Adult Education

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program is designed to help individuals who want  to improve their basic skills in reading, writing, math, and speaking that help them strengthen their reading levels, or provide them with important life skills. ABE teachers provide direct instruction in these subject areas:

1. Workforce readiness
2. Study skills
3. Test-taking strategies
4. Math competency
5. Academic vocabulary development
6. Writing proficiency
7. Reading comprehension

• Be sure to provide a current phone number and email, or any changes, for communication. If you do not have an email address, program staff will help you obtain one.
• Instructors are here to help you. You will need to meet with an instructor to devise a plan that best meets your end goal.
• Computers are available, in the main office, during or off-class hours, if needed. Equipment is expensive so a use agreement must be signed.
• Adult Ed classrooms are work spaces and must be kept quiet so that others can get their work done. You cannot be accompanied in class, nor are visitors allowed during class hours.

The Gilroy Adult Education Diploma program works with students of any age (older than 17) at any level to complete their standard diploma. Working with Cyber High allows students the flexibility to work at their own pace. Students can do their work from home or any environment that best suits their needs.

Norms & Expectations

• Be sure to provide a current phone number and email, or any changes, for communication. If you do not have an email address, we can help you obtain one.
• If you are not directly coming from Gilroy Unified School District, we will need a copy of your academic transcripts and a picture I.D.
• Instructors are here to help you. Students need to speak with an instructor to plan out the best schedule to help meet your end goal.
• Online Cyber High or Edmentum activity attendance is needed regular basis. You will be dropped from the program after 30 days of non-participation.
• Cyber High can also be used for communications to let the instructor know of any issues or problems you may have in course studies.
• Proof of enrollment verification letters are provided only after completion of 60 hours of work assignments, thereafter attendance verification is provided only for current activity.
• Diplomas are presented during a graduation ceremony at the end of the school year to students who have completed the standard required credits.

The HiSET, GED (General Educational Development), and T.AS.C.(Test Assessing Secondary Completion) exams provide an opportunity for adults who did not graduate from high school to show that they have the same level of knowledge and skills as 60 percent of graduating high school seniors. Students who pass the exam receive a high school equivalency diploma that can be used to apply for post-secondary study or entry-level employment in a variety of fields.

More than 98 percent of colleges and universities accept the HSE for admission and 96 percent of employers accept it for those positions requiring a high school-level education. An HSE certificate can also be used to gain entry into the military. More than 17 million people have earned their HSE since 1942.

California requirements for the HSE

• To take the exam in California, you must be a resident of the state.
• There is no wait period to retake the test should you fail.
• Those who pass the exam will be awarded a California High School Equivalency Certificate.
• Minimum score requirements are 410 on each subject test and 2250 on the full test battery.
• Test-takers must complete the exam within the timeframe provided for each section of the exam.
• Retest fees approximately $25 per subject area test retaken. Candidates may retake the test in the failed subject before completing the entire exam.
• The exam is offered in English, Spanish and French.

The HSE exams are composed of five subject tests

1. Mathematics 
2. Language arts, reading
3. Language arts, writing, parts I & II (essay)
4. Science
5. Social studies

Test Scores

• The test score provides an indication of a test-takers academic knowledge in each of the above-noted subject areas as compared to that of recent high school graduates. Performance on each of the five subject area tests is scored in two ways: as a "standard score" ranging from 200 to 800 on each subject area test and as a " percentile rank" in the range of 1 to 99.
• The standard score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly. Every question is worth one point if answered correctly and zero points if answered incorrectly. The Language Arts­ Writing test is based on a combination of scores from Part 1 (multiple choices) and Part 2 (essay component).
• The percentile rank indicates the percentage of graduating seniors who earned scores below yours. For example, if your test score is 600 on the social studies subject test with a percentile rank of 50, this means that 50 percent of graduating high school seniors earned a score below 600.
• The pass rates allow test-takers to make up for one area of weakness by strong performance in another; e.g. a lower score in science may be made up for by a high score in social studies and result in an overall passing score.