 Formal education in the U.S. is divided into a number of distinct educational stages.  Most children enter the public education system around ages five or six.  They begin in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or first grade.  Normally attend 12 grades of study over 12 calendar years of primary/elementary and secondary education before graduating, earning a diploma=> makes them eligible for admission to higher education.  Mandatory until age 16.  Generally: - 5 years of primary (elementary) school - 3 years of middle school - 4 years of high school

 - may choose to attend a college or university, which offer undergraduate degrees such as Associate's degrees or Bachelor's degrees  - Community college or junior college typically offer two-year associate's degrees  - Four-year institutions may be public or private colleges or universities.  - Some counties and cities have established and fund four-year institutions; examples include the City University of New York, City Colleges of Chicago, and San Francisco City College.  - Curriculum varies widely depending on the institution.  - may choose to continue on to graduate or professional school, sometimes attached to a university.  -Graduate degrees may be either master's degrees (e.g., M.A., M.S., M.B.A., M.S.W.) or doctorates (e.g., Ph.D., J.D., ("Doctor of Law"), M.D.,D.O.).

 - In K-12 education, sometimes students who receive failing grades are held back a year and repeat coursework.  - Of students who were freshmen in 2005 seeking bachelor's degrees at public institutions, 32% took four years, 12% took five years, 6% took six years, and 43% did not graduate within six years. The numbers for private non-profit institutions were 52% in four, 10% in five, 4% in six, and 35% failing to graduate.  - Many graduate students do not start professional schools immediately after finishing undergraduate studies

- Public (free) education is typically from kindergarten to grade 12 and is thus referred to as K-12.  - children to either a public or private institution(Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools)  - Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old).  - About half of the states encourage schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

 - classroom-based early childhood education program for children below the age of six in the United States, either delivered through a preschool or as a reception year in Elementary school.

 - Elementary school includes kindergarten through fifth grade.  - Typically, the curriculum in public elementary education is determined by individual school districts.  - In general, a student learns basic arithmetic and sometimes rudimentary algebra in mathematics, English proficiency and fundamentals of other subjects.

 - Secondary education is often divided into two phases, middle or junior high school and high school.  - "Middle school" usually includes sixth, seventh and eighth grade  - "Junior high" may include any range from sixth through ninth grades.

 - (occasionally senior high school) usually runs from 9th or 10th through 12th grades.  Students in these grades are commonly referred to as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

 I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.  Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible