Education in the United States

Level/Grade Typical age

PreschoolVarious optional programs Under 6

Pre-Kindergarten 4-5

Elementary schoolKindergarten 5-6

1st Grade 6-7

2nd Grade 7-8

3rd Grade 8-9

4th Grade 9-10

5th Grade 10-11

Middle school6th Grade 11-12

7th Grade 12-13

8th Grade 13-14

Level/Grade Typical age

High school9th Grade (Freshman) 14-15

10th Grade (Sophomore) 15-16

11th Grade (Junior) 16-17

12th Grade (Senior) 17-18

Post-secondary educationCollege or University Ages vary, but often 18–23

Graduate education

Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory. Public education is universally available. School curricula, funding, teaching, employment, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts with many directives from state legislatures. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments.

The ages for compulsory education vary by state. It begins from ages five to eight and ends from ages fourteen to eighteen.Compulsory education requirements can generally be satisfied by educating children in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. In most public and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle school (sometimes called junior high school), and high school (sometimes referred to as secondary education). In almost all schools at these levels, children are divided by age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten (followed by first grade) for the youngest children in elementary school, up to twelfth grade, the final year of high school. The exact age range of students in these grade levels varies slightly from area to area.

Post-secondary education, better known as "college" in the United States, is generally governed separately from the elementary and high school system.

Most children enter the public education system around ages five or six. The American school year traditionally begins in August or September, after the traditional summer recess. Children are assigned into year groups known as grades, beginning with preschool, following by kindergarten and culminating in twelfth grade. Children customarily advance together from one grade to the next as a single cohort or "class" upon reaching the end of each school year in May or June, although developmentally disabled children may be held back a grade and gifted children may skip ahead early to the next grade.

Pres

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lPre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins around the age of four or five in order to prepare for the more didactic and academically intensive kindergarten, the traditional "first" class that school children participate in. Pre-kindergarten is not required. On the other hand, it acts as a way to prepare children to better succeed in a kindergarten (often compulsory in many U.S. states). Pre-kindergarten was also known as nursery school.

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Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old). Kindergarten ("children's garden") is a form of education for young children that serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. Children are taught to develop basic skills and knowledge through creative play and social interaction, as well as sometimes formal lessons.

Elem

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ol An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Primary education still tends to focus on basic academic learning and socialization skills, introducing children to the broad range of knowledge, skill and behavioral adjustment they need to succeed in life - and, particularly, in secondary school. The American educational system comprises 12 grades of study over 12 calendar years of primary and secondary education before graduating and becoming eligible for college admission.

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The first grade is a year of primary education in schools in the United States. It is the first school year after kindergarten. In mathematics students may learn about addition and subtraction of natural numbers, and about measurement. Basic geometry and graphing may be introduced. Clock and calendar time and money may also be in the curriculum. In language first graders are taught the fundamentals of literacy, including reading sentences, writing very simple statements and mastery of the alphabet, building on what the students have learned in kindergarten or other forms of pre-school. In the USA, students are also typically introduced to the concept of social studies with an emphasis on establishing ideas of history or civics in either a personal or in a larger sense. Some states focus on the basics of USA's history and patriotism is taught, with a focus on the founding fathers and the time period surrounding the American Revolution; other states require a social studies focus on family relationships in first grade, leaving community, state, and nation studies to higher grades. Basic geography is also taught in the 1st grade. Focus on the persons municipal area and culture, along with basic state geography may also be focused in 1st grade, depending on the state. First grade science usually involves the discussion of matter, the human body, plant and animal science, and/or weather, depending on the state.

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The second grade is the second school year after kindergarten. Students are traditionally 7–8 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs. In mathematics, students are taught place value to hundreds or thousands, and renaming with addition and subtraction. Usually multiplication and division is introduced towards the end of the school year but not emphasized. Addition and subtraction facts are practiced throughout the year. Students also learn about plane and solid shapes in geometry and explore how they are apparent in our everyday lives. In reading, students read to perform a task using fictional and non-fictional texts, and learn about story elements, text features, and character traits. In many counties and districts, schools have reading benchmarks that students need to meet by the end of each quarter and/or school year. At the end of the year, students begin their first novels. Students in second grade also learn the basics of grammar in writing, including subject, verbs, and adjectives. They also write to inform, to express personal ideas, and to persuade. In the U.S. it is also common for second graders to be introduced to cursive. Second grade science usually involvement of the basic earth and space sciences. Students are introduced to the planets and the weather system. In social studies, a general understanding of the government and current events are discussed. Students are expected to know who the president and vice president, and some basic presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The concept of the law is taught in second grade. Second grade students may also get a basic understanding of history, and what life was like in times before they were born. Field trips to historical and science museums are common. Some basic sociological institutions are taught such as race and gender, and the introduction of different cultures such as Black, Latin, and Oriental.

The third grade is the third school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 8–9 years old. In mathematics, students are usually introduced to multiplication and division facts, place value to thousands or ten thousands, and estimation. Depending on the school, students may even begin to work on long division. Decimals (to tenths only) are sometimes introduced. Students begin to work on problem-solving skills working to explain their thinking in mathematical terms. In science, third graders are taught basic physical sciences and chemistry. Weather is also taught as well. The concept of atoms and molecules are common, the states of matter, and energy, along with basic elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, gold, zinc, and iron. Nutrition is also taught in third grade along with chemistry. Social studies begin a study of the culture of the United States and basic idea of the early part of the United States from the time of Native Americans to the Civil War. Outward expansion and the gold rush is covered. In reading, third grade students begin working more on text comprehension than decoding strategies. Students also begin reading harder chapter books. They read and distinguish between a variety of genres: realistic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction and folktales. Grade 3 students learn how to work on projects on their own and with others. This may start as early as second and first grade as well. Social skills, empathy and leadership are considered by some educators to be as important to develop as the hard skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.

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The fourth grade is the fourth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 9-10 years old. In some parts of the United States, fourth grade is the last year of Elementary School. In the United States, in mathematics, fourth graders are usually taught how to add and subtract common fractions and decimals. Long division is also generally introduced here, and addition, subtraction, and multiplication of whole numbers is extended to larger numbers.

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The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10–11 years old. Depending on the school district in certain parts of the United States, it is the last year of elementary school. In some parts of the United States, fifth grade is the first year of middle school. In mathematics, students usually master long division and work with multiplication of vulgar fractions and decimals. Sometimes this also includes initial exposure to ratios and percentages. Pre-Algebra is sometimes offered as an honors course. Fifth graders may also work more on more advanced long division, such as dividings in the double digits, hundreds, and thousands. In language classes the study of grammar begins. This begins as early as the third grade in some schools. In social studies, the study of history and geography are furthered. In Ontario, this grade focuses on the history of the student's province. In physical science, the states of matter are introduced, and an introduction to the basics of machines. This could be also introduced as early as the third and fourth grade. In life science, the structures and mechanics of plants and animals are illustrated. In music, classes may start or continue recorders (sometimes called the flutaphone). The band and choir program usually starts at that age. In P.E. (physical education) or health education, schools start gender-specific health education.

Fifth

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Mid

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Middle school and junior high school are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. The term middle school is used as a synonym for secondary school. The years are normally numbered usually beginning with sixth grade (at or around age 12) or seventh grade (at or around age 13) and progressing to eighth grade.

Sixt

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The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11– 12 years old. Traditionally, sixth grade is the final year of elementary school, but in more recent decades, sixth grade has become established as the first year of middle school. Students usually have different teachers for each subject. In mathematics, students learn about Fractions and decimals. Exponents are also generally introduced, and students learn about the properties of circles and polygons, and the measurement of angles in degrees. Pre-Algebra and Algebra I are taught in some schools, as honors courses. In science, students usually learn about life science, physical science, earth science. Students are introduced to scientific methodology, taxonomy, and ecology. In English, students usually learn about grammar and the different types of writing (e.g. poetry, narrative, book report, research report). In social studies, students learn about history from the formation of early humans and its ancestors to around the Fall of Rome.

Seve

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e The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school. In the United States it is usually the second year of middle school, the first year of junior high school or the 7th year of elementary school. In the United States, it is important in mathematics, students focus commonly on an introduction to pre-algebra or the beginnings of algebra, including ratio, proportion, percent. New topics sometimes include scientific notation, concepts with negative numbers, and more advanced geometry. In some parts of the United States, such as Colorado, California and Utah, math may be mixed-grade according to the student's previous knowledge, so some students may already be in a 9th grade algebra course. In social studies, advanced pre-Civil War History is taught. Though American history is usually the norm, other cultures may be taught. In science, it is usually moderate-level biology. In some parts of the United States, seventh grade is the first school year in which students have different teachers for each of their subjects, and so they change classrooms at the end of each period.

Eigh

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The eighth grade is called a "prea". Students are usually 13-14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education. Eighth grade is usually the third and final grade of middle school. The eighth grade mathematics curriculum in the United States as well as Canada includes either Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, or Geometry. Occasionally Algebra II is also taught in very advanced schools. In some schools, especially the ones that are witnessing the required Basic Standards Test, basic everyday "real world" mathematical skills such as check writing, money management, and geometry are taught as well. In cultural and language curriculum, many students may opt to take a foreign language course, either for a semester or the full school year. United States history is the primary focus in eighth grade social studies.

Hi

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High school usually runs either from grades 9 to 12. Virtually all schools, including high schools, are provided by local school districts and not by the central government. In high school, students obtain much more control of their education, and may choose even their core classes. The control given to students varies from state to state and school to school.

The ninth grade is the ninth school year after kindergarten. The students are 14-15 years old. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school. In this system, ninth graders are also often referred to as freshmen.In the mathematics curriculum, ninth graders are usually taught Pre-Algebra or Algebra I. Advanced courses are usually available to ninth graders who are prepared for a more rigorous curriculum, depending on the school district. In some cases, the upcoming ninth graders will take Algebra II. Some districts across the country allow their 9th graders to take Trigonometry or AP Statistics, or even Calculus if the district provides. In the English curriculum, ninth graders are taught the basic fundamentals of Literature and touches the fundamentals of speech and debate. They may also read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare as it correlates with current teenage life and issues. In the social studies curriculum, ninth graders are typically taught geography, government, and history. In most areas, students are open to taking more advanced history courses like world history or U.S. history with the consent of the pupil's previous social studies teacher. In the science curriculum, ninth grade students are required, in most areas, to take earth science. Physical science may be taught as well in some schools. It is often a pre-requisite for most other lab sciences available at the high school level, and is often a requirement for graduation. In some cases, the upcoming ninth grader may choose to take the tenth grade course. Biology can also be taken in 9th grade, depending on the district.

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The tenth grade is the tenth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 15-16 years old. In the USA tenth grade is also known as sophomore year. In the U.S. curriculum for mathematics, tenth graders are usually taught Algebra II or Geometry. Occasionally, Precalculus, or higher classes, are offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in later years of high school. In the U.S. curriculum for literature, students have already begun to familiarize themselves with notable authors such as Shakespeare, while some Advanced Placement programs emphasize the work of author J.D. Salinger, for example, and his Catcher in the Rye, putting a major emphasis on literary terms and getting to know themes such as alienation. In the U.S. curriculum for social studies, tenth grade students are taught recent World History. In some districts, Advanced Placement coursework, such as geography, European history, or World Studies, is first made available to students in this grade.

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Elev

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de The eleventh grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16-17 years old. In the United States, many students take the SAT Reasoning Test and/or ACT in the second half of their 11th-grade or junior year. Typically during this year, students interested in attending higher education facilities tend to search at around the second part of that year. In the US, a student at this grade is typically referred to as a junior. Mathematics students usually take Geometry, but classes like trigonometry or pre-calculus are sometimes offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in their senior year. Depending on the location there may be a combination of any of the listed subjects. They may also take easier courses such as Algebra I and geometry if they do not have the required prerequisites for the more advanced courses that are listed above. Students who are advanced in mathematics often take calculus or statistics. In English class, a college-preparatory curriculum would also include American literature. Often, English literature (also referred to as British literature) is taught in the junior year of high school. In a social studies curriculum, eleventh-graders in the United States are usually taught US history or the world from the 1870s to the 21st Century. They may also acquire more advanced world culture and geography knowledge, along with some more-advanced social studies such as psychology and government. Many eleventh-graders in the United States opt to take a foreign language, even though it is not required in many secondary curricula. While normally followed by twelfth grade, some colleges will accept excelling students out of this grade as part of an early college entrance program.

Twel

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The twelfth grade or Senior year, is the final year of secondary school. The twelfth grade is the last and senior year of high school. Students often enter the grade as 17-years-old and graduate as 18-years-old.Many students consider the twelfth grade a year to relax and prepare for transition out of their old lives into college or the workplace. The class work for some is generally not as difficult as in the eleventh grade because the eleventh grade is generally the year where the important examinations take place such as SAT and ACT. Others take advantage of the opportunity to complete additional higher level courses, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, to earn credits for college. Mathematics courses focus normally on Advanced Placement Calculus, Advanced Placement Statistics, Probability and Statistics and/or SUPA Calculus. Science courses involve Advanced Placement Chemistry, Advanced Placement Biology, Advanced Placement Environmental Science, Astronomy/Meteorology, Marine Biology and/or Advanced Placement Physics. Social Studies courses focus on Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, Advanced Placement Psychology, Advanced Placement European History, Government Law, Economics. English classes tend to focus on Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, Film and Lit, Sports and Lit, and/or Contemporary Lit. Art classes tend to focus on Advanced Placement Art History, Advanced Placement Studio Art, Advanced Photography, Advanced Cyramics, Fashion Design and Illustration, Theatre Dance, Jazz Dance. Technology classes focus on Advanced PlacemAent Computer Science, Java, Advanced Web Design, C++ Programing. Business classes focus on College Marketing, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, College Preparatory Interview Classes, Advanced Fundamentals in Business.

Hi

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Higher, post-secondary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at academies, universities, colleges, seminaries and institutes of technology. Higher education also includes certain collegiate-level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools, and career colleges, that award academic degrees or professional certifications. The American university system is largely decentralized. Public universities are administered solely by the individual states. American universities developed independent accreditation organizations to vouch for the quality of the degrees they offer. The accreditation agencies rate universities and colleges on criteria such as academic quality—the quality of their libraries, the publishing records of their faculty, and the degrees which their faculty hold. Non-accredited institutions are perceived as lacking in quality and rigor, and may be termed diploma mills. Colleges and universities in the U.S. vary in terms of goals: some may emphasize a vocational, business, engineering, or technical curriculum while others may emphasize a liberal arts curriculum. Many combine some or all of the above.

Postgraduate education (or graduate education in North America) involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of tertiary or higher education. Graduate students often declare their intended degree (master's or doctorate) in their applications. In some cases, master's programs allow successful students to continue toward the doctorate degree. Students may also, at many universities, use Directed Individual Studies classes from their undergraduate work to satisfy some course requirements for a master's degree. Many graduate programs require students to pass one or several examinations in order to demonstrate their competence as scholars. In some departments, a comprehensive examination is often required in the first year of doctoral study, and is designed to test a student's background undergraduate-level knowledge. Examinations of this type are more common in the sciences and some social sciences, and relatively unknown in most humanities disciplines. Most graduate students perform teaching duties, often serving as graders and tutors. In some departments, they can be promoted to Lecturer status, a position that comes with more responsibility.

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Private schools, also known as independent schools or non-state schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments. They retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition. Students can get a scholarship into a private school which makes the cost cheaper depending on a talent the student may have. The majority of private schools in the United States are operated by religious institutions and organizations. Funding for private schools is generally provided through student tuition, endowments, scholarship/voucher funds, and donations and grants from religious organizations or private individuals. Government funding for religious schools is either subject to restrictions or possibly forbidden. Non-religious private schools theoretically could qualify for such funding, but prefer the advantages of independent control of their student admissions and course content.

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Homeschooling in the United States constitutes the education for about 2.9% of USA students. Most homeschooling advocates are wary of the established educational institutions for various reasons. Some are religious conservatives who see nonreligious education as contrary to their moral or religious systems, or who wish to add religious instruction to the educational curriculum (and who may be unable to afford a church-operated private school, or where the only available school may teach views contrary to those of the parents). Others feel that they can more effectively tailor a curriculum to suit an individual student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, especially those with singular needs or disabilities. Still others feel that the negative social pressures of schools (such as bullying, drugs, crime, and other school-related problems) are detrimental to a child’s proper development. Parents often form groups to help each other in the homeschooling process, and may even assign classes to different parents, similar to public and private schools. Less common motivations for homeschooling are if the child has a physical or mental health problem, or special needs of the child other than a physical or mental health problem but that the parent feel the school cannot or will not meet. Other, less common, reasons parents give for homeschooling include family time, finances, travel, and distance.

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The reasons for homeschooling

Alte

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ol Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular the United States) to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are non-traditional. These schools have a special curriculum offering a more flexible program of study than a traditional school. The term "alternative" is now used to describe nearly every type of school imaginable, but many share certain distinguishing characteristics:

•Average size•Close student-teacher relationship•Student decision-making and skills gained daily•More involvement with school activities and around the community•Diverse curriculum•Peer guidance & Parental involvement•Prepares for a successful future and students can obtain skills inside and outside the classroom

Charter schools in the United States are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter. Charter schools are opened and attended by choice.

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A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals. Some boarding schools also have day students who attend the institution by day and return off-campus to their families in the evenings.

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Paro

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ol Parochial school is one term used to describe a school that engages in religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrow sense, parochial schools are Christian grammar schools or high schools run by parishes.

The End