Adult education programs statewide set a new milestone in 2008, recording the highestever passing rate for students seeking a high school equivalency diploma.

Cherokee County had the state’s third-highest passing rate with 83 percent of students passing the General Educational Development (GED) test. The South Carolina passing rate of 73.1 percent on the GED matched the national average for the first time.

Students attend adult education programs to prepare for the national GED exam. These tests measure the general knowledge and thinking skills needed to receive a high school diploma.

Cherokee Community Learning Center Director Lisa Hannon has noticed a dramatic increase this year in the number of students attending adult education classes.

“Our morning classes are full this year,” Hannon said. “We have gone to a more direct approach where teachers are standing up and teaching classes instead of students working on their own. We believe this will help our pass rates.”

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex announced the state’s newest GED figures Thursday at a press conference in Columbia.

The state’s passing rate now ranks 32nd among the 50 states and District of Columbia. Iowa has the highest rate at 99 percent, while New York is last at 59.7 percent.

The State Department of Education plans to push legislation that would aid test candidates by paying the $80 GED fee, Rex said. The benefit would be available to adult education students who earn qualifying scores on GED practice exams.

“This incentive has an estimated cost of about $400,000, but it would boost our passing rate because the more candidates are familiar with the tests, the more likely they are to do well,” Rex said.