US School System

Terminology Differences

As you research US educational institutions, you should note the following variations in terminology between the US and UK:

•        Public school: Type of school in the US, which is state-funded

•        Grade: Used in the US both to describe a mark gained or season in education (see table below for conversions)

•        Report card: Papers given to each higher education student by the school, record his/her represents (grades) at the end of one fourth, term or year

•        Transcript: An formal document created by the school record the sessions finished by the school student, his/her represents (grades), GPA (grade factor average), category position and/or educational honours

•        High school diploma: Certificate granted upon finishing school, rather than a particular qualification as in the UK

•        Grade Point Average: A mathematical regular of the ultimate qualities US learners get for their sessions. More details on calculating a GPA can be found in the undergraduate study section of this website

•        Admissions tests: The SAT (pronounced S-A-T) and ACT (pronounced A-C-T) are US university acceptance examinations. Though the exact terminology varies by condition, "end-of-course" examinations are standardised examinations set by situations at the end of a particular season of school. These examinations are somewhat akin to the UK SATs, GCSEs and A-levels. However, they are offered on a state-by-state basis and may not have any bearing on your kid's GPA

Key Differences

Academic Year: The school season in the US is often shorter than that in the UK. Most educational institutions organise their school season by semesters. There are two semesters in the school season. The autumn term is from mid-August / beginning Sept - December / Jan. The springtime term is from Jan - end of May / mid-June.

There are also fewer summer crack. Family members can expect to have community vacations off: Labor Day (early September), Memorial Day (late May), Martin Luther King Jr Day (mid-January), Thanksgiving (Thursday and Saturday in mid-November) and Good Saturday and Easter Monday. Students will likely have a week-long summer, two-day drop crack and two 7 days Christmas crack.

School Governance: As you approach the US school program, be aware that the control and govt of US educational institutions is very different from that of UK educational institutions. While the US govt provides financing and nationwide requirements for educational institutions, authority over community (state-funded) school knowledge in the US rests primarily with individual condition departments to train. As most policies are set at the regional assuring stages, the school program can vary between states and even between school regions within situations. Therefore your best reason for contact will usually be the regional school or school panel.

Grade Levels

Formal knowledge in the US is often mandatory from age 5/6 to 16, varying slightly by condition. School-level knowledge is divided into "grades". US qualities K (Kindergarten) - 12 in the US correspond to Years 1 - 13 in the UK, as summarised in the chart below. Schooling usually begins with elementary/primary school (Kindergarten - US quality 5), followed by middle/junior school (US qualities 6 - 8) and finishing with school (US qualities 9 to 12). Some US children start the amount at privately-run pre-schools.

Kindergarten is the 1st season of primary/elementary school and is the equivalent to Year 1 in the UK. Main educational institutions offer instruction in the fundamental skills of studying, writing and arithmetic, as well as record, location, civics, crafts, songs, technology, health and sports and actual eduction. 'languages' are often introduced in younger great school. Under the "No Kid Left Behind’" policy, learners also complete condition examinations in reading/language arts, mathematics and technology in Grades 3 – 8 and once at the school stage.

As learners advance to middle/junior school, the program will likely become a bit more flexible, including both needed and optional sessions. In needed topics such as mathematics, British and technology, learners may be arranged in education segments centered on accomplishment. They may also start having a bit more versatility in selecting optional sessions in topics, such as international languages, band, home economics, chorus and art.

Although there is no nationwide program, the normal content of the school program across the country has many consistencies. The condition will likely set a list of basic needed courses for school graduating. These may include British, mathematics, terminology, sports and actual eduction, art and/or songs, common technology, and social studies (a topic that combines record, govt and geography). 

However, learners continue to have versatility in selecting the amount of their sessions and optional topics with the assistance of their mother and father and an excellent guidance counsellor. Many great educational institutions will also have "tracks" for individuals wishing to go to a four-year university, pursue a professional or technical level at atwo-year higher education or enter the employees following school.

Upon satisfactory finishing 12th quality and situations graduating specifications, the school student receives a "high school diploma".

Types of Schools

As in the UK, there are both state-funded (public) educational institutions and privately-funded (private) educational institutions.

Public educational institutions (state-funded) offer free knowledge for individuals who stay in the neighborhood and are financed by regional taxes and financing from situations and federal governments. About 85-90% of scholars in the US be present at community educational institutions.

Most commonly, learners in the community school program will be present at the regional school allocated to them by their school region. However, some regions offer magnet (specialised), charter and international educational institutions, to which learners may apply. Due to this program, families often take into account the allocated educational institutions for particular neighbourhoods when selecting a new place in which to reside.

Although community educational institutions are open to learners at all educational stages, learners may be arranged in education segments (Advanced Placement, honors, professional sessions, etc.) centered on accomplishment and post-graduation goals (for example, earning a bachelor's level, attending an excellent, or entering the workforce).

Private educational institutions charge a fee for presence and may have a smaller higher education student population than community educational institutions. They are often governed by an individual panel and subsequently are often not topic to regulations on program or teaching qualifications set by situations. About 10% of scholars in the US be present at personal educational institutions.

Assessment

Unlike in the UK, there is no nationwide program, and therefore US educational institutions do not prepare learners for nationwide examinations such as the GCSEs, Highers, AS or A-levels. Rather learners work toward completing a school level (the specifications for which are set by each state), and are evaluated for university entry depending on GPA, category position within the season team, rigour of sessions taken (AP, honors, regular) and acceptance assessments. Students are usually evaluated continually throughout the term via a combination of assessments, mid-term/final examinations, essays, quizzes, homework projects, classroom participation, team work, projects and presence. This evaluation culminates with any "grade" for each course granted at the end of the term.

Marks can be given as letters (A+, A, B+, B, etc), or as numbers out of 100%. These qualities are averaged over the student’s school career, resulting in a Grade Point Average (GPA). Students may also acquire a category position, ranking his/her GPA amongst other members of his/her quality (year in school).

Generally the scholar's mother and father are sent a "report card" indicating the qualities gained in each topic at the end of one fourth, term or season. The scholar's overall educational record is recorded in a records which is later requested by universities seeking to evaluate the school student. A "transcript" is an formal document created by the school record the sessions finished by the school student, his/her represents (grades), GPA (grade factor average), category position and/or educational honors.

Contacts

The condition panel to train, school region and/or the school itself is often the best source of details on issues such as school graduating specifications, curricular requirements, state-wide examinations, teacher certification processing, school performance and the ages of compulsory knowledge.

You may wish to start locating the appropriate connections by viewing situations panel to train web page, which can be linked to from the Department of Education web page.