The American Education System

Public Schools All states in the USA provide universal, free elementary and secondary schooling for 12 years, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Pre-school Starts at age 4 Some kids attend daycare prior to attending pre-school. At what age did you start attending school?

Elementary Schools Children usually enter kindergarten (the first year of elementary school) at age 5. Elementary school generally includes grades 1 through 5. Students finish elementary school when they are 10 or 11. In elementary school, the focus is primarily on reading and math. Social studies, science, technology, music, art, and physical education are also part of the elementary school curriculum. Hours vary, but students attend school for 7 hours a day. (for example, from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm or from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm)

Middle School Middle School includes 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Middle School students have 6 periods a day, including required and elective subjects. School starts at around 8 am and ends around 3 pm. Required subjects for middle schoolers include language arts, math, science, social studies, and physical education. Elective subjects for middle schoolers (and high schoolers) include foreign languages (Spanish is by far the most popular), art, shop (woods and metals), home economics, drama, and music. Some regions of the USA have junior high schools, which include 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. Otherwise they are very similar to middle schools.

High School Students aged 14 to 18 attend high school, which goes from 9th to 12th grade. The students are classified as follows: 9th graders = freshmen 10th graders = sophomores 11th graders = juniors 12th graders = seniors Students take all the required subjects, along with their choice of electives. American high schools are characterized by a great deal of extra-curricular activities, from sports to student government to clubs. Prom is a big dance held in the spring. Hours may vary, but usually high school is made up of 7 periods, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. http://www.albuquerquebulldogs.com/

Unique courses in US schools Drama – theatre class, students put on plays ROTC – military training and discipline, students wear uniforms Woodshop – carpentry, making things with wood Home Economics – cooking, sewing, keeping a home Art – painting, drawing, sculpture, pottery Student Government – students elect their own representatives who deal with important issues and plan activities (prom, etc.)

What’s it like to go to high school in the USA? There are lots of cliques – groups of friends based on common interests. People are constantly categorized, and some of these labels are pejorative. Here are some of those categories:   Jock / Sporty  

Prep

Emo/Goth

Geek/Nerd

High School Musical song – “Stick with the Status Quo” In this song, Sharpay complains about people defying their assigned cliques – the ‘status quo,’ or the way things currently are. Despite her complaints, this message of the song is that students can defy the categories of high school and be well-rounded young people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBVUlgG8Lm8

High School Life Many extra-curricular activities, including (but not limited to) the following: Sports: football, soccer, baseball, volleyball, wrestling, track, swimming. Usually there are 3 teams – C-team, Junior Varsity, and Varsity. Performance: Drama, Speech, Chorus, Choir, Swing Choir Religious Clubs: Mostly Christian groups Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Alliances

Community Colleges Once students graduate from high school, they can attend a community college or an university. Community colleges are post-secondary schools where students can do one or more of the following: Complete the first two years of university courses (general education or core subjects) Get vocational training and earn Associate’s Degrees in fields such as Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, and Manufacturing or Construction. http://cnm.edu/

University Life in the US Students complete about 2 years of general education credits across all subjects. Students declare a major (specialization) and possibly a minor (second field of concentration) and focus on this subject until they graduate (usually in 4 or 5 years).

California State University Long Beach http://www.csulb.edu/

The University of Texas at Austin http://www.utexas.edu/

University of New Mexico www.unm.edu/

Questions?