The American School System 0

Overview
• Preschool
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Higher education
• Comparison to
Germany and the UK
education
• Education Fees
• Comparison to
Malaysia Education
System 1
 Education System U.S.A

The American School System 2

 The difference between private and public
schools
Private school Public school
• Tuition fees or • Financed by taxes
scholarship • Supported by funding
• 10 % of all students
• Majority of students
• Select their students
• Some have dress codes
• Uniforms

The American School System 3

 Preschool (Nursery School)
• Usually between the ages of three
and five
• Education before the age of six
• To develop children through planned
programs
What do children learn in Preschools?
• Social competence (playgroups / sharing
etc.)
• Listening skills
• Several activities (painting, educational
games etc.)
The American School System 4
 Elementary Education
• Primary school
 Provides instructions in skills of mathematics, reading, basic
grammar, social studies, geography etc.

• Elementary school
 First year: kindergarten
 From 5/6 to 11 years
 1st grade to 6th grade

The American School System 5

 Junior High School
• Includes seventh, eighth and ninth grade
• More independence
• Compulsory subjects: Science, mathematics, social
sciences, physical education
• Electives
• Extracurricular activities

The American School System 6

 Senior High School
• Built around 1960 in USA
• Originated in Scotland:
Edinburgh’s Royal High
school 1505
• Prepares young people for
the adult world
• Final four years (9 up to 12)

The American School System 7

 How a High School works
• School attendance: until graduation or age
of 16
• Full-time school
• Begins in late august or early September
• Ends in late may or early June
• 36 weeks a year
• Strict discipline during class time
• Possibility to have lunch in school
• Extracurricular activities
• Graduation
• High school diploma

The American School System 8

The American School System 9
 Extracurricular Activities
• Performed by students outside the normal
curriculum
• Voluntary
• Usually organized by students
• First appearance in the 19th century
• First activity: literary societies (Harvard & Yale)

The American School System 10

 Extracurricular Activities
• Sports • Clubs
o American Football o Theater club
o Soccer o Debating society
o Choir
o Baseball
o Band etc.
o Swimming
o Cheerleading
o Basketball etc.

The American School System 11

 Homeschooling
• Approx. 1.5 million children (2.9 %)
• Moral or religious reasons
• Dissatisfaction with academic
instruction
• Effective teaching; individual
• To avoid negative social pressure

The American School System 12

 High School Names
• Prominent names
o Kennedy High School
o Canyon High School
o Ben Franklin High School

The American School System 13

 Types of High Schools
• Can be sub classed in
o Magnet High School
o College preparatory High School
o Special High School
• Offer classes for advanced students
• General education for average students
• Remedial courses for those who are struggling

The American School System 14

Overview: Higher Education

The American School System 15

 Higher Education
• 30/45 highest-ranked institutions in the U.S
• Undergraduate: e.g. BA
• (Post)graduate: e.g. MA, Ph.D.
• More than 4,400 universities and
colleges
• Decentralized system
• Public universities administered by
individual States

The American School System 16

Higher Education: General Information
• University & college

• Institute (e.g. MIT)

• Union (e.g. Cooper Union)

• School (e.g. Julliard School)

• Academy (e.g. United States
Military Academy)
• Conservatory (e.g. New England
Conservatory)

The American School System 17

 “College” versus “University”: Etymology
• Collegium: club/ society under a common set of
rules
• Universitas magistrorum et scholarium: community
of teachers and scholars

“College” in
English-Speaking Countries
• Degree-awarding tertiary educational institution
• Institution within a university
• Vocational School
• Secondary School

The American School System 18

 Two-Year College
• Associate’s degree
• Before 1970, all “junior colleges”
• Today:
o “junior colleges” = private
o “community colleges” = public
(students of local community, with supports)

Four-Year College
• Bachelor’s degree:
o Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
o Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
• Curriculum on liberal arts (versus vocational): “liberal arts
colleges”
The American School System 19
 Residential College
• e.g. Oxford, Harvard
• In the U.S.: housing system
• In the UK: both academic and residential
functions

Vocational School
• Also called “trade/ career school” or
VET (Vocational Educational Training)
• Skills for a particular job
• Training, not education

The American School System 20

 University
• Undergraduate and graduate education
• Core: undergraduate colleges with liberal arts
curriculum => bachelor’s degree
• Graduate schools (both teaching and research)
• Divided in colleges/ schools/ faculties (e.g. School of
Law)
But…
• Some universities = “colleges” (historical reasons)
• Different use of the terms among states
• Example: Georgia, 1996:
o 4-year institutions (“colleges”) => “universities”
o “vocational technology schools” => “technical
The American School System 21
colleges”
 Acronyms you should
know…
• B.A. = Bachelor of Arts / M.A. = Master of Arts
• B.S. = Bachelor of Science / M.S. = Master of
Science
• M.B.A. = Master of Business Administration
• M.F.A. = Master of Fine Arts
• Ph.D. = Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophiae
Doctor)
• M.D. = Doctor of Medicine (Medicinae Doctor)
• D.V.M. = Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Phar.D.. = Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharmaciae
Doctor)
• J.D. = Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor)
The American School System 22
 Tuition Fees
• Charged almost everywhere, except:
o 5 federally sponsored service
academies;
o few tuition-free institution (e.g.
Webb Institute)
• Lower at public universities
(subsidies)
• Cheaper for local students
• Scholarships, student loans or grants
The American School System 23
 Tuition fees

Most Prestigious
Universities
The American School System 24
 Princeton
Harvard University University
• Cambridge, • Princeton, New
Massachusetts Jersey
• since 1639 • Since 1746
• 2011-12: • 2012-13:
o $ 36,305 for tuition o $ 38,650 for
o $ 52,652 for tuition, tuition
room, board and o $ 54,780 in total
fees combined

The American School System 25

 Overview:
Comparison to Germany and the UK

The American School System 26

 USA – Germany

The American School System 27

 Education in the United
Kingdom
First School

Middle School

GCSE
Upper School

A-Level
The American School System 28
 Grades
Academic grading in the United States
Percentage Letter Numerical
90%–100% A 4.0
80%–89% B 3.0
70%–79% C 2.0
60%–69% D 1.0
59% and below E/F 0.0

Chromatic variants, represented by + and −, are

commonly used.
They are usually represented as being 0.3 higher and
lower than the normal.
(e.g., B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, B− = 2.7)
The American School System 29
 Tuition Fees
USA UK Germany
 Average: 12.000 –  Scotland:  No tuition fees in
16.000 US$ p.a. £2700 for 4 years most States
 Range:2.000 US$  England, Northern  In Bavaria, Baden-
(community Ireland and Wales: Württemberg and
college) up to £ 9.000 p.a Lower Saxony:
up to 40.000 US$ (effective since Up to 1000 Euro
(most prestigious 2012) p.a.:
universities) p.a.

The American School System 30

 Postgraduate Tuition Fee
(Master)

The American School System 31

Malaysia Education System
In Malaysia, primary education and secondary
education make up 11 years of free education.

Students sit for common

public examinations at the
end of primary, lower
secondary and upper
secondary levels.

The admission age to the

first of primary education is
seven. Primary schooling is
mandatory to all children
between the ages of 7 and
12.
The American School System 32
The American School System 33
The American School System 34

American
Education
System
While in United States of
America (USA), US children
enter the schooling system at
the age five.
Upon completion of fifth grade (the
last year of primary school at age
10-11), American children then
advance to secondary school.
Secondary school most commonly
consists of a total of seven years,
referred to as sixth through twelfth
grades
The American School System
The first year at school is called
kindergarten. It is required of all
American children enrolled in the
America education system. The second
year at school is considered the first
year of primary school and is referred
to as first grade.
The ninth, through twelfth grades, are
most commonly referred to as high
school. Upon completion of twelfth
grade (aged 17-18), American
students are awarded a certificate
called the high school diploma.
In the American education system,
students must obtain a high school
diploma before they are admitted
into college or university.
35
 REFFERENCES:
1. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States

2. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Malaysia

3. Blog:Studymode by Faizmail
http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Comparison-Between-Education-
System-In-48898074.html

4. Journal article: Problems Facing American Education

http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Boyer,%20
Ashley%20Problems%20Facing%20American%20Education.pdf

The American School System 36

 SHARING PART

OPINION

Q&A
The American School System 37