Americas Education System

Abstract

The United States of America entered the 21^st century as the world’s sole superpower, a lot of superlatives have contributed to this. The education landscape in the United States is characterized by diversity. This, however, includes the difference in the socioeconomic backgrounds of students, the curricula, types of programs, class sizes, and the resources available at the school level. The United States educators really struggle to improve the quality of public schooling through several comprehensive reforms, international comparative education that has become progressively vital[1]. Recent studies have, however, shown that the United States students fare relatively poorly on standardized tests of math and science. Still, little research has been steered that would enable teachers to comprehend the complex nature of academic success within the different social context.  The major themes discussed in this article is the whole education structure in the United States that includes the primary and secondary level education, the United States education calendar and academic year and the higher education in the USA[2].  This paper’s main intention and objective is to discuss the American education system that includes grading, stages of learning, and how it differs from those in other countries. The sources for this information is from other research articles that wholly describes the education system in the United States.

Introduction

The American education system has varied structures that are set at the state level; every state has its department of education and the laws regulating finance, the hiring of the school personnel, students’ attendance, and the curriculum.  The state also determines the number of years of compulsory education. In most countries, compulsory schooling starts the age of five to six to sixteen. There are an array of schools, programs, and locations. The education system is unlike many other countries, and the USA Federal Government contributes almost 10% to the national education budget[3]. The education in the United States generally reflects the values and the priorities of the society, and this includes the dedication to democratic ideals, a commitment to individual freedom, and respect for the diversity of the population.

There lies a huge variation among schools regarding the courses, subjects, and other activities, and this wholly depends on where the school is located. The common points lie on the division of the education system, which involves three primary levels; elementary education, secondary education, and higher education (college or university). This paper engages the work about the current education system in the United States and also involves researches from relevant articles about the education system in the United States of America. This work is related to the study because it gives detailed information about the operation of education in the USA, grand ideas of what is taught in schools, and over the requirements that a student must meet.

Administration and management of education

Because the tenth amendmentsand the consequent evolution of the decentralized system of education, the states, and the local districts do assume the fundamental roles in the organization as well astheoperation of the American schools. As afar as the public and secondary education in the country is concerned, in most f he polices of the states and the requires are determined by a rules of board of education in the country and conducted under the leadership of a chief state school officer and the staff of a professionals educators in state department of knowledge which is under the federal government[4].

The landscape of the education system

The aspect of diversity characterizes the view of education in the United States. This includes variety in the socioeconomicbackground of students, curricula, program types,size of the classes, and resources that are variable inschools. The difference is often generated, in part, by the tradition of local control of most schools by boards of education, which are compared to the remembers chose from the local education and the education board charged with the critical responsibility of overseeing the education process and funding of the school. The resources which are available to the schooloften are dependent on the size of the tax from the local areas and are based on the willingness of the residents to approves significant changes such as increases in the funding for the schools[5]. There exist the different structure of school in the USA with the most structure based on the essential guidelines that the federal government gives out as the significant structure being the most used. However, the recommendation by the government of the USA is critical on the aspect of diversity.

The educational structure

The countryhas a federal system of government that has historically valued the localgovernance as a system of governance for the country. Globally, no country-level education system or even the curriculum exists in the United States. The federal governmenthas done not operate public schools. Each of the fifty states has its department of education that works by setting the guidelinesfor the schools in its respectivecountry. Often public schools do receive funding from the state in which they are situated and from the local property taxes. Public colleges and universities also s get financial support from the state in which they are located. Each state’s legislative body often makes the decision on how many tax dollars will be awarded to the universities and colleges. Students who are in 1-12 grades are often accepted from any tuition fees. However, universities and colleges do pay tuition fees, but most of the students from these institutions do receive loans and scholarships[6].

Much more control of American public schools is generallywith the lackof schooldistricts. Each district is taken care of by the boards of the respective school, a small community of people who are often elected by the local community or, in other instances, appointed by the local government to take care of the school. Overly, a school district is usually divided into either elementary schools, middle schools, or high school. The elementary school is made up of kindergarten and grades 1-5. Most of the children often begin school at the ages of 6teh middle school is made up of students from grades 6-8, and the high school made of grades 9-12.  The educationsystem of the country often requires that high-schoolstudents take a considerably wider variety of courses in English, mathematics, science, and socialsciences. In the country, education is compulsory for students until the ages of 16-18 years, depending on their state. According to the 201, U.S census, 87.1% of the country’s population above the age of 25 years are graduates. This represents a sharp increase in the number of graduates in the country over a decade.

Laws and Basic Education regulations

In the United States, every state is wholly responsible for its education system, and over the past years, the state legislatures have carefully passed laws to govern the organization and operation of public teaching. The role of the Federal Government in education has been one of broad leadership without undue control. It is the legal concern of federal authorities to safeguard the right of every American citizen to gain equal access to free public institutions and fair chance in the pursuit of education. While satisfying this duty, the Federal Government also tries to develop the excellence of teaching through the funding of research, direct support to students and the dissemination of knowledge about learning and teaching[7].

Education law is an area of the American constitution that regulates schools, teachers, and the rights of Americans to public education and the standards that the students who attend private schools have. The American right to education, according to the law, dictates that every childmust be given the opportunity to quality education. Each state, therefore, has its schooling systems andtherefore, there are verydifferent laws among the fifty states about the management of the schools, teachers and the financing of the public education system[8]. However, all these roles are overseen or supervised by the federalgovernment through the department of education in America. There exist a strongeremphasis on the provisions of equaleducationopportunities for learning. This normally includes both the minorities and the historically disadvantaged groups in American society as well as persons with disabilities.  According to the equal education opportunity act of 1974, it provides that no given states have the right to deny an equal opportunity of education to anyone based on race, gender, sex, and national origin.

In the same way children with disabilities, the person with the suitabilityeducation act did develop procedures for evaluating the various needsand offering an educational program that is tailored to that individual. However, most states have their ownsupplementarylaws that are expanding upon the educationrights of children with special needs. These were, however, are notexpected to conflict with the requirements offered by the federal government of the United States. Besides, the education laws and regulations alsogovern the standards of education for the country. State laws primarily set forth the critical criteria for evaluation of the student’sachievementsand the performance of their teachers; however, these are also regulated by the department of education from the federal government. These laws often include standardized testing, minimumcredit hours, and requiredsubject of the study among other issues[9].

In achieving these ends, Congress over the past years has passed legislation creating a variety of funded programs. Department of Education through the issuance of guidelinesand the monitoring of federally funded educational activities. In crafting the laws, in applyingstrategies for social processes of these programs and determining the means to assess the success of these efforts. The National Literacy Act of 1991, established the new literacy programs, and also provided higher authorization levels for some existing adult literacy programs. The purpose of the Act was to enhance the literacy and essential skills of adults in ensuring that all adults in the USA learnedthe necessary skills required to function efficiently and attain the most excellent possible opportunity in their lives and work.

In all the fifty states in the Americas, well as in the six territories, education is compulsory, and the public schools are free at least completion of secondary school. In all the areas and states, private schools are permitted to operate freely. They are, however, subject to state licensing and accrediting principles. A few of these institutions may receive limited federal aid for particular purposes, but the vast majority are funded by sources other than the government.

K-12 education

The elementary and secondaryschool in the USA are termed as K-12 education. This is a kind of short hard that refers to the grades through which the learners progress.TheK stands for kindergarten, typicallyhouse in the elementsystem of the education system. Therefore, K-12 education is 12 years long for most of the learners and the kindergarten. As part of this education system, elementary school often enrollsstudents from kindergarten or in other cases first grades throe the fifth and the sixth grades[10]. Leaners then move to a lower secondary school, which is referredto as middle school and or Junior School. The last four or there years of school after this stage is known as the high school the senior school

Primary and secondary school

Before higher education, American students attend primary and secondary for a combined of 12 years. Around age six, children begin primary school, which is called the elementary school, and the second program is called high school. A certificate or diploma is awarded upon graduating from high school. After graduating from high school, students may join college or university, the university or college education is known as higher education. The pre-school is often known as the Pre-kindergarten and is not compulsory. The Pre-kindergarten run for a year or two for children ages five to six. However, the arrangement varies from state to state; private companies operate pre-schools, community or organizations, independent childcare providers, can have a specific focus like language learning or early education program in general.

The primary school or elementary is attended from the age of around six depending on the state laws, and it is compulsory to participate in the elementary school in the US. This stage of learning is provided free of charge and is based on where the family lives. The elementary school lasts for five or six grades and starts from kindergarten; students are allowed to progress to the next degree provided they reach a satisfactory level. If they miss their grades or fall behind the class, they can redo the year. The curriculum is set on state and the county level and is often broad, and it covers the necessary skills in math and reading, physical education and sometimes languages[11].

The middle school or junior school operates slightly different depending on the state. While some opt for the middle school system, others have junior high, which usually starts a year later than the typical middle school. Middle school usually begins when students are around age 11, and junior high at age 12, both last for three years. The middle school is free of charge and covers both compulsory and elective subjects. The curriculum, however, remains broad at this stage and includes math, science, English, art, P.E, and social studies.

High school or senior high school is attended at around age 14 if the state operates a middle school structure, then students will progress to high school at around age 14. In the junior high school system, students regularly move to senior high school a year later at around age 15. The two schools usually run through to age 18. However, some states allow their students to leave earlier. The core subjects are taken by all students, with elective subjects selected by the individual to make up the full timetable. Secondary education varies from place to place, in terms of quality and structure. Most publicly funded schools offer areas basing on the student’s residence with those living closer favored. There are also vocational and specialists schools that accept students basing on different terms, regardless of where the family lives.

Around ten percent of American students attend privately funded, fee-paying schools, which are run by faith groups and independent organizations. In the United States, it is more popular than many other countries with close to half a million children learning at home.

Grading system

Just like American students, students must submit their educational transcripts as part of the application for admission to college or university. The academic transcripts are the official copies of the students’ academic work, and this includes the grades and grade point averages, which are measurements of academic achievement. The courses are commonly graded using percentages which are then converted to letter grades. The grading system and GPA can sometimes be confusing, especially for international students. The interpretation of classes usually has a lot of variation. For instance, two students who attended different schools submit their transcripts to the same university. They both have 3.5 GPAs; one student attended an average high school while the other attended academically challenging prestigious schools. The university might decide to interpret the GPAs differently because the two schools have dramatically different standards[12].

In elementary schools, the grades may represent rewards from teachers like ‘for being friendly, prepared, compliant, well organized, and hardworking.’ Some schools use the standard based ranking, with the adoption of the rule-based education, most of the states create examinations in which students are compared to a standard of what their educators, parents, employers have determined to be what every student should know and able to do. The students are graded as exceeding, meeting, or falling below the standard; students are not compared against each other. The rule is set at a level that is substantially higher than the previous achievement so that a relatively higher percentage of students fail at least some part of the standards in their first year. As a systemic reform instrument, the tests are targeted to items and skills that are not currently in the curriculum to promote the adoption of methods like problem-solving and inquiry-based science.

The rank-based grading is also used in some schools where the classification is on a curve. In most extreme forms, students are ranked, and grades are assigned according to a student’s rank that places the student in direct competition with one another.  A top-grade A is given to the student with a performance that exceeds the mean by +1.5 standard deviations, B for performance between the standard deviations of +0.5 and +1.5, and so on. The best score in the group receives a top grade regardless of the absolute return, and the worst score gets a failing grade[13].

Academic year

The school calendar usually begins in August or September and continues through May or June. The majority of new students, however, start in autumn, most international students also start their universities at this time. At the beginning of the year, students seem excited and form many great friendships during this time as they adjust to new phases of academic life. Many courses are designed for students to take them in sequence, starting in autumn and continuing through the year. The academic year at many schools is usually composed of two terms or semesters, and some schools, however, use a three-term calendar. Other schools further divide the year into the quarter system of four times that includes an optional summer session, excluding the summer session would mean that the academic year is either composed of two semesters or three-quarter terms.

The academic calendar in the United States is divided into two semesters that is the fall and spring. Each semester lasts for 15 weeks, with additional summer classes as well. Usually, the academic year runs from early September to the end of May. Midway through the courses, many teachers post the midterm examination to the students so that they can get engaged and gauge their progress. Besides, universities do have six to eight-week summer terms, which are often optional. These terms help students to get over their course abit quicker and also decrease the workloadduring the semester it also helps the students complete their classes that they could not complete during the regular time.

The higher education system

Highereducation in the USA is also termed as postsecondary education. The education system is divided into two different categories; postsecondary vocationaleducation and training. This includes all the non-degree but can produce some transferable credits under agivencircumstance. Two is higher education; this included studies that are undertaken in the institution, which are degree-granting for academic credit.  The country’s higher education is not legally divided into separate universities and the non-university, subsystems as are some otherdifferent national systems[14].Thesystem is made up ofautonomous community of publicly and privately supported institution. The current data does indicate that there is a total of 6,479 postsecondary institutions and 4182nondegree granting institutions in the country. Of all the degree issuinginstitution in the country, some 1732 institutionsonly award the associated degree and the sub bachelor’s certificates anddiplomas. Currently, the country is inany way using the official classification or typology for its highereducationinstitutions. While the versions institutionsoffer varying levels of degrees, the country’saccreditations policies do result in degrees at any given level adhering to a particular minimum standardregardless of the institution that offers them. The country’s higher education system is characterized by accessibility, diversity, and autonomy. It is also well organized for the sizes and its quality globally[15].

Universities are higher education institutions delivering degree programs at the Bachelor’s, Masters, and Doctorate level. In the higher education system in the United States, any student whohas not earned a bachelor’s degree is studying at the undergraduate level. It usually takes four years for one to earn a bachelor’s degree. A student can either begin studies in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university, community college, or college. In the first two years, a student is required to take a variety of classes in different subjects, which is commonly known as prerequisite courses. This enables the student to earn an Associate of Arts transfer degree and then can transfer to a four-year university or college. A specific field in which a degree is focused is known as ‘major’, and one is required to take many courses to meet the degree requirements of their major. Students are expected to choose their major at the beginning of the college or university.

One characteristic of the higher education system is that students can change their significant multiple times if they choose. It is widespread for students to change majors in their undergraduate studies if studentsrealize a different field that they enjoy and excel in. The education system is thus flexible; switching majors will mean more time and money. International students from some countries are only allowed to study abroad at a graduate level. Therefore one should inquire about the credentials needed to get a job in their country before applying for a postgraduate university in the United States. A graduate program is usually a division of a college or university, for a student to get admission, they are expected to take the graduate record examination. Some masters programs, however, require specific tests like the GRE for business school, last for law school. The ACT is another standardized test for college admission in the United States, and the ACT assesses high school student’s general educational development and their ability to compete for college-level work. This consists of multiple-choice sections, four skill areas measuring skill in planning and writing a short essay.

Admission to Master’s degrees is hugely competitive; each candidate’s application is reviewed in detail; a good GPA is often a requirement to be accepted in a post-graduate program. For a master’s degree, the graduate programs typically take one to two years to complete.For instance, masters of business administration take two years, while other masters programs like journalism only take a year. The majority of the master’s programs are spent in classrooms, and students must organize a long research paper called ‘master’s project’ or ‘master’s thesis’[16].

For students in pursuit of a Doctorate Degree, the graduate schools reflect the achievement of a master’s degree the first step towards earning a Ph.D. In other schools, students prepare directly for a doctorate without earning a master’s degree. It takes three or more years to make a Ph.D., but for international students, it takes a long as five to six years. In the first two years of the program, doctoral candidates enroll in seminars and classes. The extra year is spent carrying out firsthand research and writing dissertations. This paper comprises typically views, designs, or researches that have been previously published.  A doctoral dissertation generally is a discussion and summary of the existing scholarship on a specified topic. Most of the universities which provide doctorates require their candidates to have areading knowledge of two foreign languages, spend a necessary period ‘in residence’ to pass a qualifying examination that acknowledges candidates officially to a Ph.D. program, they are also expected to pass an oral examination on the similar topic as dissertation.

Classes usually range from large lectures with hundreds of students to smaller classes and sessions with only a few students. The United States university classroom atmosphere is generally lively and dynamic. Candidates are expected to share their thoughts and opinions, debate their points, give presentations, and contribute to classroom discussions. The professor assigns textbooks and other readings each week; every candidate is expected to keep up to date with the necessary assignment and interpretations to contribute to class discussions and clearly understand the lectures. Some degree programs also involve spending some time in the research laboratory.

Each professor has a distinctive set of class participation requirements. Still, the students are generally expected to contributein class discussions and more so the seminar classes, this is considered a significant aspect in determining a student’s degree. The midterm examination is typically given during the lectureperiod, one or more research or term papers, the laboratory reports must be submitted for assessment and evaluation.

Types of the American higher education system

State colleges And University

As a state school that is managed and run by the country’s local government. Each of tej 50 states does function at least one States University within it. Many of theseuniversities’ schools have the name of that particular state is the name of the givenuniversities which they operate. For example, in WashingtonState, there is the WashingtonUniversity. In the state of Michigan, there is the University of Michigan.

The privatecolleges and universities’

These colleges are owned by a private individualand are either operated by a branch of the government. Tuition will result in such colleges higher than in the rest of the universities. In most cases, the US University and colleges are often smaller in size compared to the state-owned schools. Most of the religiously affiliated universities and colleges are privately owned schools. Nearly all the schools do welcome students of all religions and beliefs. However, there exist give percentages of the schools that do prefer amities leaners who have thesameopinionsthose the institution is founded on[17].

Community colleges

Such schools are often two years colleges that do award associate degrees, which are transferable and certificate. There exista variety of associate degrees. However, the most important thing is distinguishing factors as to whether thedegreeoffered is exchangeableor not. Most of the universitiestransferrabledegrees are generally associates of arts or associate sciences. Not likely to be transferred are often associate of applied science and certificates of completion. Community colleges graduate most commontransfers to four-year colleges or universities to finish their unfished degrees. Because most do transfer thecreditsobtained in community colleges, they do complete their bachelor degree programs in tow or even mores addictionyears. Many such colleges do offer ESL or English language programs that do prepare these learners for university-level Acores.

Conclusion

The American education system is one of the most organizedsystems in the whole world. This can be attributed to the effective laws and regulations that govern the country’s education system. The laws ad regulations which are a combination of the federalgovernment, department of education laws, and the management together with the control from the federal government.Thecountry’seducation system has undergone several changesaimed at making it better. However, one element which stands out more clearly is the American education systemis more accommodative and advocate for every child. According to the network, every child, regardless of their background, race, ethnic groups, and social class, is entitled to free easy decisions in any public school in America. The American education system also caters for all students who are abled differently.  The education system also champions for innovation and student-centeredlearning.

References

Alves, A.C., Kahlen, F.J., Flumerfelt, S., and Siriban Manalang, A.B., 2013, November. Comparing engineering education systems among the USA, EU, Philippines, and South Africa. In ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers Digital Collection.

Berliner, David C., and Gene V. Glass, eds. 50 myths and lies that threaten America’s public schools: The real crisis in education. Teachers College Press, 2014.

Bok, Derek. Higher education in America: Revised edition. Vol. 87. Princeton University Press, 2015.

Kaiser, Frans, P. Maassen, L. Meek, F. van Vught, E. de Weert, and L. Goedegebuure, eds. Higher education policy: An international comparative perspective. Elsevier, 2014.

Khan, M.A. and Law, L.S., 2015. An Integrative Approach to Curriculum Development in Higher Education in the USA: A Theoretical Framework. International Education Studies, 8(3), pp.66-76.

Varenne, Hervé. Successful failure: The school America builds. Routledge, 2018.

Kubow, P.K., and Fossum, P.R., 2013. Comparative Education in the USA. Comparative education at universities worldwide, pp.183-192.

[1]Berliner, David C., and Gene V. Glass, eds. 50 myths and lies that threaten America’s public schools: The real crisis in education. Teachers College Press, 2014.

[2] Ibid 1 page 47

[3]Bok, Derek. Higher education in America: Revised edition. Vol. 87. Princeton University Press, 2015.

[4] Ibid 3 page 69

[5]Varenne, Hervé. Successful failure: The school America builds. Routledge, 2018.

[6]Alves, A.C., Kahlen, F.J., Flumerfelt, S. and Siriban Manalang, A.B., 2013, November. Comparing engineering education systems among USA, EU, Philippines and South Africa. In ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers Digital Collection.

[7] Ibid 4 page 58

[8] Ibid 5 page 89

[9] Ibid 7 6 pages 90

[10]Khan, M.A. and Law, L.S., 2015. An Integrative Approach to Curriculum Development in Higher Education in the USA: A Theoretical Framework. International Education Studies, 8(3), pp.66-76.

[11] Ibid 10 page 90-92

[12]. Khan, M.A. and Law, L.S., 2015. An Integrative Approach to Curriculum Development in Higher Education in the USA: A Theoretical Framework. International Education Studies, 8(3), pp.66-76.

[13] Ibid 12 page 59

[14]Khan, M.A., and Law, L.S., 2015. An Integrative Approach to Curriculum Development in Higher Education in the USA: A Theoretical Framework. International Education Studies, 8(3), pp.66-76.

[15] Ibid 14 page 70

[16]Kubow, P.K., and Fossum, P.R., 2013. Comparative Education in the USA. Comparative education at universities worldwide, pp.183-192.

[17] Ibid 16 page 59