School education in the USA. What and how do they teach in the USA (at school)?

School education in the United States is accessible to all children living in the territory of the state, regardless of gender, social, national, religious affiliation, or citizenship. In addition, there is no single state educational standard in the United States. This is because schools belonging to different states often submit to separate legislative bases. The duration of the educational process also varies depending on the staff and is 10-12 years. The guys go to school at 5-8 and are released in 18-19 years. The academic year consists of several trimesters or quarters. The system of assessing the achievements of students is alphabetic.

Educational Management System

Educational issues are regulated in the US at three levels: federal, state and local. As already mentioned, the distinctive feature of the educational system in America is the decentralization of the management of educational institutions. Nevertheless, the US Department of Education oversees 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. In total, there are eight such institutions of federal subordination in the United States.

In some states, almost all educational issues are provided to school boards. But it happens that at the level of the state authorities, funding issues, the approval of school programs, the purchase of textbooks are being decided. The level of knowledge of students is subject to constant monitoring. As a result, pupils are often disbanded into classes of different levels of academic achievement, where they are dealt with on individual, complicated or simplified programs. In the US, the system of federal grants allocated for the implementation of programs to improve the success of schoolchildren is widespread.

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 state ministries, the staff of its employees accrues about 5,000 people.

Public Schools

American children attend a school at their place of residence, providing the directorate with a certificate of housing in this district and copies of paid utility bills. Each district has one or more schools attached, depending on the number of people in need of schooling. Management of public schools is carried out by school councils, elected representatives of school districts. And their financing is made from money from the local budget. Often, funding for public schools is allocated money coming into the budget from 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 US, as in other countries, training in them is paid, and therefore is not available for everyone who wants. To enter a private school you need to pass an introductory selection. As statistics show, demand exceeds supply by an order of magnitude. And there is a reason for this. Training in US schools of state subordination to a lesser extent allows for the realization of talented children. At the same time, private schools graduates with the opportunity to enter the most prestigious institutions of higher education. What schools in the US to choose? Everyone decides for himself.

Church schools

In addition to public and private schools, the number of so-called church schools, which are subordinated and funded by religious and charitable organizations, has recently increased in the United States. Education in such schools is characterized by a high level of discipline, obedience and religious spirit.

Pre-school institutions

The introduction to the educational process begins for American children from the age of five. It is then that they begin to go to the zero class, which is analogous to the kindergarten. Here, small Americans are involved in the society in a game form. The main goal of visiting a kindergarten is to get used to communicating and to receive general educational information, to gain some experience.

Also, small Americans in pre-school establishments are taught to read and write, gradually moving from the game form of the lesson to serious lessons. Although in many states a visit to the zero class and, optionally, for almost all children, education in US schools begins with this small step. At the end of the zero grade, children take an entrance test. And then follows the three-stage stage of schooling. Counting how many schools in the US total, it seems difficult, because every new stage is a different school.

Primary School

Before the fifth or sixth grade, American schoolchildren 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 primary school are engaged in reading, studying their native language (oral speech and writing). Homework is almost never asked. All the work the children do in the classroom, doing school books, which you can not take home with you.

Education in primary school also ends with a final test, according to which the child can be enrolled in a secondary school.

High School in the USA

Here, Americans begin to study specific subjects, unlike previous stages aimed at increasing the luggage of general education knowledge. Each individual subject is taught by a specialist. Students 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.

Secondary schools in the US are professional, academic and versatile. Professional schools usually receive students who do not have enough points to study at an academic school. Here the number of general subjects is reduced to a minimum. Training concentrates around practical disciplines. There are such programs that involve employment in special workshops. Graduation of the secondary school of the academic profile gives the graduate a set of knowledge that allows you to immediately enter the university. Well, versatile schools - this is something between academic and professional.

High school

Thus, high school graduates in the United States have a variety of general education. This is also connected with the activities of vocational guidance organizations. Usually in each school there is a psychologist helping 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 schooling in the US at school correspond to the receipt of secondary education in the post-Soviet countries, this is the so-called high-cheekbone.

The last year the graduates are in preparation for entering a college or a higher education institution. To successfully obtain a school education, the student must collect a certain number of credits, that is, visit the number of compulsory school classes indicated in the program. All the rest of the time a teenager attends the lessons he has chosen from among additional disciplines. As a result of the final test, enrolling in a university.

Summarizing, we can say that schooling in the US is very different from the domestic system of education. But the quality of obtaining knowledge directly depends on the desire to learn. The form of education plays only a secondary role.