Would someone mind explaining the American school system?

[pokemon_master]

Call me a dunce if you will but I don't get the American schooling system. I do watch all American based TV shows but I still don't get it!

Here's the British version for anyone who wants to compare.

Nursery school: Kids start around 5 years old, and start the "Kindergarden" year (I can't remeber what we call it, will tell in due course) and then Year 1 and Year 2.

Primary school: Years 3 - 6. Kids take SATS exams at year 3 and 6 to show how good the school is. (Note: some catholic schools merge nursery and primary school together, so you stay at the same school for 6 years!)

Secondary school: Years 6 - 11. Kids take SATS exams at year 9 and learn for GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in year 10 and 11, which are there main qualifications.

College years: Dependant on their GCSEs, Kids can take A levels at Years 12 and 13. Kids can take resits for GCSEs and A levels if the kid wants, but you can only stay in College for 3 years (I think).

University: You get UCAS points (No idea what UCAS stands for, will find out in due course) for each A level you get. If you get enough you can go to university for as long as you wish and get a degree in any subject you had studied for.

That's about it, the British University flows the same way as American Universities. Masters, Phds Etc.

 

[Mermaid02]

PreSchool: Private schools, optional, start at about age 3.... can go at age 4 also.
Some public schools have Pre-K now, which is for 4 year olds and is part of the public school program.

Kindergarten: Age 5 public school
Elementary School: Grades 1-5 (around here anyway)
Middle School: Grades 6-8
High School: Grades 9-12 (grade 10 the kids usually taking PSAT's and SAT's in 11th- although my dd first took her sat's in 7th grade)

With "No Child Left Behind" there is testing all over the place. I personally think it's a waste. I don't care for the program and think our money and time could suit the education system better in other ways.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Just to add to what Mermaid02 said, it varies from state to state and school district to school district, but very little.

Some middle schools are called junior high schools and may only be 7th and 8th grades with 6th in elementary (that's how it was when I was in school). Plus, the city I grew up in had a junior high school while the county had a middle school.

The federal government may issue mandates, but control of the school systems are at the state and local level.

 

[Christine]

Same here:

Preschool - Usually starts at age 3 until 5.
Kindergarten - Housed in the same building as elementary or primary school - age 5.
Grades 1-5 (and sometime 6th) are considered primary/elementary.
Middle School is grades 6-8 but if 6th grade was at the elementary school then that school district will call it "junior high" which will be 7th-8th grades only.
High School - 9-12.

When I was in "junior high school" it was actually grades 7, 8, and 9. Even though 9th grade was considered "officially" high school and the grades "mattered", we were housed with the junior high. In hindsight, I think that is a great way to do it because the 9th graders, IMO, I still really to young to be in the huge senior high school scene.

 

[powellrj]

many states also allow Home Schooling which is where the parents ( or a group of parents) teach their kids at home. They have regular programs that parents can buy to use homeschooling or parents develop their own. Usually parents who feel very strongly about religion or don't like their childrens schools or have very smart kids whose needs aren't met in public school go this route.

Many religions also have privite schools. I know in my area we have several large schools that have students from pre-school to graduation.

I am sure in other areas they have privite schools that aren't church based, but not where I live.

 

[bicker]

Another variation; from the New York area:

Elementary School - Grades 1-6
Junior High School - Grades 7-9
High School - Grades 10-12

 

[michelle8671]

Call me a dunce if you will but I don't get the American schooling system. I do watch all American based TV shows but I still don't get it!

Here's the British version for anyone who wants to compare.

Nursery school: Kids start around 5 years old, and start the "Kindergarden" year (I can't remeber what we call it, will tell in due course) and then Year 1 and Year 2.

Primary school: Years 3 - 6. Kids take SATS exams at year 3 and 6 to show how good the school is. (Note: some catholic schools merge nursery and primary school together, so you stay at the same school for 6 years!)

Secondary school: Years 6 - 11. Kids take SATS exams at year 9 and learn for GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in year 10 and 11, which are there main qualifications.

College years: Dependant on their GCSEs, Kids can take A levels at Years 12 and 13. Kids can take resits for GCSEs and A levels if the kid wants, but you can only stay in College for 3 years (I think).

University: You get UCAS points (No idea what UCAS stands for, will find out in due course) for each A level you get. If you get enough you can go to university for as long as you wish and get a degree in any subject you had studied for.

That's about it, the British University flows the same way as American Universities. Masters, Phds Etc.

Here in Cornwall children start in reception class (rising fives) then year 1 when they are 5, they stay at primary school until the end of year 6 (agee 11) then start secondary school in year 7.

 

[NMAmy]

Call me a dunce if you will but I don't get the American schooling system. I do watch all American based TV shows but I still don't get it!

.

Don't feel like a dunce, pokemon_master. DH has lived in the States for more than 20 years and STILL cannot figure out how the schools work--he's British, too. He went to a grammar school in England and still hasn't been able to explain it to me satisfactorily.

He's constantly asking me, "What grade is dd in again?" I've gotten to the point when I just tell him the location of the school she'll be attending at the beginning of the school year.

Our school system is even weirder than most because we not only have elementary schools, middle schools, junior highs, and a high school, but we have a special campus just for 9th graders (which is the school dd attends now.) It can vary from district to district.

 

[tiggger1]

we are pretty much the same except
elementry is K-4 ( there is 1 school that goes to 5)
Middle is 5-8
High 9-12

 

[froglady]

The public schools follow the same guidelines that previous posters mentioned.

The private schools all have different groupings. There are several non-religious private schools, along with many different religious sponsered ones, including Roman Catholic, Jewish, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Baptist, and non-denominational Christian. Some go from pre-K to 12th, but most go from pre-K - 6th or 8th grade.

My children took yearly tests from grade 3 on. SAT (not college boards!) and a different test which is given to private school students and select public schools, which is supposedly more difficult; certainly the percentiles are not as high. (The name escapes me at the moment)

 

[bicker]

The college boards in the United States, the SAT and ACT, are tests developed and managed by private, not-for-profit companies. These test are: (1) administered by high schools; (2) taking by students; and (3) used by colleges -- all three at their own respective discretion. I'm not sure, but I believe this is significantly different from the A-Levels and such in the UK, which are more closely associated with the government, and more compulsory with regard to administration by schools and use by colleges.

 

[goofy!]

.....

 

[Sparx]

Kindergarten starts at 5,
then first grade
second
third
forth
fifth
(Until fifth is usually elementary school)
sixth
seventh
eight
(Sixth seventh and eight is usually middle school)
ninth
tenth
eleventh
twelfth
(that is highschool.)

 

[VSL]

Here in Cornwall children start in reception class (rising fives) then year 1 when they are 5, they stay at primary school until the end of year 6 (agee 11) then start secondary school in year 7.

Same here.

In my final year of Uni [Joint Hons BA in Egyptology and Ancient History]

 

[stm61]

just to confuse you even more:

because of overcrowding and increasing enrollment that the district just can't keep up with, our grades are split up even more. We have K-2 in one of 3 elementary schools, 3-4 are in a seperate school, 5-6 are in the intermediate school, 7-8 is the middle school, then 9-12 are in high school. The kids pretty much switch schools every 2 yrs.

 

[Tartan Tigger]

Here's the British version for anyone who wants to compare.

Nursery school: Kids start around 5 years old, and start the "Kindergarden" year (I can't remeber what we call it, will tell in due course) and then Year 1 and Year 2.

I work in a nursery school and the children are aged 3 to 5.

 

[basas]

Canadian one is pretty well the same as the US one with a few minor differences. Generally, 1st-5th grade are Elementary/Junior School, 6th-8th grade Junior High or Middle School, and 9th-12th High School. Some schools around here combine some of them (1st to 8th grade), etc.

 

[N.Bailey]

I think the basics have been covered, but there was a thread about this a few months ago. Now, I don't claim to be very knowledgeable on the system you have in the UK, but some posters from there stated that some kids complete schooling in the UK at age 16 or so if they had no interest in going on to college. Not all kids of course, but that it's an option?

In the US, if you don't complete all 12 grades (there are certainly exceptions to this), you would most likely have dropped out of school without receiving a diploma. The exceptions might be something like you were more advanced and were booted up a grade or two. Here, all kids are suppose to have the 13 years (12 without kindergarten and that's not mandatory here, but I don't know anyone who's not went to kindergarten) of schooling no matter what their academic progress is. Unless you graduate, you do not receive a diploma (home schooling differs) and without that diploma, it's hard to get any type of job. A few generations ago, it was much more acceptable than it is today.

We do break it down however where the kids that are most likely to go on to college will take the academic route in school and kids who most likely won't can go the business or basic route. I'd imagine the business route would be taken by students who might go on to a business school of sorts. We also have a program (at least in my state) that's call Vo Tech, which means it's a vocational technical school. I think kids can either start in that program in either 9 or 10th grade and what happens is, they'll go to their high school for their math's, sciences, English classes, and social studies. The core classes, but will then spend the remainder of the school day going to the Vo Tech school to learn a trade.

 

[VSL]

In the UK, 'school' (compulsory education) is over at 16yrs. You take GCSE's (usually about 9), and you are free to get a job. Anything after school is optional. It's not 'dropping out' or an option over here - it's just the end of school.

With good GCSE's you could get a job and work your way up to a high position in a company (or whatever).

GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education.
You don't get a general, all-round diploma over here. At 14yrs, you choose what subjects you want to pursue to GCSE level. Maths, English Lit., English Lang., and Single Science are compulsory. You can usually choose at least 5 other subjects (ie, I did Music, Art and Design, History, IT and Double Science).


The vast majority of teenagers choose to go to College (or stay on in Sixth Form - which is pretty much the same thing - if the school provides it). There, you can do an apprenticeship or take a variety of different courses. Most will do AS and A Levels.

AS = half of an A Level
A Level = Advanced Level (I believe!)

An AS Level takes one year, and an A Level takes two years.
(I have an AS Level in Sociology and A Levels in Psychology and History)


Then, if you wish, you can apply to Uni and do a degree.
(I am in my final year of a Joint Hons BA in Egyptology and Ancient History)


To give you a general idea:
In school, there were about 120 kids in my year group.
I'd say that about 50-70 went to College, but less than 20 of us completed it (ie, the rest 'dropped out' - but it's not compulsory anyway).
About 12 of us went to Uni
At least 2 of those have been kicked out.

Also, in the UK, only completion of University is (generally) seen as a 'real' graduation.

[BTW, I contemplated leaving College, and I had no intentions of going to Uni!]

 

[N.Bailey]

In the UK, 'school' (compulsory education) is over at 16yrs. You take GCSE's (usually about 9), and you are free to get a job. Anything after school is optional. It's not 'dropping out' or an option over here - it's just the end of school.

With good GCSE's you could get a job and work your way up to a high position in a company (or whatever).

GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education.
You don't get a general, all-round diploma over here. At 14yrs, you choose what subjects you want to pursue to GCSE level. Maths, English Lit., English Lang., and Single Science are compulsory. You can usually choose at least 5 other subjects (ie, I did Music, Art and Design, History, IT and Double Science).


The vast majority of teenagers choose to go to College (or stay on in Sixth Form - which is pretty much the same thing - if the school provides it). There, you can do an apprenticeship or take a variety of different courses. Most will do AS and A Levels.

AS = half of an A Level
A Level = Advanced Level (I believe!)

An AS Level takes one year, and an A Level takes two years.
(I have an AS Level in Sociology and A Levels in Psychology and History)


Then, if you wish, you can apply to Uni and do a degree.
(I am in my final year of a Joint Hons BA in Egyptology and Ancient History)


To give you a general idea:
In school, there were about 120 kids in my year group.
I'd say that about 50-70 went to College, but less than 20 of us completed it (ie, the rest 'dropped out' - but it's not compulsory anyway).
About 12 of us went to Uni
At least 2 of those have been kicked out.

Also, in the UK, only completion of University is (generally) seen as a 'real' graduation.

[BTW, I contemplated leaving College, and I had no intentions of going to Uni!]

and the OP thought our system was confusing?

I think you musta taken some classes in Dutch! (just teasing of course)