School System

Karli Kuvalis

Unlike in many countries, there is no unified educational plan in America: the state board of education formulates a general plan, while the board of education at a particular school determines more specific plans.

School education in the United States is divided into three stages:

  • Elementary (Grades 1-5) – children study basic compulsory subjects, participate in sports and creative activities.
  • Middle School (Grades 6-8) or Junior High School (Grades 7-9): In addition to the compulsory subjects, there are optional subjects.
  • High School (9-12) or Senior High School (11-12) – fewer subjects are required, with maximum freedom in the choice of subjects. In the last 2 years gifted students may take Advanced Placement courses. At the end of High School an American student will have to take the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test).

Depending on the state, children begin school at ages five to eight. As a rule, each grade in an American school has its own building and is a completely separate academic institution.

The American school year is divided into two terms. Classes are five to six hours a day with a lunch break. The afternoons are most often devoted to sports, hobby clubs, and other socially useful work, which are an essential component of an American school education. Grades are given in letter form: A, B, C, D, F would be equivalent to Russian grades of A to D.

In contrast to the U.S. higher education system, which is the world leader, the school sector is assessed in a counter-versive way. On the one hand, the set of compulsory subjects is small: among them are math, English, science, history, art, and physical education.

On the other hand, students have a huge choice of major classes: from theater to ecology. This list also includes foreign languages. Many schools offer high school students programs (Advanced Placement): the most ambitious and capable students can take an additional course at the university level. Thus, the U.S. school system is good for students who want to learn, but not for those who want to increase their overall educational attainment in the country.