
administering the test. Each center is responsible for
selecting and ordering test materials.
(c) The administrative officer of a school district or ESC must
designate a certified counselor, and the administrative
officer of an institution of higher learning must designate
a professional person with a background in testing and
counseling, to serve as chief examiner. The person
designated as chief examiner shall not be involved in
preparing persons for the examinations. The chief
administrative officer must obtain prior authorization from
TEA to change the chief examiner or the location of a
testing center. The person designated as chief examiner must
attend annual training conducted by TEA.
(d) A testing center may transport restricted test material to
correctional facilities, health facilities, or schools if
authorization to do so has been obtained. The chief
administrative officer of an institution housing an official
testing center and the administrator of the correctional
facility, health facility, or school must request
authorization to provide the testing services from TEA. Only
the exact number of tests needed at a test session may be
transported. Testing services at correctional or health
facilities shall be limited to inmates or patients of the
facility, and the tests must be administered by an employee
of the school district, institution of higher learning, or
ESC housing the test center.
(e) The authorization to function as an official testing center
may be withdrawn by TEA when a center has failed to maintain
the integrity of the testing program. The TEA may suspend
testing at a center if restricted test material is reported
missing or if conditions reported by the TEA monitoring
visit indicate that the testing center is in violation of
State Board of Education (SBOE) rules or requirements of the
American Council on Education.
(f) An official testing center may charge a fee for test
administration. The amount of the fee shall be determined by
the administration or board of the school district,
institution of higher learning, or ESC.
(g) The administration or board of an institution housing an
official testing center shall have a written policy
concerning the operation of the center. This policy must
provide that the chief administrative officer or chief
examiner of the testing center shall prepare an annual
report concerning the center for review by the
administration or board of each institution. The report must
include the number of tests administered and fees received.
Source: The provisions of this §89.42 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.
(a) An applicant for a certificate of high school equivalency
shall meet the following requirements.
(1) Residence. The applicant must be a resident of Texas or
a member of the United States armed forces stationed at
a Texas installation.
(2) Age. The applicant must be 18 years old. An applicant
who is 17 years of age is eligible with parental or
guardian consent. An applicant who is 17 years of age
must present written permission signed by the
applicant's parent or guardian. An applicant who is 17
years of age and married, who has entered military
service, who has been declared an adult by the court,
or who has otherwise legally severed the child/parent
relationship is not required to present parent or
guardian permission to be tested. Any applicant who is
at least 16 years of age may test if recommended by a
public agency having supervision or custody under a
court order. Recommendations must include the
applicant's name and date of birth and must be signed
by an official of the public agency having supervision
or custody of the person under a court order.
(3) Educational status. The applicant must not be enrolled
in school and must not have received a high school
diploma from an accredited high school in the United
States. A student who is 17 years of age is eligible to
test if the student has participated in an in-school
program approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to
prepare for the General Educational Development (GED)
Test.
(4) Minimum test scores. An applicant must achieve a
standard score of 40 or above on each of the five
parts of the test and achieve an average standard
score of 45 on all five parts of the test. An
applicant who achieved scores of 35 on each of
the five tests prior to January 1, 1959, or who
achieved 40 or above on each test or a 45 average
on all five tests prior to January 1, 1997, may
be issued a certificate.
(b) Test centers shall verify that any person being tested meets
the eligibility requirements in this section.
Source: The provisions of this §89.43 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690; amended to be effective September 1, 1999, 24 TexReg 386.
Test centers shall require each examinee to present a
driver's license or Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
identification card, or a notarized statement bearing the
examinee's name, date of birth, recent photograph, and
signature.
Source: The provisions of this §89.44 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.
An examinee who fails to achieve a minimum passing score on
one or more of the tests may retest on the tests he or she
failed. A person desiring to retest must wait six months to
do so unless he or she presents a letter from an adult
preparation program or a certified teacher verifying that
the individual is prepared to retest. Each retest must be on
a different form of the test.
Source: The provisions of this §89.45 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.
(a) A physically disabled person who is unable to mark an answer
sheet may be assisted by the chief examiner or proctor. The
examinee must read the questions without assistance and
indicate the answer for the proctor to mark.
(b) A severely handicapped or ill person who cannot travel to
the test center may be administered the tests at home. Prior
approval to transport the tests shall be requested of the
Texas Education Agency (TEA) by the chief examiner.
(c) An applicant who is unable to take the printed form of the
test may be administered a taped version of the test upon
written authorization of TEA. A request by the chief
examiner must be accompanied by certification by a physician
that verifies a medical diagnosis of the disability that
renders the potential examinee unable to take the printed
form of the test.
(d) An applicant who is visually handicapped may take the test
in a braille, large print, or taped version. Versions of the
test in these forms are available from TEA.
Source: The provisions of this §89.46 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.
(a) Test scores shall be accepted as official only when reported
directly by official testing centers, the Defense Activity
for Nontraditional Education Support, directors of Veterans
Administration hospitals, and, in special cases, by the
General Educational Development (GED) Testing Service.
(b) Following review for eligibility and approval, certificates
will be issued directly to clients. A nonrefundable fee of
$10 will be assessed for issuance of a certificate and a
copy of test scores. A permanent file shall be maintained
for all certificates issued.
(c) The certificate of high school equivalency shall indicate
the version of the test taken by the applicant: audiotape,
large print, braille, English, French, or Spanish.
(d) The state GED administrator may disapprove issuance of a
certificate or may cancel a certificate under the following
conditions:
(1) an applicant does not meet eligibility requirements
under §89.43 of this title (relating to Eligibility for
a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency);
(2) the applicant in any way violates security of the
restricted test material;
(3) the applicant presents fraudulent identification or is
not who he or she purports to be;
(4) the applicant uses another person's certificate or test
scores in an attempt to defraud; or
(5) the applicant willingly allows another person to use
his or her certificate or test scores in an attempt to
defraud.
(e) In the case of nonissuance or cancellation of a certificate,
the applicant shall be notified in writing by the GED
administrator that the certificate will not be issued or may
be canceled.
(f) An applicant who has been notified that his or her
certificate will not be issued or may be canceled may appeal
to the state GED administrator within 30 days of receiving
written notification.
(g) If, after further review, the state GED administrator does
not approve issuance of the certificate or cancels a
certificate, this decision may be appealed to the
commissioner of education under Chapter 157 of this title
(relating to Hearings and Appeals).
Source: The provisions of this §89.47 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690; amended to be effective September 1, 1999, 24 TexReg 386.
The commissioner of education shall designate the state
administrator of General Educational Development (GED)
testing and the certificate of high school equivalency
program.
Source: The provisions of this §89.48 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.