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BILL: HB 325
DATE: January 29, 2025
POSITION: Support
COMMITTEE: House Ways & Means Committee
CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM
The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all
twenty-four public school superintendents, supports House Bill 325.
This bill requires the Maryland Department of Labor (MD Labor) to allow an individual to take all components of high school diploma by examination (e.g., GED) in the same language from the English or Spanish language examinations offered by MD Labor. MD Labor must identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the GED and study the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional languages.
Local superintendents strongly support this legislation’s move towards a more equitable
opportunity for Spanish-language GED test takers. The current requirement that the Reasoning Through Language Arts section of the GED be taken exclusively in English creates an unnecessary and significant obstacle for individuals who are otherwise capable of passing the GED exam.
Unfortunately, while forward-focused on so many aspects of public education, Maryland is the only state that still mandates passage of this English-only portion of the GED. Distressing data in Montgomery County revealed the inequities of this policy with students repeatedly failing this portion of the tests but passing other components of the test, in their native language, with much more success.
Proponents of the English-only option argue that it is necessary for the test taker to demonstrate English proficiency, but this proficiency is not an explicit requirement for the GED. It is important to acknowledge that language development is an ongoing process that can continue effectively as these individuals join and contribute to the workforce.
For these reasons, PSSAM supports House Bill 325 and kindly requests a favorable
committee report.
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