Upon completion of the eighth grade, pupils are promoted to the High School Equivalency Diploma Program. Youths who are 16 years of age but who are not currently enrolled in a neighborhood school are eligible to attend adult education classes provided they present a birth certificate, written parental consent, photo identification, and a letter from the principal of the school last attended recommending that they be permitted to enroll. Youths who have reached their seventeenth birthday must present an official release form from the last school attended , photo identification, and a birth certificate. If out of school over two years, the official release form is not required, but photo identification and a birth certificate is. The High School Equivalency Diploma Program offers a chance to earn a diploma even though a person has full-time family responsibilities.
Adults progress at their own pace and receive individual help with course work.
Anyone who is 16 years of age or older may register at any time during the year. Youths who are 16 or 17 years of age and who are not currently enrolled in a neighborhood school must present a birth certificate, written parental consent, photo identification, and a letter from the principal of the last school attended recommending that they be permitted to enroll. For these adults, free special needs classes are organized in community centers which offer other services to the elderly, adults with disabilities and non-English speakers and in agencies such as hospitals which employ large number of persons who have less than a high school education. For the limited or non-English speakers, classes in English as a second language and the High School Equivalency Diploma Program are offered at several locations. The two major programs offered by the Department of Adult and Continuing Education, the GED and the ABE, are supported entirely by State and Federal funds.