PASSING ON G.E.D.

Fewer in NYC take & ace HS-equivalency exam

The number of New York City residents taking and passing the high-school equivalency exam has plummeted, a report reveals.

According to the Center for an Urban Future, the tally of city residents who took the test — considered a critical precursor to stable employment — fell by a startling 43 percent between 2010 and 2015.

Just 14,369 residents sat for the exam in 2015 — down from 25,139 in 2010, the data show.

The number of city residents actually passing the test went from 12,717 in 2010 to just 6,619 in 2015 — a plunge of 48 percent.

“The number of New Yorkers taking and passing the high-school equivalency exam has declined in virtually every corner of the state over the past five years, a troubling development at a time when today’s economy puts a premium on educational credentials,” the report says.

Just 46 percent of city residents who took the test in 2015 passed it, down from an already abysmal 51 percent in 2010.

“Five counties have pass rates below 50 percent, four of which are boroughs of New York City,” the report says. “The lowest pass rate in 2015 was 40 percent in Bronx County.”

The report did not specify reasons for the declines but recom- mended more test-taker recruitment initiatives and improved exam-prep options.

The report noted that the New York State Education Department switched from the General Educational Development (GED) exam to the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam in 2014.

The cost to take the GED — paid for by the state — rose from $70 to $120 per exam, and educators opted for a less expensive alternative. The TASC costs $54 and offers a noncomputerized option.

“Although New York almost certainly did the right thing in replacing the GED, early TASC results suggest that education officials and policymakers in the state need to take additional steps to ensure that many more New Yorkers can earn a high-school equivalency — and with it, a shot at economic opportunity,” the report says.

New York’s results were also grim when compared with other states. Of 17 states to report their passage rates on TASC and another similar exams, New York placed 14th.

“Given the growing expectation among employers that job applicants must have a high-school credential, the outcomes of New York state’s HSE [high-school equivalency] system continue to be cause for concern,” the report says.

Om, my! A frog in Padang, Indonesia, strikes a meditative pose this week. It must be working as the Wallace’s flying frog doesn’t seem to mind a snail crawling on its head. This easy-going frog also likes to get high — up in trees. The species get its name from the frogs’ ability to glide from tree to tree using the black webbing on their limbs.