Program Length
The following classes are offered at the following CCBC locations: Catonsville, Dundalk, Essex, Owings Mills and Randallstown:
Essentials Skills I: 72 hours, 12 weeks; 2 classes per week / 3 hours per class
Essentials Skills II: 72 hours, 12 weeks; 2 classes per week / 3 hours per class
Essentials Skills III: 72 hours, 12 weeks; 2 classes per week / 3 hours per class
GED Content: 72 hours, 12 weeks; 2 classes per week / 3 hours per class
GED Mathematics: 72 hours, 12 weeks; 2 classes per week / 3 hours per class
GED Content Distance Learning: 60 hours, 10 weeks, 6 hours per week
* Summer follows a shortened session*
Additional Information
Course Substitutions:
Other classes may be offered for skills enhancement if and when the above classes are full:
ADS 269 Comprehensive Math: 60 Hours, $25, partially grant-funded*
ADS 019 Literacy Skills Development: 45 hours, $25, partially grant-funded*
*These classes are supported by grant funding from the Maryland Department of Labor
Course Objectives and Outcomes:
Students will increase their educational functional level in reading, writing and mathematics as they progress through the skill levels. The goal of these classes is for the student to successfully pass all sections of the GED® test and transition to post-secondary education and/or workforce training. All GED level classes will prepare students to successfully utilize technology-enhanced items including drop down boxes, fill in the blanks, drag and drop, hot spot, and extended responses.
Essential Skills I: This course enables the student to learn basic educational skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Learning outcomes include real-life skills, job-related skills, and preparation for further education, including Essential Skills II. Topics include: reading comprehension; language; writing; and basic computation skills.
Essential Skills II: This course enables the student to learn the skills required to develop and review the reading, writing, math, social studies and science skills needed to transition to Essential Skills III. Topics include: reading comprehension improvement; parts of speech; vocabulary; sentence structure; paragraph development; critical thinking skills; decimals; fractions; percentages; and problem solving.
Essential Skills III: This course enables the student to learn the skills required to develop and review reading, writing, math, social studies and science skills needed to transition to the GED course. Topics include: reading comprehension for complex passages; content instruction in science and social studies; essay development; critical thinking skills; and basic algebra and geometry.
GED Content Area Preparation: This course enables the student to learn the comprehension, analysis, evaluation, and writing skills needed to pass the GED test in the areas of reading, science, and social studies. Topics include: interpretation of informational passages; analysis of specific claims in scientific and historical reading; deriving evidence and developing text-based arguments; interpretation of scientific and historical information from tables, graphs, and diagrams; constructing an analytic response using source texts; and completing a timed response. Students will be prepared to successfully answer technology-enhanced items, including: drop-down; fill-in-the-blank; drag and drop; hot spot; and written response.
GED Mathematics Preparation: This course enables the student to learn specific math concepts required to pass the 2014 General Educational Development (GED) Test. Topics include: complex measurement; algebra; functions; patterns; geometry; complex equations; plotting data; use of online calculator; symbol insertion; and word problems. This course prepares the student to successfully answer technology-enhanced items, including: multiple choice; drop-down; fill-in-the-blank; drag and drop; hot spot; and manipulation of both an online and handheld calculator.
GED Content Distance Learning: This course is offered 50% in class and 50% on-line. It is designed to enable students to learn the skills required to pass the Reading/ Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science portions of the GED test. Topics to be covered include using critical thinking skills to read and interpret informational, scientific, and historical passages: identify claims and supporting arguments, make inferences, analyze and summarize passages. Students will be taught to successfully answer technology-enhanced items including: drag and drop, fill in the blank, down-drop, hot spot, and extended response.
Career Opportunities:
Transition to post-secondary training and education support available to all learners.