School education in the United States is generally available to all children living in the state, regardless of gender, social, national, religious affiliation, and citizenship. In addition, there is no single state standard for education in the United States. This is because schools belonging to different states are often subject to separate legal frameworks. The duration of the educational process also varies depending on the state and is 10-12 years. The guys go to school at 5-8 and graduate at 18-19 years old. The academic year consists of several trimesters or quarters. The system for assessing the achievements of students is alphabetic.
Education management system
Educational issues are regulated in the US at three levels: federal, state and local. As already mentioned, a distinctive feature of the American education system is the decentralization of the management of educational institutions. However, the US Department of Education monitors the implementation of programs adopted by schools. In addition, military academies report directly to the federal authorities, regardless of the state in which they are located. There are eight such federal institutions in the United States.
In some states, virtually all educational matters are left 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 resolved. 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 taught according to separate, complicated or simplified programs. In the United States, a system of federal grants is widely used to implement programs to improve student success.
Often the amount of money allocated to fund a school is directly proportional to the results of the final tests of its students. At the same time, work is underway in the United States 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 in the state, with about 5,000 employees.
Public Schools
American children go to school where they live, providing the directorate with certificates of renting housing in this district and copies of paid utility bills. One or more schools are attached to each district, depending on the number of students in need of schooling. Public schools are governed by school boards, elected representatives of the school districts. And their financing is made at the expense of money from the local budget. Often fundedpublic schools allocate money coming to the budget through property taxes.
Private Schools in the USA
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Slightly more than 10% of the total number of educational institutions are private schools. In the USA, as in other countries, education is paid, and therefore not available to everyone. To enter a private school, you need to pass an entrance examination. As statistics show, demand exceeds supply by an order of magnitude. And there is a reason for this. Studying in state-run schools in the United States to a lesser extent allows talented children to realize their potential. At the same time, private schools graduate students with the possibility of entering the most prestigious institutions of higher education. Which schools in the US to choose? Everyone decides for himself.
Church Schools
In addition to public and private schools, the US has recently seen a growing number of so-called church schools run and funded by religious and charitable organizations. Education in such schools is characterized by a high level of discipline, obedience and religious spirit.
Preschools
Introduction to the educational process begins for American children from the age of five. It was then that they begin to go to the zero grade, which is analogous to kindergarten. Here, little Americans are involved in society in a playful way. The main purpose of attending a kindergarten is to get used to communicating and perceiving general educational information, to gain some experience.
Also, little Americans are taught to read and write in preschool institutions, gradually moving from a playful form of class to serious lessons. Although kindergarten is not mandatory in many states, 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 the three-stage stage of education at school. It is difficult to count how many schools there are in the US, because each new stage is a different school.
Primary school
Until fifth or sixth grade, American students attend an educational institution called elementary school. A distinctive feature is the conduct of classes in all subjects by one teacher. The main part of the school time, American children in elementary school are engaged in reading, learning their native language (oral speech and writing). Homework is almost non-existent here. Children do all the work in the classroom, studying from school textbooks that cannot be taken home with them.
Primary school also ends with a final test, following which the child can be enrolled in secondary school.
US High School
Here, Americans begin to study specific subjects, in contrast to the previous stages, aimed at increasing the baggage of general educational knowledge. Each individual subject is taught by a specialist. Pupils are required to study English, mathematics, social and natural sciences, and engage in physical education in high school. In addition, students have the opportunity to choose subjects for study on their own.
Secondary schools in the US are vocational, academic, and multidisciplinary. Professional schools usually enroll students who have not scored enough points to study in an academic school. Here the number of general education subjects is reduced to a minimum. Training is concentrated around practical disciplines. There are programs that involve classes in special workshops. Graduation from an academic secondary school gives the graduate a set of knowledge that allows him to immediately enter a university. Well, multidisciplinary schools are something between academic and professional.
High School
Thus, high school graduates in the US have a variety of general education backgrounds. This is also connected with the activities of vocational guidance organizations. Usually, each school has a psychologist who helps students decide on the choice of a future profession. The choice of subjects for study is carried out in accordance with the profession of interest. The last 4 years of schooling in the USA correspond to secondary education in post-Soviet countries, this is the so-called high school.
The last year graduates spend preparing for college or higher education. To successfully complete a school education, a student must score a certain number ofcredits, that is, to attend the number of compulsory school hours specified in the program. All the rest of the time, the teenager attends the lessons he has chosen from among the additional disciplines. Based on the results of the final test, students are admitted to the university.
Summing up, we can say that school education in the United States is significantly different from the domestic education system. But the quality of obtaining knowledge directly depends on the desire to learn. The form of education plays only a secondary role.
