Case Study: Mason-Lake Adult Education achieves higher retention and faster GED completion with Wonderlic GAIN

Mason-Lake Adult Education - Customer Case Study

Mason-Lake Adult Education, a small public adult learning program in Michigan offering High School Diploma, GED Prep, Adult Basic Education and college transition services, faced a growing problem: stricter GED enrollment rules and rising workplace skill demands left many students stuck below the ninth‑grade reading level. The program also relied on a 33‑year‑old assessment process that produced slow, guesswork‑based placement and delayed instruction.

Switching to the GAIN assessment gave instructors immediate, detailed results and clear skill‑gap guidance, enabling targeted instruction and use of tailored workbooks. In one year the program saw faster progress through educational functioning levels, higher retention and graduation rates (more GEDs than in the previous nine years), dozens of multi‑grade‑level gains, and teachers reporting doubled graduation rates — outcomes the staff describe as “jaw‑dropping.”