W e d n e s d a y, M a y 2 9 , 2 0 1 3
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Rough road to the GED By SYMONE BROWN SNN Staff Writer
The sound of test book pages flipping fills the classroom. Students sit aligned in rows, scribbling on their Scantron slips. In the wooden-top desks sit middle-aged balding men, anxious 20-somethings and a couple of babyfaced teenagers. These people, all from different walks of life, share the same objective: to earn a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. Among the test takers is Wisteria Schneider, 17. On March 27 and 28, Schneider took the GED test at Tomlinson Adult Learning Center, 296 Mirror Lake Drive N. in St. Petersburg. The certification exam was composed of science, math, reading, social studies and writing. “Going into it, I was a wreck,” Schneider said. “I was so nervous.” The test was split into two hour-and-a-half sessions. The first session assessed social studies and science comprehension. The second session was made up of math, reading and writing. You need to pass all the sections with over a 70 percent in order to get the GED diploma. Schneider said after the final test session was over, she walked to her mother’s car feeling relieved. “All I had to do from there was wait and see,” Schneider said. Six months earlier: September 2012 It was only the second month of school and her junior year at Lakewood High School. Schneider’s attendance record noted nearly 20 absences. Her first six weeks report card had straight D’s on it. She said she had lost all motivation. “I keep thinking, ‘What’s the point of going to school if I’m not even trying?’” Schneider said. Her mom took notice of Schneider’s lack of effort in her academics. She let her know alternatives to the high school diploma. “She realized that I was missing school, my grades were dropping and I would complain about school every day,” Schneider said. The first week of September 2012, Schneider went to her guidance counselor and requested a drop-out form. She said she knew from the beginning of the school year that she was going to drop out. “I tried to prolong it and talk myself out of it,” Schneider said. “I kept thinking I would get back in the groove of school again, but I never did.” Schneider joined the 8.1 percent of students who drop out annually in America, according to statisticbrain.com. She went through the standard drop-out process, which includes student counseling and parent conferences with school administration. Lakewood assistant principal Dr. Harriet Davis said that though Lakewood tries to prevent dropouts - for example, by using the NovaNet program for high school credit recovery and counseling - the school tries to make sure the students that do drop out have plans to be successful. “We let them know about all the different paths they can take after dropping out, like learning a trade or attending St. Petersburg College, so they can still be successful,” Davis said. “We don’t want them to drop out but if they do, we want to make sure they have a plan.” Davis also said that fewer than 15 percent of students at Lakewood drop out. Common causes are issues at home and lack of motivation. In early fall, Schneider signed the drop-out permission form and was no longer a student at Lakewood. “The messed up part was that the paper I signed to drop
out said: ‘By signing this paper you understand you have less of a chance of being successful and have less opportunities in life’ right above the signature line,” Scneider said. “But no matter what that little piece of paper says, I’m going to be successful. Believe that.” A new beginning The day after dropping out, Schneider went to the Pinellas Technical Education Centers (PTEC) on 901 34th St. S. in St. Petersburg and enrolled in the GED program. She started her journey to getting a GED by taking the TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) to get accepted into the program. Schneider passed the test, scoring over a 9.0 and joining the 14 other students who were also getting their GED. Schneider said the program isn’t run like a traditional high school but more like a study hall. A computer lab is available with book resources and tutors Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Schneider went to PTEC every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. The students in the program must pass the five preGED tests with a score of 500 or above in order to sit to take the GED test for a diploma. On Oct. 9, Schneider went to the PTEC bookkeeper to schedule a date to take the GED test in March. She said she was worried about the math portion but other than that she was confident about the test. “I’m going to do something to my life. I have a game plan,” Schneider said. The highs and the lows Rather than block schedule classes, extracurricular activities and homework, most of Schneider’s days consisted of sleeping in until noon and studying. Schneider said she battled with boredom after dropping out of school. “In school, I was always doing something, whether it be class or hanging out with friends,” Schneider said. “I’m always bored.” She said the downside of dropping out was losing her social life. Her friends could now be counted on one hand, which is the polar opposite of when she was in school. “I had a lot of friends. I was texting people 24/7. I knew everybody. Everybody knew me,” Schneider said. “But now, I lost all my friends.” She said that once she stopped seeing her “friends” every day, they started to treat her like a stranger. Some of the friends she has left started to drop out, too. Schneider said that she doesn’t want to set a bad example. “It’s bittersweet. It’s nice having someone in the same boat as me, someone I can talk to about it. Since we’re in the same position, we can relate,” Schneider said. “But on the other side it’s bitter because I don’t want to start a trend and have people thinking that dropping out is cool.” She may not have many friends, but the people in her life still support her. Schneider said her family, her mother and her aunt back her in her decision. “My family was cool about it and thought it was the best option. They are happy I’m taking initiative and actually went to PTEC the next day,” she said. Her friends are also in agreement. Schneider’s best friend Allie House, a junior at Lake-
SYMONE BROWN | SNN
Wisteria Schneider dropped out of high school in the beginning of this school year. Since then, she has struggled to complete her GED. wood said she is happy for her. “It’s her life. She has to do whatever makes her happy,” House said. Moment of truth The results of the GED test take three to eight weeks to come back. The first indicator of passing is a big manila envelope in the mail, which will contain a GED diploma. If a student doesn’t pass, they will receive a plain envelope from PTEC. “Even though I knew my results would take weeks to come back, I ran to the mailbox every day since I took the test,” Schneider said. Three weeks after taking the test, Schneider ran to the mailbox as usual. Inside the mailbox: a plain envelope from PTEC. Schneider passed all the sections except math. She failed the math portion by scoring only 5 percent. She said she was saddened and shocked by her math score. “I wanted to break down and cry, but I didn’t,” Schneider said. Schneider then went to Dixie Hollins High to take a refresher course in math and plans to re-take the GED this summer. Currently she is enrolled at the Aveda Institute in St. Petersburg in the 18-month cosmetology school. Schneider plans to become a hair stylist and a makeup artist. Still, Schneider doesn’t regret her decision of dropping out of Lakewood. “I made the best decision for me. … I had my junior year and senior year ahead of me. I only had two more years, but I just couldn’t do it,” Schneider said. “I didn’t want to prolong the inevitable.”.
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