USA EDUCATION IN BRIEF

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The U.S. educational system can be characterized by its large size, organizational structure, marked decentralization, and increasing diversity. Schools in the United States can be found everywhere, and the US continues to operate one of the largest universal education systems in the world. More than 81.5 million children and adults were enrolled in primary, secondary and post-secondary education in 2007. 6.8 million were employed as teachers teaching kindergarten through college.

What is education?

Higher education structures

K-12 structures

School attendance is compulsory for students through age 16 in most states. Children generally begin school with kindergarten (K) at age five and continue through secondary school (grade 12) to age 18. Students completing high school may choose to attend a college or university, which offer

undergraduate degrees such as Associate's degrees or Bachelor's degrees (baccalaureate). The U.S. educational system comprises 96.000 public elementary and secondary schools plus more than 4200 institutions of higher learning.

RISE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLSPublic schools were unknown in the colonial era,, although several New England colonies established “subscription schools” for those who could afford to pay the fees. Harvard, the first institution of higher learning in North America, was founded in 1636 in Massachusetts and, like all early colleges, focused almost exclusively on religious scholarship and classical languages – Latin and Greek.

The “Common” School – The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 mandated that every township set aside one parcel out of every 36 for a public school. These were often simple one-room buildings, celebrated as the iconic “little red schoolhouse”.

Frontier Schools – On the western frontier, settlers sought to build schools as they established new towns. In fact, territories were required to offer free public education to all so that they attract other settlers before they could be considered statehood

Ryssby Frontier School cca. 1888 Grosvenor Common School

GRADING SCALEIn schools in the United States children are consistently assessed throughout the school year by their teachers, and report cards are issued to parents at varying intervals. Generally the scores for individual assignments and tests are recorded for each student in a grade book, along with the maximum number of points for each assignment. At any time, the total number of points for a student when divided by the total number of possible points produces a percent grade, which can be translated to a letter grade.

GradesA

+ -100.0-97.0 96.9–93.0 92.9–90.0

B+ -

89.9–87.0 86.9–83.0 82.9–80.0C

+ -79.9–77.0 76.9–73.0 72.9–70.0

D+ -

69.9–67.0 66.9–63.0 62.9–60.0F or E

59.9-0.0

PRIMARY SCHOOLS• Public Elementary School teachers instruct between 20-30 students of diverse

learning needs.

• A typical classroom will include children with a range of learning needs or abilities, from those identified as having special needs (special education) to students non-native English speakers (we’ll talk about that later).

• Each local school district gives each teacher a book to give to the students for each subject, and brief overviews of what the teacher are expected to teach.

• Learning standards are identified for all areas of a curriculum by individual States, including those for mathematics, social studies, science, physical development, the fine arts, and reading.

• Teachers typically earn either a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS• Middle School include the grade levels

intermediate between elementary school and senior high school.

• At this time, students are given more independence:

1. Having different teachers for each subjects.

2. Taking on more independent homework assignments and projects.

3. Moving to different classrooms for different subjects

4. being allowed to choose some of their class subjects (electives).

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

• The term “High school” is often used instead of senior high school

• The students in these grades are commonly referred to as:

• freshmen (grade 9)• sophomores (grade 10)• juniors (grade 11)• seniors (grade 12).

• Students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject

Mandatory subjects are required in nearly all U.S. high schools: Science (3 years of biology, chemistry and physics); Mathematics (4 years of algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, statistics, and calculus); English (4 years of literature, humanities, composition, etc.; Social sciences (3 years world and U.S. history, gov./economics); Physical education (4 years); Many states require a "health" course (anatomy, first aid, sexuality, birth control)

Students Choice: Elective Classes

• Computers:• Word processing, programming, graphic

design…

• Career and Technical Training:Business Marketing, health occupations, technology education, publishing, journalism, public speaking, creative writing, poetry…

• Performing Arts/Visual Arts:• Choir, band, orchestra, drama, art, ceramics,

photography, dance…

• Foreign Languages:• Spanish/French most common…

• Advanced Placement Courses (AP): College Credit Courses

• Sciences, History, Economics, Art, Etc…

HIGHER EDUCATIONA greater proportion of young

people receive higher education in the United States than in any other country. State universities in places like California, Arizona, Ohio, and New York, have multiple campuses and student populations exceeding 30,000. Approximately 33% of U.S. colleges and universities are private and generally charge tuition costs substantially higher than state-run public institutions. Higher education costs almost $373 billion and consumes 3% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

Education Percentage

High school graduate 86.68%

Some college 55.60%

Associate and/or bachelor's

degree38.54%

Bachelor's degree 29.0%

Master's degree 7.62%

Doctorate or professional

degree2.94%

The mean annual Total Cost (including all costs associated with a full-time post-secondary schooling, such as tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board), as reported by collegeboard.com for 2010:

• Public University (4 years): $27,967 (per year)

• Private University (4 years): $40,476 (per year)

Total, four-year schooling:

• Public University: $111,868

• Private University: $161,904

HARVARD ACCEPTANCE RATEOverall Admit

RateBlack Admit

RateDifference

10.0% 16.7% +67.0%

MIT ACCEPTANCE RATE

Overall Admit Rate

Black Admit Rate

Difference

15.9% 31.6% +98.7%

DIVERSITY AND ASSIMILATION

Schools in the United States have experienced waves of immigration throughout history and today American schools, like the larger society they serve, are more ethnically diverse than ever. In the early 20th century, children of immigrant families flooded public school systems in the Northeast and Midwest. Today new immigrants continue to change composition of student populations. It is not uncommon to find schools where more than a dozen different languages are spoken at home by students. As a result the teaching of English remains one of education’s most important responsibilities. Hispanics often found themselves in segregated and many schools adopted bilingual approaches in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but their popularity waned along with lack of funding so they focused on them learning English instead. About 3.7 million receive special English language services, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

African American Students

Hispanic Students

LAWS THAT MADE EVERYONE EQUALNCLB ( No Children Left Behind) requires states to set standards for achievement at different grade leves to take steps to improve the performance of those who don’t meet the standards. NCLB mandates state goals for what children should know in reading and mathematics in grades three through eight as measured on standardized tests. Reading and math scores for immigrants reached an all-time high.