Academic Pre-GED Gap for Spanish Speakers? Plaza Comunitaria!

Around 85% of adults entering or applying to ESL or GED programs are Spanish speakers. Around 75% of them have not completed beyond third grade education. A significant percentage never went to school and do not know how to read or write in their own language.

Furthermore, four out of five youngsters arriving in Texas from Spanish-speaking countries cannot continue their secondary education due to insufficient English to pass the standardized tests. Unless they know about Plazas Comunitaria, the ISDs send these teens and families to ESL and/or (if they are 17+) GED programs instead of the appropriate middle or high school.

Free and open to any native Spanish speaker, the Plaza Comunitaria’s certifications for elementary, middle, and high school levels are fully recognized in Texas as well as the US and all other participant countries.

Objectives: To inform, raise awareness, give contacts and resources about Plaza Comunitaria as a recognized and valid pre-GED educational alternative in Texas, and the United States, and as part of an effective ABE program.

This session will be interactive, and participants will engage in discussions throughout the presentation, covering experiences, information, and resources.

Participants will be provided with information, strategies, and tools for this program, from 19 years’ experience running this program in Texas. With the number of ABE programs closing throughout the state and the country, the possibility to open and run this type of free program is more than ever timely and relevant.

1. After this session, attendees will understand what a Plaza Comunitaria program is and how it provides the pre-GED preparation normally needed to move adult students (including 17 years old) into a GED in a Spanish prep program. Its curriculum is a natural fit for students with an academic background from outside the US.

2. After this session, attendees will have the information and procedure to start or improve, and/or consider setting up, their own Plaza, either independently or as a part of another already active.

3. After this session, attendees will have up-to-date information on the GED testing and preparation requirements in Texas.