Hello everyone. Today I’m going to tell you about education in the United States, from the first day of school to college.
Let’s start with how long students study. In the USA, students go to school for 13 years. That means kindergarten, plus grades 1 to 12. They start at about age 5 and finish at about age 18. First comes elementary school, from kindergarten to grade 5. Then middle school, grades 6 to 8. And then high school, grades 9 to 12. Some children also go to Pre-K at age 3 to 5, but it’s optional.
There are five main types of schools. Public schools are free, and about 9 out of 10 students go to them. Private schools charge tuition. Charter schools are public and free, but they run in their own way. Magnet schools focus on one subject, like science or art. And some families choose homeschool, where children learn at home.
Who runs all these schools? The USA doesn’t have one single school system. About 13,000 local districts run the schools and the budgets. Each state sets the standards and gives licenses to teachers. The federal government pays only about 10 percent of the money, but it protects students’ rights.
American education is also very old. In 1635, Boston Latin School opened as the first public school. In 1636, Harvard became the first college. In 1954, a famous court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, ended legal segregation in schools. And in 1979, the US Department of Education was created.
Now, is school free? Public school is free from kindergarten to grade 12, because taxes pay for it. But college is not free. A public university costs about 11,000 dollars a year, and a private college can cost about 40,000 dollars a year.
The school year is about 180 days, and a school day is 6 to 7 hours long. Classes start in late August or September and end in late May or June. Students also get many breaks. Summer break is the longest, about 10 to 12 weeks. There are 2 to 5 days off at Thanksgiving in November, about 2 weeks in winter, and about one week of spring break. Schools also close for holidays like Labor Day and Memorial Day.
What do students do in a normal day? They study English, math, science and social studies. They can also choose electives, like art, music or languages. A class has about 20 to 25 students. Families who qualify get free or low-cost lunch, and students with disabilities get free support.
Teachers give letter grades from A to F. An A is worth 4.0, a B is 3.0, a C is 2.0 and a D is 1.0. These are averaged into a number called the GPA. Students also take tests. Federal law requires state tests in reading and math in grades 3 to 8, and once in high school. For college, many students take the SAT or the ACT, but many colleges now make them optional. Students can also take AP classes to earn college credit.
What happens after the last year? At about age 18, students get a high school diploma. Then they have choices. They can go to a university for 4 years, or a community college for 2 years. They can learn a job at a trade school, join the military, or take a gap year.
There are about 4,000 colleges in the USA, and about 19 million students. An associate degree takes 2 years, a bachelor’s degree takes 4, a master’s takes 1 to 2 more years, and a doctorate is a research degree.
College is expensive, but there is help. Students fill out the FAFSA, the federal aid application. Grants and scholarships are money you keep. Loans are money you must pay back with interest. And work-study gives part-time jobs on campus.
More than one million international students also study in the USA. To apply, they send their application before each college’s deadline. They show their English with a test like TOEFL or IELTS. They need an F-1 student visa. And they must prove they can pay for their studies.
Finally, school life is about more than classes. There is the homecoming game and dance, and prom in high school. Students make yearbooks and join clubs. And at graduation, they wear a cap and gown.
To finish, American education is not one single system. Local districts, states and the federal government share the work, so every school is a little different. Thank you for listening. Do you have any questions?