Education in America

The History of Education

It all started in the 17th century. America was still departed in 13 colonies. The first public
school in America, the Boston Latin School, is founded in 1653 and it still in operation as a
public school.
In the beginning of the 19th century schools were very local and only available for rich
people. In 1840 reformers from Massachusetts and Connecticut started pushing for
mandatory state-funded schooling. The efforts took hold relatively quickly in Massachusetts,
which passed the first bill requiring all children to attend elementary school in 1852. 
As for high school, the progress has been a little bit slower. In many cases, high school
attendance is still not mandatory for those 16 and older.  Throughout the 20th century, as
jobs moved from the field to the factory and eventually to the office, it was necessary to be
more educated. High schools and colleges became more popular and they had more
graduates.
The South had separate schools for African Americans and whites and this system had been
upheld in 1896. In the North no such laws existed, but racial segregation was still common in
schools. Segregation usually resulted in inferior education for blacks.
In 1954 the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was
unconstitutional. Despite much resistance for many years by many southern states, by 1980
the federal courts had largely succeeded in eliminating the system of legalized segregation in
southern schools.
Women have been equally discriminated against in American schools.
Some women did something about it. The emergence of the women's rights movement
during the 1960s was a boost against sexual discrimination. Educators are of the opinion that
even after all these measures; women do not get equal pay in jobs.

Preschool
There are no mandatory public prekindergarten or crèche programs in the United States.
The federal government funds the Head Start preschool program for children of low-income
families. Head Start provides education, health and social services to families with the goal
of ensuring the children are ready to start school. Other families are on their own with
regard to finding a preschool or childcare.

Elementary and Secondary School

Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which
school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary
education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education
with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old).
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, because they are free.
Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of children are
educated in this manner

Elementary School
Elementary school includes kindergarten through fifth grade. In elementary school, basic
subjects are taught, and students often remain in one or two classrooms throughout the
school day, with the exceptions of physical education, library, music, and art classes.
Secondary Education
Middle school and Junior high school include the grade levels intermediate between
elementary school and senior high school. "Middle school" usually includes sixth, seventh
and eighth grade; "Junior high" typically includes seventh through ninth grade. At this time,
students are given more independence, moving to different classrooms for different
subjects, and being allowed to choose some of their class subjects (electives).

Senior high school is a school attended after junior high school. High school usually runs
either from 9th through 12th, or 10th through 12th grade. The students in these grades are
commonly referred to as freshmen (grade 9), sophomores (grade 10), juniors (grade 11) and
seniors (grade 12).
Students are required to take a certain minimum number of mandatory subjects, but may
choose additional subjects ("electives") to fill out their required hours of learning.

Grading scale
In schools in the United States children are continually assessed throughout the school year
by their teachers, and report cards are given to parents. The total percent can be translated
to a letter grade. Although grading scales usually differ from school to school, the most
common grade scale is letter grades—"A" through "F"—derived from a scale of 0–100
precent.

Extracurricular activities
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.

Extracurricular activities are educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular
curriculum but under the supervision of the school.
Sports programs and their related games are major events for American students and for
larger schools can be a major source of funds for school districts. And there is also the
cheerleading, thats an organized group of people cheering especially football games. In
addition to sports, numerous non-athletic activities are available in American schools, both
public and private.
Another famous activity each year in American High Schools is the Prom. It's a formal dance
of high school students. At prom, a Prom Queen and Prom King may be revealed.

College and university

Post-secondary education in the United States is known as college or university and consists
of four years of study at an institution of higher learning. Traditionally, the term college
applied to a part of a university. Large universities may be split into colleges or departments
that offer different degrees.
Like high school, the four undergraduate grades are called freshman, sophomore, junior, and
senior years.. Students traditionally apply for admission into colleges. Students generally
need to have a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate. Most colleges also consider
more subjective factors such as a commitment to extracurricular activities and a personal
essay.
Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study. The most common method
consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor.
Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an degree, leads to a more advanced degree such
as a master's degree. There is also a degree that is in between a master's degree and a
doctoral degree called a Specialist in Education.
After additional years of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a
master's degree and/or Ed.S. degree, students may earn a doctoral degree.

American school vs. british schools

1) In America dress codes are required. <-> In the UK classic uniforms are required.
2) In America a public school is a state school. <-> In the UK a public school is an
independent school.
3) In the UK the education is compulsory from the age of 5 to 18. <-> In America it
varies between the states.
4) In America the education is divided into three levels. <-> In the UK it is divided into
two levels
5) In America there are 5 compulsory courses. <-> In the UK there are 12 compulsory
courses.
6) In America school starts earlier and there is only a lunch break. <-> In the UK school
starts later and there are 2 breaks.

Glossary
Mandatory = obligatory, said about something you must do.
To assess: to estimate or judge the value, character or evaluate.
Extracurricular: outside the regular class or program of courses.
Fair: an exhibition to promote particular products.
Sophomore: a student in the second year of high school or college.
To ensure = to certify, to take care that something happens.
To require = to demand, to say what you want that happens and you accept only ‘yes’ as answer.
Approximately = about, something like, said when you don’t know the exact number.