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Preschool

See also: Pre-Kindergarten

In the United States, nursery school is provided in a variety of settings. In general, preschool is meant to be voluntary and promote development in children through planned programs. Preschool is defined as: "center-based programs for four-year olds that are fully or partially funded by state education agencies and that are operated in schools or under the direction of state and local education agencies". Preschools, both private and school sponsored, are available for children from ages three to five. Many of these programs follow similar curriculum as pre-kindergarten.

Preschool education emphasizes individuality. Children are frequently permitted to choose from a variety of activities, using a learning center approach. During these times, some children draw or paint, some play house, some play with puzzles while some listen to the teacher read a story aloud. Activities vary in each session. Each child is assumed to have particular strengths and weaknesses to be encouraged or ameliorated by the teachers. A typical belief is that "children's play is their work" and that by allowing them to select the type of play, the child will meet his or her developmental needs. Preschools also adopt American ideas about justice, such as the rule of law and the idea that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Teachers do not always actively intervene in disputes and encourage children to resolve disputes independently by using verbal strategies ("use your words"), stating objectively what the problem or issues are, and then discussing what steps can be taken to resolve it. Punishments that may or may not include time outs are rarely carried out by teachers. Children are encouraged to apologize after understanding what has happened rather than blindly apologize. Children are also encouraged to think through steps they can take to make up for their misbehavior. Teachers assist children by explaining what happened and what was wrong in their behavior, before any decision to punish is made. Self-expressive language skills are emphasized through informal interactions with teachers and through structured group activities such as show and tell exercises to enable the child to describe an experience to an adult. Resources vary depending on the wealth of the students, but generally are better equipped than other cultures. Most programs are not subsidized by government, making preschools relatively expensive even though the staff is typically poorly compensated. Student-teacher ratios are lower than in other cultures, ideally about 15 students per group. Parents and teachers see teachers as extensions of or partial substitutes for parents and consequently emphasize personal relationships and consistent expectations at home and at school.

In contrast to many other cultures, including Japan and the UK, American preschools frequently ban squirt guns and pretend play involving toy or imaginary weapons, and may have zero-tolerance policies that require punishing children who bring or make toy guns at school.

Students who may benefit from special education receive services in preschools. Since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Public Law 101–476 in 1975 and its amendments, PL 102-119 and PL 105–17 in 1997, the educational system has moved away from self-contained special education classrooms to inclusion, leading special education teachers to practice in a wider variety of settings. As with other stages in the life of a child with special needs, the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is an important way for teachers, administrators and parents to set guidelines for a partnership to help the child succeed in preschool.

Cooperative preschools

Formally starting in 1916, cooperative preschools are common throughout much of America and focus on providing a preschool environment for children and parents which is in line with cooperative ideals.

• Parent involvement
• Parent participation
• Parent education in early childhood education programs

Head Start

Main article: Head Start (program)

The goal of Head Start and of Early Head Start is to increase the school preparedness of young children in low-income families. These programs serve children from birth to age five, pregnant women, and their families. Head Start was started by the Federal Government in 1964 to help meet the needs of under-privilleged pre-school children.

The office of Economic Opportunity launched Project Head Start as an eight-week summer program in 1965. It was then transferred to the Office of Child Development in the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1969. Today it is a program within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. Programs are administered locally by school systems and non-profit organizations.

• Services provided by Head Start

1. Disabilities – All programs fully include children with disabilities
2. Education – The goal of Head Start is to ensure that those children enrolled in the program are ready to begin school. Activities are geared towards skill and knowledge domains.
3. Family and Community Partnerships – both groups are involved in the operation, governance, and evaluation of the program.
4. Health – Health is seen as an important factor in a child's ability to thrive and develop. The program provides screenings to evaluate a child's overall health, regular health check-ups, and good practices in oral health, hygiene, nutrition, personal care, and safety.
5. Program Management and Operations – "focus on delivering high-quality child development services to children from low-income families."

Kindergarten

1921 kindergarten class at the East Texas State Normal College Training School

See also: Education in the United States and National Kindergarten Association

Kindergarten is usually part of the K–12 educational system, but attendance is not compulsory across the country; each state determines whether or not kindergarten is compulsory. Forty-three of the fifty states (the exceptions being Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania) require school districts to offer a kindergarten year, either for a full-day or a half-day.

In most schools, children begin kindergarten at age five for one year. Students develop skills such as numeracy, literacy, and a greater awareness of the world around them geographically, scientifically, socially, and culturally.

Primary education

Main article: Primary education in the United States

See also: Elementary school (United States)

Elementary school in Kentucky, 1946

Authority to regulate education resides constitutionally with the individual states. The direct authority of the U.S. Congress and the federal U.S. Department of Education is essentially limited to regulation and enforcement of federal constitutional rights. Great indirect authority is exercised through federal funding of national programs and block grants; but there is no obligation upon any state to accept these funds, and the U.S. government otherwise may propose but not enforce national goals, objectives and standards, which generally lie beyond its jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, education has had a relatively consistent evolution throughout the United States. All states have historically made a distinction between two genres of K-12 education and three genres of K-12 school. The genres of education are primary and secondary; and the genres of school are elementary school (Primary school uses the common term as well), middle or junior high school, and high school (historically, "senior" high school to distinguish it from the junior school).

Primary education (or "primary school" meaning "primary education") still tends to focus on basic academic learning and socialization skills, introducing children to the broad range of knowledge, skill and behavioral adjustment they need to succeed in life - and, particularly, in secondary school. Secondary education or secondary school has always focused on preparing adolescents for higher education or/and for careers in industries, trades or professions that do not require an academic degree.

Over the past few decades, schools in the USA have been testing various arrangements which break from the one-teacher, one-class model. Multi-age programs, where children in different grades (e.g. Kindergarten through to second grade) share the same classroom and teachers, is one increasingly popular alternative to traditional elementary instruction. Another alternative is that children might have a main class and go to another teacher's room for one subject, such as science, while the science teacher's main class will go to the other teacher's room for another subject, such as social studies. This could be called a two-teacher, or a rotation. It is similar to the concept of teams in junior high school. Another method is to have the children have one set of classroom teachers in the first half of the year, and a different set of classroom teachers in the second half of the year. Primary School is also known as Elementary school.

41 of the states are now using the Common Core Standards which claim to better prepare students for college and career.

• Pre-Kindergarten/Early Childhood (Ages 2–5)
• Kindergarten (Ages 4–6)
• First grade (5–7 years)
• Second grade (6–8 years)
• Third grade (7–9 years)
• Fourth grade (8–10 years)
• Fifth grade (9–11 years)
• Sixth grade (10–12 years)

1st grade

Main article: Primary education in the United States

In arithmetic, students learn about addition and subtraction of natural or whole numbers, usually with only one digit or two digits, and about measurement. Basic geometry and graphing may sometimes be introduced. Clock and calendar time, as well as money, may also be in the curriculum.

In language arts, first graders are taught the fundamentals of literacy, including reading sentences, writing very simple statements, and mastery of the alphabet, building on what they have learned in kindergarten or other forms of pre-school. Expectations for first grade have changed due to Common Core Standards. The curriculum is typically based on standards developed by educators in each state. Most states use the Common Core Standards, so most schools across the country use similar curricula. First graders are expected to read and comprehend stories ranging in length and difficulty. They are also expected to show an improved fluency rate during the school year, with the ability to easily read stories by the end of the year.

Students are also typically introduced to the concept of social studies, with an emphasis on establishing ideas of history or civics in either a personal or larger sense. Some states focus on the basics of US history and patriotism, with a focus on the Founding Fathers and the time period surrounding the American Revolution; other states require social studies focus on family relationships in first grade, leaving community, state, and national studies to higher grades. Basic geography is also taught in the first grade. Focus on the school's municipal area and culture, along with basic state geography, is also be focused upon in first grade in some states. First-grade science classes usually involve the discussion of matter, plant and animal science, earth materials, and balance and motion, along with the human body and basic health and nutrition.

Science as inquiry is taught and practiced in first grade classes. Students are encouraged to observe the world around them and begin asking questions about things they notice.

2nd grade

Second grade students study arithmetic, working with multi-digit addition and subtraction of natural and whole numbers. They also study time and its division into AM and PM segments; fractions; rounding; and measurement. Usually, multiplication and division are introduced toward the end of the school year. Children usually turn 8 years old during the second grade academic year.

In language arts, students work with regular and irregular verbs, plurals, homophones, compound words, and comparative and superlative adjectives.

Natural science in the second grade includes basic physics like simple machines, magnets, and heat. Students learn about human anatomy, including the heart and digestive system. A basic understanding of the Earth and space is also taught, comprising such topics as basic astronomy, geology, paleontology, and meteorology. The science curriculum may vary by local school district.

Civics class includes topics relating to the presidents, the states, and capitals of the United States, as well as the Civil War and geography.

3rd grade

In mathematics, students are usually introduced to multiplication and division facts, place value to thousands or ten thousands, and estimation. Depending on the elementary school, third grade students may even begin to work on long division, such as dividings in the double digits, hundreds, and thousands. Decimals (to tenths only) are sometimes introduced. Students begin to work on problem-solving skills working to explain their thinking in mathematical terms.

• In science, third grade students are taught basic physics and chemistry. Weather and climate are also sometimes taught. The concept of atoms and molecules are common, the states of matter, and energy, along with basic chemical elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, gold, zinc, and iron. Nutrition is also sometimes taught in third grade along with chemistry.
• Social studies sometimes begins a study of the culture of the United States and basic idea of the early part of the United States from the time of the Native Americans to the Civil War. Outward expansion and the gold rush are covered.
• In reading and language arts, third grade students begin working more on text comprehension by using informational articles or different genre books than decoding strategies. Students also begin reading harder chapter books. They read and distinguish between a variety of book genres: realistic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction and folktales. Kids learn reading, vocabulary, and writing strategies such as finding main idea, finding theme, citing textual evidence, compare and contrast, nouns, verbs, context clues, writing narratives, writing research reports, writing explanatory essays, and writing persuasive and argumentative pieces.

• Grade 3 students learn how to work on projects on their own and with others. This may start as early as second grade and first grade as well. Social skills, empathy and leadership are considered by some educators to be as important to develop as the academic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.
• Although more common in the past than today, many students begin writing in cursive at this grade level. In some schools, cursive writing is taught in earlier grades such as in second grade.

Common Core State Standards were launched in 2009, which lay out all of the above curriculum for each grade level.

4th grade

In math, students learn about place value up to the millions, prime and composite numbers, multiplying 2-digit and 3-digit numbers, long division, fractions, decimals, the metric system, and geometry.

In Social Studies, students learn about geography skills such as map reading and longitude and latitude, state history, and early American history. Fourth grade is also the year that most U.S. students learn about their own state's history.

In science, most common topics include the rock cycle, fossils, erosion, electricity, forces and motion, light, and heat. Other topics may be taught depending on the school districts or state's curriculum.

In English, kids learn skills about reading, writing, and vocabulary. These skills include finding a story's theme, comparing and contrasting, citing textual evidence, main idea, writing objective summaries, writing narratives, writing research reports, writing explanatory essays, writing persuasive and argumentative pieces, figurative language, prefixes, suffixes and context clues.

Middle school

See also: Education in the United States

Indianola Junior High School in Columbus, Ohio, the first middle school in the United States

An aerial photo of a modern middle school in Blairsville, Georgia

Middle schools are educational institutions for students between the ages of 11 and 14 years and comprise grades six to eight with some including grade five. Junior high schools are educational institutions for students between the ages of 12 and 15 years and comprise grades seven to nine. However, some junior high schools and middle schools have established models for grades seven and eight.

The junior high school concept was introduced in 1909, in Columbus, Ohio. Junior high schools were created for "bridging the gap between the elementary and the high school", an emphasis credited to Charles W. Eliot. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, most American elementary schools had grades 1 through 8, and this organization still exists, where some concepts of middle school organization have been adapted to the intermediate grades. As time passed, the junior high school concept increased quickly as new school districts proliferated, or systems modernized buildings and curricula. This expansion continued through the 1960s. Jon Wiles, author of Developing Successful K–8 Schools: A Principal's Guide, said that "a major problem" for the original model was "the inclusion of the ninth grade", because of the lack of instructional flexibility, due to the requirement of having to earn high school credits in the ninth grade and that "the fully adolescent ninth grader in junior high school did not seem to belong with the students experiencing the onset of puberty".

The new middle school model began to appear in the mid-1960s. Wiles said, "At first, it was difficult to determine the difference between a junior high school and a middle school, but as the middle school became established, the differences became more pronounced".

The faculty is organized into academic departments that operate more or less independently of one another.

The middle school format has now replaced the junior high format by a ratio of about ten to one in the United States, but some school districts have incorporated both systems or a mix of the two.

5th grade

In the United States, 41 states have implemented Common Core standards for 5th-grade curriculum in the English language and srts/mathematics.

Key English Language Arts Common Core standards for 5th grade students include:

• Ability to determine the theme of a book, story, or poem from details in the text
• Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story
• Describe how the narrator or speaker's point of view may influence how events are described
• Compare and contrast stories in the same genre.

Key Mathematics Common Core standards for 5th grade students include:

• Write and interpret numerical expressions in operations and algebraic thinking
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions
• Convert like measurement units
• Understand volume as an attribute of 3-dimensional space
• Graph points on the coordinate plane
• Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties

6th grade

Sixth grade students

The sixth grade is the sixth school year after Kindergarten. Students are usually 11—12 years old.

It is most commonly the first year of middle school, although it used to be the last year of elementary in most states.

Less commonly, it can also be the last year of intermediate school or the second year of middle school.

7th grade

In mathematics, 7th grade students begin to go more into pre-algebra or the beginnings of algebra including ratios, proportions, and percentages. New topics sometimes include scientific notation, concepts with negative numbers or integers, and more advanced geometry. Some schools allow advanced students to take an Algebra I course instead of following the standard 7th grade math curriculum.

In social studies, advanced pre-Civil War History is taught. Though American history is usually the most common, other cultures and time periods may be taught, including state and capital history (in, for example, Texas and South Carolina), European history (in Connecticut and New Jersey), and Civics (in Florida).

In science, 7th graders usually learn biology, although they may learn physical science or earth science topics too.

Foreign language is often introduced in 7th grade, with the most common language taught being Spanish. At many schools 7th graders can choose from several different languages depending on their school's language abilities and cultural/regional demographics.

In some parts of the United States, 7th grade students have a different class and teacher for each of their subjects, and the students move between classrooms at the end of each class period. Students in some schools may begin to have the option for electives for exploration and enrichment. Common electives include music ensembles such as band, orchestra, or choir, or electives such as art, industrial arts, and computer technology.

8th grade

An "eighth grade certificate", dating from 1915 and issued in Allentown, Pennsylvania

8th grade is usually a child's eighth year of education, aside from Kindergarten and Preschool. It is often the final year of middle school. Some students take English 1 and or Algebra 1 which are high school classes.

In cultural and language curriculum, many students may opt to take a foreign language course, either for a semester or the full school year.

American history is often the primary focus in eighth grade social studies. Other schools may also focus on other subject areas such as geography and world history.

In Mathematics, 8th graders learn about scientific notation, geometry and angles, linear equations, measurement, functions, and exponents. In Science, 8th graders are in physical science and learn about forces and motion, energy, the electromagnetic spectrum, and chemical reactions. In some schools, 8th graders may learn about the earth and space sciences such as astronomy, metereology,and geology. In English, 8th graders learn about themes, imagery, figurative language, textual evidence, analyzing sources, writing narratives, writing research reports, writing explanatory essays, writing persuasive and argumentative pieces, and compare and contrast.

In the United States, 41 states have implemented Common Core curriculum standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics in 8th grade.

Key English/Language Arts Common Core standards for 8th grade students include:

• Ability to write arguments and to support claims with relevant evidence; support with logical reasoning using accurate, credible source
• Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using relevant details and structured event sequences
• Ability to write in a manner that the organization, development, and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience
• Conduct short research products to answer questions, drawing on multiple print or digital sources; ability to assess credibility of each source

Key Mathematics Common Core standards for 8th grade students include:

• Ability to use linear equations and systems to represent, analyze, and solve various problems
• Students recognize (y/x=m) or (y-mx) as special linear equations (y=mx+b) and can interpret and express a relationship in terms of the situation
• Students understand the concept of a function as a rule that assigns exactly one output for one input
• Knowledge of distance and angles and ideas of translations, congruence, rotations, reflections, similarity
• Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find distance between points on the coordinate plain, find lengths, and analyze polygons

Secondary education

Main article: Secondary education in the United States

See also: Elementary and Secondary Education Act

West Orange-Stark High School

The definition of "secondary education" varies among school districts. Often secondary programs are divided into two programs: middle school and high school. Generally, middle school comprises grade 6 (age 11–12), grade 7 (age 12–13), and grade 8 (age 13–14), while high school comprises grade 9 (age 14–15) through grade 12 (age 17–18). Many schools use a variation of the structure; these decisions are made by the district and school board.

9th grade

Main article: Education in the United States

Two American ninth graders at the 2014 APG STEM Expo

Ninth grade is usually the first year in high school. In this system, ninth graders are also often referred to as freshmen. It can also be the last year of junior high school depending on state. The average age for the U.S. 9th grade students is 14 to 15 years. The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research identified in 2017 that passing ninth grade courses is a predictor of high school graduation.

In the math curriculum, ninth graders are usually taught algebra, or if they have already taken algebra at a lower level may take geometry or more advanced algebra. Advanced courses are usually available to ninth graders who are prepared for a more rigorous curriculum, depending on the school district.

In the English curriculum, most schools offer basic courses, advanced courses, and honors courses. The basic course for a ninth grader will often teach the fundamentals of higher-level literature and how to analyze and respond to such literature. More advanced courses may be offered depending on the school district and may focus on one type of literature, such as American literature or British literature, and may be taken instead of or in addition to standard classes.

In the social studies curriculum, there are a variety of different courses that may be offered depending on school district. For example students may take a geography class, a government class, or a world history class.

In the science curriculum, ninth grade students are required, in most areas, to take biology. But they can take different courses before they take Biology such as Integrated Science.. Other forms of sciences such as basic physical science or earth sciences could also be part of the curriculum as well, depending on the school district.

Typically, ninth-graders will be required to earn a minimum number of credits, usually six or seven carnegie units or roughly five classes per year depending on state, in order to advance to tenth grade.

10th grade

The tenth grade is typically the second year of high school, called sophomore year.

Curriculum for math, tenth graders are usually taught geometry. Occasionally, trigonometry, precalculus, or higher classes, are offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in later years of high school.

Curriculum for literature, students have already begun to familiarize themselves with notable authors such as Shakespeare, while advanced programs put a major emphasis on literary terms and themes. Generally, students at this grade will be taught world literature. Like other classes, Honors and Advanced Placement versions of this course are available.

Curriculum for science, tenth graders are usually taught chemistry (typically), biology, or physics. Like other classes, Advanced Placement Chemistry and/or Biology is available.

Curriculum for social studies, tenth grade students are taught recent world history or American history. In some districts, Advanced Placement coursework, such as geography, European history, Global studies, or United States History are offered.

11th grade

A student in the eleventh grade is typically referred to as a junior. The vast majority of students who are classified as juniors take the SAT Reasoning Test and/or ACT in the second semester of their third year of high school.

Math students usually take Algebra II, but classes like trigonometry or precalculus are sometimes offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in their fourth, or senior year of high school. Depending on the location there may be a combination of any of the listed subjects. They may also take easier courses such as algebra I and geometry if they do not have the required prerequisites for the more advanced courses that are listed above. Students who are advanced in mathematics often take calculus or statistics.

In science classes, third year students are taught, usually biology, physics (typically) or chemistry, especially lab chemistry.

In English class, a college-preparatory curriculum would also include American literature. Often, English literature is taught in the third year of high school. Books and authors learned include The Glass Menagerie, The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, Jonathan Edwards, Amy Tan, and Lorraine Hansberry.

In a social studies curriculum, third year students in the United States are usually taught US history or the world from the 1870s to the 21st Century. These courses could be also taught in ninth or tenth grade as well. They may also acquire more advanced world culture and geography knowledge, along with some more-advanced social studies such as psychology, economics, sociology and government.

Many high school third year students in the United States opt to take a foreign language, even though it is not required in many secondary school’s curricula.

While normally followed by twelfth grade, some colleges will accept excelling students out of this grade as part of an early college entrance program. Alternatively, some students may choose to graduate early through standardized testing or advanced credits.

12th grade

A 12th grade English studies curriculum provided by the Ohio Department of Education in Ohio

The twelfth grade is the twelfth school year after kindergarten. It is also the last year of compulsory secondary education, or high school. Students are often 17–18 years old, and on rarer occasions, can be 19 years old or older. Many states have a maximum age which free education can be offered, usually but not always age 21. Twelfth graders are referred to as Seniors.

Many students consider the twelfth grade, also known as the senior year of high school, a year to relax and prepare for the transition out of their old lives into college/university or the workplace. Others take advantage of the opportunity to complete additional higher-level courses, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, to earn credits for college/university.

Traditions associated with senior year

In the United States and some other countries, there is a graduation event near to the end of the school year (typically in May or June) more formally referred to as commencement, where seniors formally graduate from high school and receive their diplomas.

In many schools, seniors sit for formal senior portraits at the beginning of the school year or the summer prior to their senior year. These portraits are used in the upcoming graduating class's yearbook. The senior portraits in the yearbook are usually bigger than the ones typically used for lower grades. Many modern yearbooks are in full color.

There is a formal dance for this year's students, called senior prom. Some schools hold a combined prom for juniors and seniors, while others segregate the two grades into separate dances.

Senior skip day (also known as senior ditch day) is a day during which the seniors do not attend school and skip all their classes. This event/tradition is often not recognized by school administrations and teachers. In some areas it is countered with an officially recognized senior day off, or by allowing graduating seniors to skip their final exams. This official senior day can also be used to sponsor a senior field trip or senior class trip where the class would, for example, go to a theme park, a lake, a resort, the beach, or some other vacation-type activity. Following graduation, many seniors go on senior week, where they spend a week at the beach with their friends.

In some schools, Seniors receive a class ring at the beginning of their senior year. A senior prank is another common tradition in which the class may contribute towards a practical joke on the school, administration, or local community. A related tradition is the senior class raising or contributing money for equipment or other things to the school as a token of gratitude and respect for the school's support of the seniors. A similar project could involve the outside local community as well.

Higher education

The University of Pennsylvania, an American research university

The higher education system in the United States is decentralized and regulated independently by each state with accreditors playing a key role in ensuring institutions meet minimum standards. It is large and diverse with institutions that are privately governed and institutions that are owned and operated by state and local governments. Some private institutions are affiliated with religious organizations whereas others are secular with enrollment ranging from a few dozen to tens of thousands of students. The United States Department of Education presents a broad-spectrum view of tertiary education and detailed information on the nation's educational structure, accreditation procedures, and connections to state as well as federal agencies and entities.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education provides one framework for classifying U.S. colleges and universities in several different ways. US tertiary education also includes various non-profit organizations promoting professional development of individuals in the field of higher education and helping expand awareness of related issues like international student services and complete campus internationalization.