Schooling in the United States is accessible to all children living in the state, regardless of gender, social, national, religious affiliation, as well as citizenship. In addition, there is no single state education standard in the United States. This is due to the fact that schools belonging to different states are often subject to separate legislative bases. The duration of the educational process also varies depending on the state and is 10-12 years. The children go to study at 5-8 and graduate at 18-19 years old. The school year consists of several trimesters or quarters. The student assessment system is alphabetic.
Education management system
Educational issues are regulated in the United States at three levels: federal, state, and local. As already mentioned, a distinctive feature of the educational system in America is the decentralization of educational institution management. However, the US Department of Education oversees the implementation of school programs. In addition, military academies report directly to federal authorities, regardless of the state in which they are located. There are eight such federal institutions in the USA.
In some states, almost all educational questions are provided to school boards. But it happens that at the level of state authorities issues of financing, approval of school programs, and the purchase of textbooks are being decided. The level of knowledge of students is subject to constant monitoring. According to its results, students are often disbanded into classes of various levels of performance, where they are engaged in separate, complicated or simplified programs. In the United States, a widespread system of federal grants is allocated for the implementation of programs to improve the success of schoolchildren.
Often the amount of money allocated to finance a school is directly proportional to the results of the final tests of its students. At the same time, the United States is working to unify educational standards. It is interesting to note that the US Department of Education itself has existed since 1980. This is one of the smallest ministries of the state; its staff is estimated at about 5,000 people.
State schools
American children attend school at the place of residence, providing the directorate with a certificate of rental housing in the county and a copy of the paid utility bills. One or several schools are attached to each district, depending on the number of people who need school education. Public schools are managed by school boards elected by school district representatives. And their financing is made at the expense of money from the local budget. Often, public budget funds are allocated to the budget through real estate taxes.
Private schools in the USA
Of course, there are exceptions to any rule. A little more than 10% of the total number of educational institutions are private schools. In the USA, as in other countries, training in them is paid, and therefore not available to everyone. For admission to a private school you need to pass an entrance selection. As statistics show, demand exceeds supply by an order of magnitude. And there is a reason for this. Education in US schools of state submission to a lesser extent allows talented children to be realized. At the same time, private schools graduate with the possibility of admission to the most prestigious institutions of higher education. Which schools in the USA to choose? Everyone decides for himself.
Church schools
In addition to public and private schools, in the United States there has been a recent increase in the number of so-called church schools that are subordinate and funded by religious and charitable organizations. Education in such schools is characterized by a high level of discipline, obedience and religious spirit.
Preschools
The introduction to the educational process begins for American children from the age of five. It is then that they begin to go to kindergarten, which is an analogue of kindergarten. Here, little Americans are drawn into society in a playful way. The main purpose of visiting a kindergarten is to get used to communicate and perceive general educational information, to get some experience.
Also, young Americans in pre-school institutions are taught to read and write, gradually moving from a game form to serious lessons. Although in many states, attendance at zero class is not necessary, for almost all children, education in US schools begins with this small step. At the end of grade zero, children take an entrance test. And then follows a three-stage phase of schooling. It seems difficult to count how many schools in the USA it is, because each new stage is a different school.
Primary School
Until the fifth or sixth grade, American students attend an educational institution called an elementary school. A distinctive feature is the conduct of classes in all subjects by one teacher. The main part of the study time, American children in elementary school are engaged in reading, learning their native language (spoken and written). Homework is practically not set. Children do all the work in the classroom, studying in school textbooks that cannot be taken home with them.
Elementary school also ends with a graduation test, according to which a child can be enrolled in high school.
High School in the USA
Here, Americans begin to study specific subjects, in contrast to the previous stages, aimed at increasing the luggage of general knowledge. Each individual subject is taught by a specialist. Pupils are required to study English, mathematics, social and natural sciences in high school, and engage in physical education. In addition, students have the opportunity to choose subjects for study on their own.
High
schools in the United States are professional, academic, and multidisciplinary. Vocational schools usually receive students who have not scored enough points to study at an academic school. Here the number of general subjects is reduced to a minimum. Learning concentrates around practical disciplines. There are such programs that involve classes in special workshops. Graduation from high school with an academic profile gives the graduate a set of knowledge that allows him to immediately enter the university. Well, multidisciplinary schools are a cross between academic and professional.
High school
Thus, high school graduates in the United States have a variety of general education. This is also associated with the activities of career guidance organizations. Usually in every school there is a psychologist who helps students to decide on the future profession. The choice of subjects for study is carried out in accordance with the profession of interest. The last 4 years of study in the USA at school correspond to secondary education in post-Soviet countries, this is the so-called high-school.
Graduates spend the last year preparing to enter college or a higher educational institution. To successfully receive school education, a student must collect a certain number of credits, that is, attend the number of compulsory school activities indicated in the program. The rest of the time, the teenager attends the lessons he has chosen from among additional disciplines. According to the results of the final test, admission to the university takes place.
Summing up, we can say that school education in the United States is significantly different from the domestic system of education. But the quality of knowledge depends on the desire to learn. Form of education plays only a secondary role.