The system of education in the USA

Education in the USA drastically differs from many other countries. There are 50 states in the country and each of them has its own peculiarities. So the national system varies from state to state. However, many variations on the patterns exist in the United States. Education in the United States is provided by public schools and private schools. The system of education in the USA consists of several basic components: preschool education, elementary school, secondary school and higher education. Education in the United States of America is compulsory for children from the age of 6 till 18. It involves 12 years of schooling. The school year is usually nine months, from early September to mid-June.

Preschool education. The age group is commonly four and five years. These preschool education programs maintain a close relationship with the home and parents, and aim to give children useful experiences which will prepare them for elementary school.
The programs are flexible and are designed to help the child grow in self-reliance, learn to get along with others, and form good work and play habits.

Elementary school. The main purpose of the elementary school is the general intellectual and social development of the child from 6 to 12 years. Curricula vary with the organization and educational aims of individual schools and communities.
The more or less traditional program consists of teaching prescribed subject matter. Promotion from one grade to the next is based on the pupil`s achievement of specified skills in reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, history, geography, music and art.

Secondary school. Secondary education is often divided into two phases, middle or junior high school and high school. Students attend middle school from ages 12 through 14 (6-8 grades) and high school from ages 15 through 18 (9-12 grades). Students are usually given more independence, moving to different classrooms for different subjects, and being allowed to choose some of their class subjects (electives). Generally, at the high school level, students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject.

Students are required to take a certain mandatory subjects, but may choose additional subjects ("electives") to fill out their required hours of learning. High school grades normally are included in a student's official transcript, e.g. for college admission. Each state sets minimum requirements for how many years of various mandatory subjects are required; these requirements vary widely, but generally include 2–4 years of each of: Science, Mathematics, English, Social sciences, Physical education; some years of a foreign language and some form of art education are often also required, as is a health curriculum in which students learn about anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, drug awareness, and birth control. Most young Americans graduate from school with a high school diploma upon satisfactory completion of a specified number of courses.

Grading scale. In schools in the United States children are consistently assessed throughout the school year by their teachers, and receive «report cards» at least twice a year (in some school districts up to six times) which indicate the grades they have received in each of the subjects they are studying. Generally the scores for individual assignments and tests are recorded for each student in a grade book, along with the maximum number of points for each assignment. At any time, the total number of points for a student when divided by the total number of possible points produces a percent grade, which can be translated to a letter grade. Students are usually graded from A (excellent) to F (failing) in each course they take. High schools maintain a school «transcript» which summarizes the courses taken and the grades obtained for each student. A copy of the transcript is normally submitted to colleges when a student applies for admission.

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. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside the normal school day. Student participation in sports programs, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of practices and performances. Most states have organizations that develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a prerequisite for participation. 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.