All children in the United States have access to public school, regardless of immigration status. According to a report by the Migration Policy Institute, young children of immigrants comprise more than 20% of the young child population in 19 states.
The U.S. education system is generally divided into three stages: primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Primary and secondary education are compulsory, but post-secondary education (such as college or vocational programs) is optional.
The American school year usually begins in August or early September and ends in May or early June. Most schools take a short break in December (winter break) and March or April (spring break), as well as an extended break over summer.
Levels
Formal schooling lasts about 12 years, and each school year is called a grade. Most children begin their education in kindergarten at age 5 or 6, and they complete their education in 12th grade at age 17 or 18.
Public schools are generally divided into districts, which operate several schools in a specific region. There are some state and regional differences in the ways that primary and secondary education are divided. Broadly speaking, here’s what you can expect:
Primary education: Also called elementary school, this stage generally consists of kindergarten through fifth grade. Before beginning kindergarten, some children aged 3-5 years old enroll in preschool, which is not required but may help prepare them for their education.
Secondary education: This stage spans sixth through 12th grade. It consists of middle school (also known as junior high school) and high school. Most districts reserve 9th through 12th grade for high school. Once your child completes 12th grade, they receive a high school diploma.
Assessment
Students are evaluated throughout the academic year, and they must meet certain benchmarks before they can move onto the next grade. Their work is measured with grading systems, which vary widely between states, schools, and even classes.
Generally, grading systems are based on a numeric scale that are equated with a letter mark. Teachers assign grades based on a student’s performance and generally subtract a student’s total from 100. A basic grading rubric may look like this:
Letter mark | Points |
A (Excellent) | 90-100 |
B (Good) | 80-90 |
C (Fair) | 70-80 |
D (Poor) | 60-70 |
F (Failure) | <60 |
It’s common to see plus or minus signs assigned to letter grades, such as A+ and A-. These symbols are used to indicate a student’s point total or effort in the classroom. Other grading systems follow a pass-fail system instead of letter grades. The exact system largely depends on the district, subject, and class.
Additionally, all American public schools issue statewide tests (also called standardized tests or benchmark tests) to ensure that students are hitting minimum standards of education. In high school, students also have the option to take standardized tests that satisfy college credits (such as Advanced Placement tests) or support their college admissions requirements (such as the SAT or ACT).
(Ref: https://www.boundless.com/)
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