   #copyright

Education in the United States

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   CAPTION: Education in the United States


   Educational oversight
   Secretary
   Deputy Secretary
                                 U.S. Department of Education
                                 Margaret Spellings
                                 Raymond Simon
   National education budget     $1.14 trillion (public and private, all
                                 levels) ( 2007)
   Primary languages             English; some Spanish
   Federal, state, private system
   Established
   Activated
                                 October 17, 1979
                                 May 4, 1980
   Literacy (2003)
    • Men
    • Women                      97%
                                 97%
                                 97%
   Enrollment
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-secondary             76.6 million
                                 37.9 million^1
                                 16.4 million
                                 17.5 million ^2
   Attainment
    • Secondary diploma
    • Post-secondary diploma
                                 85%
                                 27%
   ^1Includes kindergarten
   ^2Includes graduate school

   Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with
   control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and
   local. At the elementary and secondary school levels, curricula,
   funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected
   school boards with jurisdiction over school districts. School districts
   are usually separate from other local jurisdictions in terms of
   officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing
   decisions are usually made by state governments.

   People are required to attend school until the age of 16-18 depending
   on the state. Many more states now require people to attend school
   until the age of 18. Some states have exemptions for those 14-18.
   Students may attend public, private, or home schools. In most public
   and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary
   school, junior high school, and senior high school. Grade levels in
   each vary from area to area.

   The United Nations assigned an Education Index of 99.9 to the United
   States, ranking it number 1 in the world, a position it shares with
   about 20 other nations. 76.6 million students were enrolled in K16
   study. Of these, 72 percent aged 12 to 17 were judged academically "on
   track" for their age (enrolled in school at or above grade level). Of
   those enrolled in compulsory education, 5.2 million (10.4 percent) were
   attending private schools. Among the country's adult population, over
   85 percent have completed high school and 27 percent have received a
   bachelor's degree or higher. The average salary for college graduates
   is $45,400, exceeding the national average by more than $10,000,
   according to a 2002 study by the U.S. Census Bureau.

   The country has a reading literacy rate at 98% of the population over
   age 15, while ranking below average in science and mathematics
   understanding. The poor performance has pushed public and private
   efforts such as the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, the ratio of
   college-educated adults entering the workforce to general population
   (33%) is slightly below the mean of other developed countries (35%) and
   rate of participation of the labor force in continuing education is
   high. However, a recent study showed that "A slightly higher proportion
   of American adults qualify as scientifically literate than European or
   Japanese adults".

School grades

   The U.S. uses ordinal numbers for naming grades, unlike Canada,
   Australia, and England where cardinal numbers are preferred. Thus, when
   asked what grade they are in, typical American children are more likely
   to say "fourth grade" rather than "Grade 4." Typical ages and grade
   groupings in public and private schools may be found through the U.S.
   Department of Education. Many different variations exist across the
   country.

Grading scale

   Questions about grading scales surface on ISED-L, the Independent
   School Educators List, from time to time. Although grading scales
   usually differ from school to school, the grade scale which seems to be
   most common is this one:

                            CAPTION: Grade scale

                               A B C D E or F
                               + - + - + - + -
     100-96 95-92 91-90 89-87 86-82 81-80 79-76 75-72 71-70 69-66 65-62
                               61-60 Below 60

Preschool

                                       CAPTION: Education in United States

                                            Post Doctorate              PD
                                                 Doctorate              Q4
                                                                        Q3
                                           Master's degree              G2
                                                                        G1
                                         Bachelor's degree              T4
                                                                        T3
                                                                        T2
                                                                        T1
                                               High School
                                                Ages 14-18    H12 (senior)
                                                              H11 (junior)
                                                           H10 (sophomore)
                                                             H9 (freshman)
                                             Middle School
                                                Ages 11-14              M8
                                                                        M7
                                                                        M6
                                         Elementary School
                                                 Ages 6-11              E5
                                                                        E4
                                                                        E3
                                                                        E2
                                                                        E1
                                              Kindergarten
                                                  Ages 5-6               K
                                          Pre-Kindergarten
                                                   Ages <5            P/P0
                                                  Post-secondary
                                                       K-12
                                                    Preschool

   There are no mandatory public preschool/prekindergarten or crèche
   programs in the United States. The federal government funds the Head
   Start preschool program for children of low-income families, but most
   families are on their own with regard to finding a preschool or
   childcare.

   In the large cities, there are sometimes upper-class preschools
   catering to the children of the wealthy. Because some upper-class
   families see these schools as the first step toward the Ivy League,
   there are even counselors who specialize in assisting parents and their
   toddlers through the preschool admissions process.

Elementary and secondary education

   Schooling is compulsory for all people in the United States, but the
   age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to
   state. Most people begin elementary education with first grade (usually
   five to seven years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth
   grade (usually eighteen years old). Typically, mandatory education
   starts with first grade and many times in kindergarten. Some states
   allow students to leave school at age 16 with parental permission,
   before finishing high school; other states require students to stay in
   school until age 18.

   Most parents send their children to either a public or private
   institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are
   enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the
   public schools, largely because they are "free" (tax burdens by school
   districts vary from area to area). Most students attend school for
   around six hours per day, and usually anywhere from 175 to 185 days per
   year. Most schools have a summer break period for about two and half
   months from June through August. This break is much longer than in many
   other nations. Originally, "summer vacation," as it is colloquially
   called, allowed students to participate in the harvest period during
   the summer. However, this is now relatively unnecessary and remains
   largely by tradition; it also has immense popular support.

   Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of
   children are educated in this manner. Proponents of home education
   invoke parental responsibility and the classical liberal arguments for
   personal freedom from government intrusion. Few proponents advocate
   that homeschooling should be the dominant educational policy. Most
   homeschooling advocates are wary of the established educational
   institutions for various reasons. Some are religious conservatives who
   see nonreligious education as contrary to their moral or religious
   systems. Others feel that they can more effectively tailor a curriculum
   to suit an individual student’s academic strengths and weaknesses,
   especially those with singular needs or disabilities. Still others feel
   that the negative social pressures of schools (such as bullying, drugs,
   crime, and other school-related problems) are detrimental to a child’s
   proper development. Parents often form groups to help each other in the
   homeschooling process, and may even assign classes to different
   parents, similar to public and private schools.

   Opposition to homeschooling comes from varied sources, including
   teachers' organizations and school districts. The National Education
   Association, the largest labor union in the United States, has been
   particularly vocal in the past. Opponents' stated concerns fall into
   several broad categories, including fears of poor academic quality,
   loss of income for the schools, and religious or social extremism, or
   lack of socialization with others. At this time, over half of states
   have oversight into monitoring or measuring the academic progress of
   home schooled students, with all but ten requiring some form of
   notification to the state.

Elementary school

   Many students in the United States use school buses.
   Many students in the United States use school buses.

   Elementary school, also known as grade school or grammar school, is a
   school of the first six grades (sometimes, first eight grades), where
   basic subjects are taught. Sometimes it includes kindergarten as well.
   Elementary school provides a common daily routine for all students
   except the most disadvantaged (those having singular needs or
   disabilities). Students do not choose a course structure and often
   remain in one or two classrooms throughout the school day, with the
   exceptions of physical education ("P.E." or "gym"), music, and/or art
   classes.

   Typically, curriculum within public elementary education is determined
   by individual school districts. The school district selects curriculum
   guides and textbooks that are reflective of a state's learning
   standards and benchmarks for a given grade level. Learning Standards
   are the goals by which states and school districts must meet AYP or
   adequate yearly progress as mandatated by No Child Left Behind. This
   description of school governance is simplistic at best, however, and
   school systems vary widely not only in the way curricular decisions are
   made but in how teaching and learning takes place. Some states and/or
   school districts impose more top-down mandates than others. In many
   schools, teachers play a significant role in curriculum design and
   there are few top-down mandates. Curricular decisions within private
   schools are made differently than in public schools and in most cases
   without consideration for NCLB.

   Public Elementary School teachers typically instruct between twenty and
   thirty students of diverse learning needs. A typical classroom will
   include children with identified special needs as listed in Individuals
   with Disabilities Act IDEA to those that are cognitively, athletically
   or artistically gifted. At times an individual school district
   identifies areas of need within the curriculum. Teachers and advisory
   administrators form committees to develop supplemental materials to
   support learning for diverse learners and identify enrichment for
   textbooks. Many school districts post information about the curriculum
   and supplemental materials on websites for public access. Teachers
   receive a book to give to the students for each subject and brief
   overviews of what they are expected to teach. In general, a student
   learns basic arithmetic and sometimes rudimentary algebra in
   mathematics, English proficiency (such as basic grammar, spelling, and
   vocabulary), and fundamentals of other subjects. Learning standards are
   identified for all areas of curriculum by individual States, including
   those for math, social studies, science, physical development, the fine
   arts as well as reading. While the concept of State Learning standards
   has been around for some time, No Child Left Behind has mandated
   standards exist at the State level.

   Elementary School teachers are trained with emphases on human cognitive
   and psychological development and the principles of curriculum
   development and instruction earning either a Bachelors or Masters
   Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. The teaching of
   social studies and science are often underdeveloped in some elementary
   school programs and some attribute this to the fact that elementary
   school teachers are trained as generalists. However, teachers attribute
   this to the priority placed on developing reading, writing and math
   proficiency in the elementary grades and the amount of time needed to
   do so. Reading, writing and math proficiency greatly affect performance
   in social studies, science and other content areas. Certification
   standards for teachers are determined by individual States, with
   individual colleges and universities determining the rigor of the
   college education provided for future teachers. Some states require
   content area tests as well as instructional skills tests to be
   certified as a teacher within that state. Social studies may include
   key events, documents, understandings, and concepts in American and
   world history and geography and, in some programs, state or local
   history and geography; science varies widely. Most States have
   predetermined the number of minutes that will be taught within a given
   content area. As No Child Left Behind focuses on reading and math as
   primary targets for improvement, other instructional areas have
   received less attention. There is much discussion within educational
   circles about the justification and impact of singularly focusing on
   reading and math as tested areas for improvement.

Junior and senior high school

   Leonia Middle School, in Leonia, New Jersey
   Leonia Middle School, in Leonia, New Jersey

   Junior high school is any school intermediate between elementary school
   and senior high school. It usually includes grades seven and eight, and
   sometimes six or nine. The term "Middle School" has supplanted "Junior
   High School" in the last twenty years because educators no longer
   wanted intermediate education to be based on a high school model,
   believing it to be inappropriate. In some locations, intermediate
   school includes grade nine only, allowing students to adjust to a high
   school environment. However, the goal of middle schools in recent years
   has been to address the unique educational and developmental needs of
   early adolescents, therefore middle schools have attempted to create a
   learning environment that is different from elementary school and
   different from high school. At this time, students begin to enroll in
   class schedules where they take classes from several teachers in a
   given day, unlike in elementary school where most classes are taught by
   the same teacher. The classes are usually a strict set of science,
   math, English, and social science courses, interspersed with a reading
   and/or technology class. Many schools now require a world language
   course. Every grade from kindergarten through ninth grade usually
   includes a mandatory physical education (P.E.) class. Student-chosen
   courses, known as electives, are generally limited to only one or two
   classes. Starting in ninth grade, grades become part of a student’s
   official transcript. Future employers or colleges may want to see
   steady improvement in grades and a good attendance record on the
   official transcript. Therefore, students are encouraged to take much
   more responsibility for their education.
   Image:IMG 0865 1.JPG
   Great Neck South High School, in New York.

   Senior high school is a school attended after middle school or junior
   high school. High school is often used instead of senior high school
   and distinguished from junior high school.

Basic curricular structure

   Generally, at the secondary school level, students take a broad variety
   of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject.
   Curricula vary widely in quality and rigidity; for example, some states
   consider 70 (on a 100-point scale) to be a passing grade, while others
   consider it to be as low as 60 or as high as 75.

   The following are the typical minimum course sequences that one must
   take in order to obtain a high school diploma; they are not indicative
   of the necessary minimum courses or course rigor required for attending
   college in the United States:
     * Science (usually three years minimum, including biology, chemistry,
       physics)
     * Mathematics (usually three years minimum, including algebra,
       geometry, algebra II, and/or precalculus/trigonometry)
     * English (four years)
     * Social Science (various history, government, and economics courses,
       always including American history)
     * Physical education (at least one year)

   Many states require a "health" course in which students learn about
   anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, and birth control. Anti-drug
   use programs are also usually part of health courses. Foreign language
   and some form of art education are also a mandatory part of the
   curriculum in some schools.

Electives

   Many secondary schools offer a wide variety of elective courses,
   although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular
   school's financial resources and desired curriculum emphases.

   Common types of electives include:
     * Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, film)
     * Performing Arts (drama, band, chorus, orchestra, dance)
     * Technology education ("Shop"; woodworking, metalworking, automobile
       repair, robotics)
     * Computers ( word processing, programming, graphic design)
     * Athletics ( cross country, football, baseball, basketball, track
       and field, swimming, gymnastics, water polo, soccer)
     * Publishing ( journalism/ student newspaper, yearbook, literary
       magazine)
     * Foreign languages (French, German, and Spanish are common; Chinese,
       Latin, Greek and Japanese are less common)

Additional options for gifted students

   The 2005 Presidential Scholars with President Bush and Secretary
   Spellings.
   The 2005 Presidential Scholars with President Bush and Secretary
   Spellings.

   Not all schools require the same rigor of course work. Students perform
   to their highest possible potential when they are given less free time,
   such as free periods and open classes. This causes for a break in the
   mental process and puts the students at a disadvantage when it comes to
   test taking. (Dr. Harvey 2002). Most senior high, junior high, and
   elementary schools offer "honours" or "gifted" classes for motivated
   and gifted students, where the quality of education is usually higher
   and more demanding. There are also magnet schools that may have
   competitive entrance requirements.

   If funds are available, a high school may provide Advanced Placement or
   International Baccalaureate courses, which are special forms of honours
   classes. AP or IB courses are usually taken during the 11th or 12th
   grade of high school, either as a replacement for a typical required
   course (e.g., taking AP U.S. History as a replacement for standard U.S.
   History), a continuation of a subject (e.g., taking AP Biology in the
   12th grade even though one already took Biology in the 9th grade), or a
   completely new field of study (e.g., AP Economics or AP Computer
   Science).

   Most post-secondary institutions take AP or IB exam results into
   consideration in the admissions process. Because AP and IB courses are
   intended to be the equivalent of the first year of college courses,
   post-secondary institutions may grant unit credit which enables
   students to graduate early. Other institutions use examinations for
   placement purposes only: students are exempted from introductory course
   work but may not receive credit towards a concentration, degree, or
   core requirement. Institutions vary in the selection of examinations
   they accept and the scores they require to grant credit or placement,
   with more elite institutions tending to accept fewer examinations and
   requiring higher scoring. The lack of AP, IB, and other advanced
   courses in impoverished inner-city high schools is often seen as a
   major cause of the greatly differing levels of post-secondary education
   these graduates go on to receive, compared with both public and private
   schools in wealthier neighborhoods.

   Also, in states with well-developed community college systems, there
   are often mechanisms by which gifted students may seek permission from
   their school district to attend community college courses full time
   during the summer, and during weekends and evenings during the school
   year. The units earned this way can often be transferred to one's
   university, and can facilitate early graduation. Early college entrance
   programs are a step further, with students enrolling as freshmen at a
   younger-than-traditional age.

Extracurricular activities

   Image:High school football.jpg
   High school football games in the United States are major events for
   the school and often the community.

   A major characteristic of American schools is the high priority given
   to sports, clubs and activities by the community, the parents, the
   schools and the students themselves. Many elementary, junior high, and
   senior high students participate in extracurricular activity.
   Extracurricular activity is educational activities not falling within
   the scope of the regular curriculum but under the supervision of the
   school. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside
   the normal school day; home-schooled students, however, are not
   normally allowed to participate. Student participation in sports
   programs, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of
   practices and performances. Most states have organizations which
   develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are
   usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a
   prerequisite for participation. Many schools also have non-varsity
   sports teams, however these are usually afforded less resources and
   attention. The idea of having sports teams associated with high schools
   is relatively unique to the United States in comparison with other
   countries.

   Sports programs and their related games, especially football and/or
   basketball, are major events for American students and for larger
   schools can be a major source of funds for school districts. Schools
   may sell "spirit" shirts to wear to games; school stadiums and
   gymnasiums are often filled to capacity, even for non-sporting
   competitions.
   The North Mesquite High School band performs at a marching band
   competition, one of many types of extracurricular activities engaged in
   by American students
   The North Mesquite High School band performs at a marching band
   competition, one of many types of extracurricular activities engaged in
   by American students

   High school athletic competitions often generate intense interest in
   the community. Inner city schools serving poor students are heavily
   scouted by college and even professional coaches, with national
   attention given to which colleges outstanding high school students
   choose to attend. State high school championship tournaments football
   and basketball attract high levels of public interest.

   In addition to sports, numerous non-athletic extracurricular activities
   are available in American schools, both public and private. Activities
   include musical groups, marching bands, student government, school
   newspapers, science fairs, debate teams, and clubs focused on an
   academic area, such as the Spanish Club.

Standardized testing

   Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all American states must test
   students in public schools statewide to ensure that they are achieving
   the desired level of minimum education, such as on the Regents
   Examinations in New York or the Pennsylvania System of School
   Assessment (PSSA); students being educated at home or in private
   schools are not included. The Act also requires that students and
   schools show "adequate yearly progress." This means they must show some
   improvement each year.

   Although these tests may have revealed the results of student learning,
   they may have little value to help strengthen the students' academic
   weakness. For example, in most states, the results of the testing would
   not be known until six months later. At that time, the students have
   been promoted to the next grade or entering a new school. The students
   are not given a chance to review the questions and their own answers
   but their percentile of the test results are compared with their own
   peers. To address this situation many school districts have implemented
   MAP. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests are state-aligned
   computerized adaptive assessments that measure the instructional level
   of each student's growth over time.

   This research based testing allows elementary school teachers to have
   on going access to student progress. Teachers using this system can
   identify strengths and weaknessess of individual students and remediate
   where necessary. When a student fails to make adequate yearly progress,
   No Child Left Behind mandates remediation through summer school and/or
   tutoring be made available to a given student.

   During high school, students (usually in 11th grade) may take one or
   more standardized tests depending on their postsecondary education
   preferences and their local graduation requirements. In theory, these
   tests evaluate the overall level of knowledge and learning aptitude of
   the students. The SAT and ACT are the most common standardized tests
   that students take when applying to college. A student may take the
   SAT, ACT, or both depending upon the college the student plans to apply
   to for admission. Most competitive schools also require two or three
   SAT Subject Tests, (formerly known as SAT IIs), which are shorter exams
   that focus strictly on a particular subject matter. However, all these
   tests serve little to no purpose for students who do not move on to
   postsecondary education, so they can usually be skipped without
   affecting one's ability to graduate.

Education of students with special needs

   In the United States, education for children identified with
   disabilities is structured to adhere as closely as possible to the same
   experience received by their typically developing peers. This is
   perhaps one one of the more unique concepts of education within the
   United States of America. Within the Federal law, all children are
   entitled to a free and appropriate public education, FAPE, as mandated
   in the Individuals with Disabilities Act IDEA. Blind and deaf students
   usually have separate classes in which they spend most of their day,
   but may sit in on normal classes with guides or interpreters.

   People identified with special needs such as borderline mental
   retardation are required to attend the same amount of time as other
   students. Federal law requires that states ensure that all school
   districts provide services to meet the individual needs of students
   with disabilities IDEA. Students must be placed in the Least
   Restrictive Environment (LRE). This means that school districts must
   meet with the parents to develop an Individualized Educational Plan
   that determines best placement for their child. School districts that
   fail to provide an appropriate placement for children identified with
   special needs can be taken to due process wherein parents may legally
   and formally submit their grievances and demand appropriate services
   for their child.

   Some children with developmental delays and other disabilities are
   placed in self contained classrooms. These special education classrooms
   are provided for children who do not benefit educationally, socially or
   emotionally from a standard classroom placement. These classes,
   commonly known as special education or special ed, are taught by
   teachers with training in adapting curriculum to meet the needs of
   children identified with special needs. Depending on the degree and
   severity of mental impairment, social/emotional or physical
   disabilities, students with special needs may participate in regular
   education classes with typically developing peers classes as much as
   the child might benefit from such a placement. When a child with
   special needs is placed in a regular classroom for all or part of his
   educational experience, Special Education Teachers are responsible for
   providing adaptive supports and modifications to allow for the child to
   learn within that environment. This educational setting is known as
   inclusion. All adaptations and modifications should be relevant to the
   child's disability and appropriate to the identified disability. The
   level of inclusion that is provided varies greatly within different
   school districts. Children receiving Special Education services are
   entitled by law to an annual review of yearly progress as well as an
   evaluation every three years to determine the needs for continued
   services. Parents who have specific desires for their child's education
   must act as advocates to assure their child's best interests are being
   met.

   In order to more clearly determine students as disabled, the federal
   government defined thirteen categories of disabilities. These included
   autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, mental
   retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health
   impairment, serious emotional disturbance, specific learning
   disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and
   visual impairment. Sometimes these students are able to attend special
   sessions during the day to supplement regular class time; here they
   often receive extra instruction or perform easier work. The goal of
   these programs, however, is to try to bring everyone up to the same
   standard and provide equal opportunity to those students who are
   challenged. The federal government supports the standards developed in
   the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.
   The law mandates that schools must accommodate students with
   disabilities as defined by the act, and specifies methods for funding
   the sometimes large costs of providing them with the necessary
   facilities. Larger districts are often able to provide more adequate
   and quality care for those with special needs.

Public and Private schools

   Unlike most other industrialized countries, the United States does not
   have a centralized educational system on the national scale. Thus, K-12
   students in most areas have a choice between free taxpayer-funded
   public schools and private schools.

   Public school systems are supported by a combination of local, state,
   and federal government funding. Because a large portion of school
   revenues come from local property taxes, public schools vary widely in
   the resources they have available per student. Class size also varies
   significantly from one district to another. Generally, schools in more
   affluent areas are more highly regarded; it is this fact that is often
   blamed for very low social mobility in America. Curriculum decisions in
   public schools are made largely at the local and state levels; the
   federal government has limited influence. In most districts a locally
   elected school board runs schools. The school board appoints an
   official called the superintendent of schools to manage the schools in
   the district. The largest public school system in the United States is
   in New York City, where more than one million students are taught in
   1,200 separate public schools. Because of its immense size - there are
   more students in the system than residents in eight US states - the New
   York City public school system is nationally influential in determining
   standards and materials like text books.
   Lawrence Academy is a private boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts.
   Lawrence Academy is a private boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts.

   All public school systems are required to provide an education free of
   charge to everyone of school age in their districts. Admission to
   individual public schools is usually based on residency. To compensate
   for differences in school quality based on geography, large cities
   often have " magnet schools" that provide enrollment to a specified
   number of non-resident students in addition to serving all resident
   students. This special enrollment is usually decided by lottery with
   equal numbers of boys and girls chosen. Some magnet schools cater to
   gifted students or to students with special interests, such as the
   sciences or performing arts. Admission to some of these schools is
   highly competitive and based on an application process.

   Private schools in the United States include parochial schools
   affiliated with religious denominations, non-profit independent
   schools, and for-profit private schools. Private schools charge varying
   rates depending on geographic location, the school's expenses, and the
   availability of funding from sources other than tuition. For example,
   some churches partially subsidize private schools for their members.
   Some people have argued that when their child attends a private school,
   they should be able to take the funds that the public school no longer
   needs and apply that money towards private school tuition in the form
   of vouchers; this is the basis of the school choice movement.

   Private schools have various missions: Some cater to college-bound
   students seeking a competitive edge in the college admissions process;
   others are for gifted students, students with learning disabilities or
   other special needs, or students with specific religious affiliations.
   Some cater to families seeking a small school with a nurturing,
   supportive environment. Unlike public school systems, private schools
   have no legal obligation to accept any interested student. Admission to
   some private schools is highly selective. Private schools also have the
   ability to permanently expel persistently unruly students, a
   disciplinary option not always legally available to public school
   systems. Private schools offer the advantages of smaller classes, under
   twenty students in a typical elementary classroom, for example; a
   higher teacher/student ratio across the school day, greater
   individualized attention and in the more competitive schools, expert
   college placement services. Unless specifically designed to do so,
   private schools usually cannot offer the services required by students
   with serious or multiple learning, emotional or behavioural issues.
   Although reputed to pay lower salaries than public school systems,
   private schools often attract teachers by offering high-quality
   professional development opportunities, including tuition grants for
   advanced degrees. This investment in faculty development helps maintain
   the high quality program that elite private schools claim to offer.

   The United States Department of Education released a statement recently
   detailing the average cost per pupil in public and private schools and
   found that the average public school cost was approximately USD$7,200
   per student while the average private school cost per pupil was just
   USD$3,500. The Department of Education also stated that less than 25%
   of private schools are considered "elite," costing more than $10,000 a
   year. In contrast, private schools in East Asia average around
   USD$1,400 per year.

College and University

   Post-secondary education in the United States is known as college or
   university and commonly consists of four years of study at an
   institution of higher learning. Like high school, the four
   undergraduate grades are commonly called freshman, sophomore, junior,
   and senior years (alternately called first year, second year, etc.).
   Students traditionally apply to receive admission into college, with
   varying difficulties of entrance. Schools differ in their
   competitiveness and reputation; generally, the most prestigious schools
   are private, rather than public. Admissions criteria involve the rigor
   and grades earned in high school courses taken, the students GPA, class
   ranking, and standardized test scores (Such as the SAT or the ACT
   tests). Most colleges also consider more subjective factors such as a
   commitment to extracurricular activities, a personal essay, and an
   interview. While numerical factors rarely ever are absolute required
   values, each college usually has a rough threshold below which
   admission is unlikely.
   The Stata Center for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences at
   Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.
   The Stata Centre for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences at
   Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.

   Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study, which consists
   of satisfying university and class requirements to achieve a bachelor's
   degree in a field of concentration known as a major. (Some students
   enroll in double majors or "minor" in another field of study.) The most
   common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of
   Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes (but rarely)
   another bachelor's degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.),
   Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or
   Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture
   programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.)

   Unlike in the British model, degrees in law and medicine are not
   offered at the undergraduate level and are completed as graduate study
   after earning a bachelor's degree. Neither field specifies or prefers
   any undergraduate major, though medicine has set prerequisite courses
   that must be taken before enrollment.

   Some students choose to attend a community college for two years prior
   to further study at another college or university. In most states,
   community colleges are operated either by a division of the state
   university or by local special districts subject to guidance from a
   state agency. Community colleges may award Associate of Arts (AA) or
   Associate of Science (AS) degree after two years. Those seeking to
   continue their education may transfer to a four-year college or
   university (after applying through a similar admissions process as
   those applying directly to the four-year institution, see
   articulation). Some community colleges have automatic enrollment
   agreements with a local four-year college, where the community college
   provides the first two years of study and the university provides the
   remaining years of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community
   college awards the associate's degree, and the university awards the
   bachelor's and master's degrees.
   Homer statue at the University of Virginia
   Homer statue at the University of Virginia

   Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial degree and
   sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more
   advanced degree such as a master's degree, which could be a Master of
   Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration
   (MBA), or other less common master's degrees such as Master of
   Education (MEd), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). After additional years
   of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a master's
   degree, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D.) or other
   doctoral degree, such as Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, Doctor of
   Theology, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical
   Therapy, or Doctor of Jurisprudence. Some programs, such as medicine,
   have formal apprenticeship procedures post-graduation like residency
   and internship which must be completed after graduation and before one
   is considered to be fully trained. Other professional programs like law
   and business have no formal apprenticeship requirements after
   graduation (although law school graduates must take the bar exam in
   order to legally practice law in nearly all states).

   Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a student's
   undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well
   as their score on a standardized entrance exam like the GRE (graduate
   schools in general), the LSAT (law), the GMAT (business), or the MCAT
   (medicine). Many graduate and law schools do not require experience
   after earning a bachelor's degree to enter their programs; however,
   business school candidates are usually required to gain a few years of
   professional work experience before applying. Only 8.9 percent of
   students ever receive postgraduate degrees, and most, after obtaining
   their bachelor's degree, proceed directly into the workforce.

Cost

   The vast majority of students (up to 70 percent) lack the financial
   resources to pay tuition up front and must rely on student loans and
   scholarships from their university, the federal government, or a
   private lender. All but a few charity institutions charge all students
   tuition, although scholarships (both merit-based and need-based) are
   widely available. Generally, private universities charge much higher
   tuition than their public counterparts, which rely on state funds to
   make up the difference. Because each state supports its own university
   system with state taxes, most public universities charge much higher
   rates for out-of-state students. Private universities are generally
   considered to be of higher quality than public universities, although
   there are many exceptions.
   The courtyard of Balch Hall at Cornell University
   The courtyard of Balch Hall at Cornell University

   Annual undergraduate tuition varies widely from state to state, and
   many additional fees apply. A typical year's tuition at a public
   university (for residents of the state) is about $5,000. Tuition for
   public school students from outside the state is generally comparable
   to private school prices, although students can generally get state
   residency after their first year. Private schools are typically much
   higher, although prices vary widely from "no-frills" private schools to
   highly specialized technical institutes. Depending upon the type of
   school and program, annual graduate program tuition can vary from
   $15,000 to as high as $40,000. Note that these prices do not include
   living expenses (rent, room/board, etc.) or additional fees that
   schools add on such as "activities fees" or health insurance. These
   fees, especially room and board, can range from $6,000 to $12,000 per
   academic year (assuming a single student without children).

   College costs are rising at the same time that state appropriations for
   aid are shrinking. This has led to debate over funding at both the
   state and local levels. From 2002 to 2004 alone, tuition rates at
   public schools increased by just over 14 percent, largely due to
   dwindling state funding. A more moderate increase of 6 percent occurred
   over the same period for private schools.

The status ladder

   Memorial Hall at Harvard College
   Memorial Hall at Harvard College

   American college and university faculty, staff, alumni, students, and
   applicants monitor rankings produced by magazines such as U.S. News and
   World Report, Academic Ranking of World Universities, test preparation
   services such as The Princeton Review or another university itself such
   as the Top American Research Universities by the University of
   Florida's TheCenter. These rankings are based on factors like brand
   recognition, selectivity in admissions, generosity of alumni donors,
   and volume of faculty research.

   In terms of brand recognition, the United States' best known university
   is Harvard. Seemingly, Harvard alumni often gain prominence in American
   business, education, and society; for this reason, it has become
   entrenched in popular mind as America's 'top' school. Various Hollywood
   movies depict Harvard as the ultimate example of the academic " ivory
   tower," (e.g., Legally Blonde, Soul Man, The Paper Chase, etc).

   In the popular mind, approximately twenty-five institutions compose the
   "top tier" of American higher learning. Most would cite the eight
   universities that compose the Ivy League and a small number of elite,
   private research universities (e.g., Washington University in St.
   Louis, Caltech, the University of Chicago, Duke, Johns Hopkins, MIT,
   Northwestern, Stanford, etc.)

   A small percentage of students who apply to these Ivy League schools
   gain admission. Many Americans would also cite the " Little Ivies," a
   handful of elite liberal arts college known for their high-quality
   instruction. These include Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, Swarthmore,
   etc. Others would cite all-female institutions such as Wellesley and
   Smith, former members of the " Seven Sisters."
   A woman walks across the University of Chicago.
   A woman walks across the University of Chicago.

   This "ladder" is not absolute, however. Top public universities
   (sometimes referred to as " Public Ivies"), such as the University of
   California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, University of Washington,
   and the University of Virginia actually perform better than various
   private universities in many measurements of graduate education and
   research quality. Among engineering schools, Ivy League universities
   are outranked by multiple public and other private universities.

   Each state in the United States maintains its own public university
   system, which is always non-profit. The State University of New York
   and the California State University are the largest public higher
   education systems in the United States; SUNY is the largest system that
   includes community colleges, while CSU is the largest without. Most
   areas also have private institutions which may be for-profit or
   non-profit. Unlike many other nations, there are no public universities
   at the national level outside of the military service academies. Many
   states have two separate state university systems. The faculty of the
   more prestigious system are expected to conduct advanced cutting-edge
   research in addition to teaching (the naming convention usually runs
   "University of ___" for the upper tier, e.g. the University of
   California), while the less prestigious is focused on quality of
   teaching and producing the next generation of teachers (usually named
   "___ State University," e.g., California State University). The
   second-tier university systems are often the descendants of
   19th-century normal schools. Note that Texas has six (6) separate state
   university systems: the University of Texas System, the Texas Tech
   University System, the Texas A&M University System, the University of
   Houston System, the University of North Texas System, and the Texas
   State University System.

   Prospective students applying to attend one of the five military
   academies require, with limited exceptions, nomination by a member of
   Congress. Like acceptance to "top tier" universities, competition for
   these limited nominations is intense and must be accompanied by
   superior scholastic achievement and evidence of "leadership potential."
   Suzzallo Library at University of Washington
   Suzzallo Library at University of Washington

   Aside from these aforementioned schools, academic reputations vary
   widely among the 'middle-tier' of American schools, (and even among
   academic departments within each of these schools.) Most public and
   private institutions fall into this 'middle' range. Some institutions
   feature honours colleges or other rigorous programs that challenge
   academically exceptional students, who might otherwise attend a
   'top-tier' college. Aware of the status attached to the perception of
   the college that they attend, students often apply to a range of
   schools. Some apply to a relatively prestigious school with a low
   acceptance rate, gambling on the chance of acceptance, and also apply
   to a " safety school," to which they will certainly gain admission.

   Low status institutions include community colleges. These are primarily
   two-year public institutions, which individual states usually require
   to accept all local residents who seek admission, and offer associate's
   degrees or vocational certificate programs. Many community colleges
   have relationships with four-year state universities and colleges or
   even private universities which enable their students to transfer
   relatively smoothly to these universities for a four-year degree after
   completing a two-year program at the community college.

   Regardless of perceived prestige, many institutions feature (at least
   one) distinguished academic department, and most Americans attend one
   of the 2,400 four-year colleges and universities or 1,700 two-year
   colleges not included among the twenty-five or so 'top-tier'
   institutions. For this reason (among others,) America's higher
   education status ladder remains highly controversial, and certainly not
   beyond reproach. For example, prestigious Reed College famously refuses
   to participate in institutional rankings, insisting that one cannot
   quantify the qualitative. Similarly, Bard College president Leon
   Botstein said of U.S. News' annual rankings; "it is the most successful
   journalistic scam I have seen in my entire adult lifetime -- corrupt,
   intellectually bankrupt and revolting."

Contemporary education issues

   Major educational issues in the United States centre on curriculum,
   funding, and control. Of critical importance, because of its enormous
   implications on education and funding, is the No Child Left Behind Act.

Curriculum issues

   Curriculum in the United States varies widely from district to
   district. Not only do schools offer an incredible range of topics and
   quality, but private schools may include religious classes as mandatory
   for attendance (this also begets the problem of government funding
   vouchers; see below). This has produced camps of argument over the
   standardization of curriculum and to what degree. Some feel that
   schools should be nationalized and the curriculum changed to a national
   standard. These same groups often are advocates of standardized
   testing, which is mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Aside from
   who controls the curriculum, groups argue over the teaching of the
   English language, evolution, and sex education.
   President George W. Bush signing the No Child Left Behind Act
   President George W. Bush signing the No Child Left Behind Act

   A large issue facing the curriculum today is the use of the English
   language in teaching. English is spoken by over 95% of the nation, and
   there is a strong national tradition of upholding English as the de
   facto official language. Some 9.7 million children aged 5 to 17
   primarily speak a language other than English at home. Of those, about
   1.3 million children speak English "not well" or "not at all." While a
   few, mostly Hispanic, groups want bilingual education, the majority of
   school districts are attempting to use English as a Second Language
   (ESL) course to teach Spanish-speaking students English. In addition,
   many feel there are threats to the "integrity" of the language itself.
   For example, there has been discussion about whether to classify as a
   "second language" the dialect called African American Vernacular
   English (known colloquially as Ebonics, a portmanteau of "ebony" and
   "phonics"). While it is not taught in any American schools, debate
   continues over its place in education.

   In 1999 the School Board of the state of Kansas caused controversy when
   it decided to eliminate testing of evolution in its state assessment
   tests. This caused outrage among scientists and average citizens alike,
   but was widely supported in Kansas. However, intense media coverage and
   the national spotlight persuaded the board to eventually overturn the
   decision. As of 2005 such controversies have not abated. Not
   surprisingly, scientific observers stress the importance of evolution
   in the curriculum and some dislike the idea of intelligent design or
   creationist ideas being taught since it brings religions, like Islam
   and Christianity, into disscussion. Some fundamentalist religious and "
   family values" groups, on the other hand, stress the need to teach
   creationism in the public schools. While a majority of United States
   citizens approve of teaching evolution, a majority also support
   teaching intelligent design and/or creationism in public schools.
   Support for evolution was also found to be greater among the more
   educated.

   Today, sex education ("sex ed") in the United States is highly
   controversial. Many schools attempt to avoid the study as much as
   possible, confining it to a unit in health classes. There are few
   specifically sex education classes in existence. Also, because
   President Bush has called for abstinence-only sex education and has the
   power to withhold funding, many schools are backing away from
   instructing students in the use of birth control or contraceptives.

   However, according to a 2004 survey, a majority of the 1001 parent
   groups polled wants complete sex education in the schools. The American
   people are heavily divided over the issue. Many agreed with the
   statement "Sex education in school makes it easier for me to talk to my
   child about sexual issues," while a proportion disagreed with the
   statement that their children were being exposed to "subjects I don't
   think my child should be discussing." Also, only 10 percent believed
   that their children's sexual education class forced them to discuss
   sexual issues "too early." On the other hand, 49 percent of the
   respondents (the largest group) were only "somewhat confident" that the
   values taught in their children's sex ed classes were similar to those
   taught at home, and 23 percent were less confident still. (The margin
   of error was plus or minus 4.7 percent.)

   There is constant debate over which subjects should receive the most
   focus, with astronomy and geography among those cited as not being
   taught enough in schools.

Funding

   Funding for schools in the United States is complex. One current
   controversy stems much from the No Child Left Behind Act. The Act gives
   the Department of Education the right to withhold funding if it
   believes a school, district, or even a state is not complying and is
   making no effort to comply. However, federal funding accounts for
   little of the overall funding schools receive. The vast majority comes
   from the state government and from local property taxes. Various
   groups, many of whom are teachers, constantly push for more funding.
   They point to many different situations, such as the fact that in many
   schools, teachers, especially those at the elementary level, must
   supplement their supplies with purchases of their own.

   Property taxes as a primary source of funding for public education have
   become highly controversial, for a number of reasons. First, if a
   state's population and land values escalating rapidly, many longtime
   residents may find themselves paying property taxes much higher than
   anticipated. In response to this phenomenon, California's citizens
   passed Proposition 13 in 1978, which severely restricted the ability of
   the Legislature to expand the state's educational system to keep up
   with growth.

   Another issue is that many parents of private school and homeschooled
   children have taken issue with the idea of paying for an education
   their children are not receiving. However, tax proponents point out
   that every person pays property taxes for public education, not just
   parents of school-age children. Indeed, without it schools would not
   have enough money to remain open. Still, parents of students who go to
   private schools want to use this money instead to fund their children's
   private education. This is the foundation of the school voucher
   movement. School voucher programs were proposed by free-market
   advocates seeking competition in education, led by economist Milton
   Friedman. Herbst (2005) describes the evolution of voucher programs.

   One of the biggest debates in funding public schools is funding by
   local taxes or state taxes. The federal government supplies around 8.5%
   of the public school system funds, according to a 2005 report by the
   National Centre for Education Statistics. The remaining split between
   state and local governments averages 48.7 percent from states and 42.8
   percent from local sources. However, the division varies widely. In
   Hawaii local funds make up only 1.7 percent, while state sources
   account for nearly 90.1 percent.

   At the college and university level, funding becomes an issue due to
   the sheer complexity of gaining it. Some of the reason for the
   confusion at the college/university level in the United States is that
   student loan funding is split in half; half is managed by the
   Department of Education directly, called the Federal Direct Student
   Loan Program (FDSLP). The other half is managed by commercial entities
   such as banks, credit unions, and financial services firms such as
   Sallie Mae, under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).
   Some schools accept only FFELP loans; others accept only FDSLP. Still
   others accept both, and a few schools will not accept either, in which
   case students must seek out private alternatives for student loans.

Charter Schools

   Herbst (2006) explains the charter-school movement was born in 1990.
   Charter schools have spread rapidly in the United States, based on the
   promise to create less bureaucratic schools that vest "management
   authority in a group of community members, parents, teachers, and
   students" to allow for the "expression of diverse teaching philosophies
   and cultural and social life styles" (Herbst p. 107). Herbst ultimately
   maintains that charter schools have produced mixed results. Recent
   studies confirm that charter-school students do not out-perform their
   public-school counterparts. Herbst concludes that federal intervention
   in public and private education has only increased since the 1990s. The
   federal government's involvement culminated in the No Child Left Behind
   Act of 2001, which extends federal oversight of state schools and
   grants parents the choice of removing their children from persistently
   failing schools.

Control

   There is some debate about where control for education actually lies.
   Education is not mentioned in the constitution of the United States. In
   the current situation, the state and national governments have a
   power-sharing arrangement, with the states exercising most of the
   control. Like other arrangements between the two, the federal
   government uses the threat of decreased funding to enforce laws
   pertaining to education. Furthermore, within each state there are
   different types of control. Some states have a statewide school system,
   while others delegate power to county, city or township-level school
   boards. However, under the Bush administration, initiatives such as the
   No Child Left Behind Act have attempted to assert more central control
   in a heavily decentralized system.

   The U.S. federal government exercises its control through the U.S.
   Department of Education. School accreditation decisions are made by
   voluntary regional associations. Schools in the 50 states and the
   District of Columbia teach in English, while schools in the territory
   of Puerto Rico teach in Spanish. Nonprofit private schools are
   widespread, are largely independent of the government, and include
   secular as well as parochial schools.

Competitiveness

   The national results in international comparisons have often been below
   the average of developed countries. In OECD's Programme for
   International Student Assessment 2003, 15 year olds ranked 24th of 38
   in mathematics, 19th of 38 in science, 12th of 38 in reading, and 26th
   of 38 in problem solving. In addition, many business leaders have
   expressed concerns that the quality of education given in the US system
   is generally below acceptable standards, and should be adapted in order
   to conform to the needs of an evolving world. Bill Gates has famously
   stated that the American high school is "obsolete".

History

US related topics

   Major topics in the United States
   History Timeline ( Pre-Columbian • Colonial America • Thirteen Colonies
   • Declaration of Independence and American Revolution • Westward
   Expansion • Civil War • World War I • Great Depression • World War II •
   Korean War • Cold War • Vietnam War • Civil Rights) • Foreign relations
   • Military • Demographic • Industrial • Postal
   Government Law (Constitution • Bill of Rights • Separation of powers) •
   Legislative branch (House • Senate) • Executive Branch ( Cabinet •
   Federal agencies) • Judicial Branch (Supreme Court • Appeals)
   Politics Political parties ( Democrats • Republicans) • Elections (
   Electoral College) • Political scandals • Red state vs. blue state
   divide • Uncle Sam
   Geography Political divisions • Territory • States • Cities • Counties
   • Regions ( New England • Mid-Atlantic • The South • Midwest • Great
   Plains • Northwest • Southwest) • Mountains ( Appalachian • Rocky) •
   Rivers (Mississippi • Colorado) • Valleys • Islands • Extreme points •
   National Park System • Water supply and sanitation
   Economy U.S. Dollar • Companies • Wall Street • Federal Reserve •
   Banking • Standard of living ( Personal and Household income •
   Homeownership) • Communications • Transportation ( Cars and Highways •
   Airports • Railroads) • Tourism
   Society Demographics • Languages (American English • Spanish) •
   Religion • Social class ( American Dream • Affluence • Middle class •
   Poverty • Educational attainment • Professional and working class
   conflict) • Media • Education • Holidays • Crime • Prisons
   Arts Music ( Classical • Folk • Popular) • Film and TV ( Hollywood) •
   Literature ( American Folklore • Poetry • Transcendentalism • Harlem
   Renaissance • Beat Generation) • Visual arts ( Abstract expressionism)
   • Cuisine • Dance • Architecture
   Controversies Affirmative action • American exceptionalism •
   Anti-Americanism • Capital punishment • Drug policy ( Prohibition in
   the United States • War on Drugs) • Environmentalism • Human rights •
   Immigration • Pornography • Racial profiling • Same-sex marriage •
   United States-Mexico barrier

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