American education System

1. The American School System 0

2. Overview
• Preschool
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Higher education
• Comparison to
Germany and the UK
education
• Education Fees
• Comparison to
Malaysia Education
System 1

3. Education System U.S.A
The American School System 2

4. The difference between private and public
schools
Private school Public school
• Tuition fees or
scholarship
• 10 % of all students
• Select their students
• Uniforms
• Financed by taxes
• Supported by funding
• Majority of students
• Some have dress codes
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5. Preschool (Nursery School)
• Usually between the ages of three
and five
• Education before the age of six
• To develop children through planned
programs
• Social competence (playgroups / sharing
etc.)
• Listening skills
• Several activities (painting, educational
games etc.)
What do children learn in Preschools?
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6. Elementary Education
• Primary school
 Provides instructions in skills of mathematics, reading, basic
grammar, social studies, geography etc.
• Elementary school
 First year: kindergarten
 From 5/6 to 11 years
 1st grade to 6th grade
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7. Junior High School
• Includes seventh, eighth and ninth grade
• More independence
• Compulsory subjects: Science, mathematics, social
sciences, physical education
• Electives
• Extracurricular activities
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8. Senior High School
• Built around 1960 in USA
• Originated in Scotland:
Edinburgh’s Royal High
school 1505
• Prepares young people for
the adult world
• Final four years (9 up to 12)
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9. How a High School works
• School attendance: until graduation or age
of 16
• Full-time school
• Begins in late august or early September
• Ends in late may or early June
• 36 weeks a year
• Strict discipline during class time
• Possibility to have lunch in school
• Extracurricular activities
• Graduation
• High school diploma
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10. The American School System 9

11. Extracurricular Activities
• Performed by students outside the normal
curriculum
• Voluntary
• Usually organized by students
• First appearance in the 19th century
• First activity: literary societies (Harvard & Yale)
The American School System 10

12. Extracurricular Activities
• Sports
o American Football
o Soccer
o Baseball
o Swimming
o Cheerleading
o Basketball etc.
• Clubs
o Theater club
o Debating society
o Choir
o Band etc.
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13. Homeschooling
• Approx. 1.5 million children (2.9 %)
• Moral or religious reasons
• Dissatisfaction with academic
instruction
• Effective teaching; individual
• To avoid negative social pressure
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14. High School Names
• Prominent names
o Kennedy High School
o Canyon High School
o Ben Franklin High School
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15. Types of High Schools
• Can be sub classed in
o Magnet High School
o College preparatory High School
o Special High School
• Offer classes for advanced students
• General education for average students
• Remedial courses for those who are struggling
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16. Overview: Higher Education
The American School System 15

17. Higher Education
• 30/45 highest-ranked institutions in the U.S
• Undergraduate: e.g. BA
• (Post)graduate: e.g. MA, Ph.D.
The American School System
• More than 4,400 universities and
colleges
• Decentralized system
• Public universities administered by
individual States
16

18. Higher Education: General Information
• University & college
• Institute (e.g. MIT)
• Union (e.g. Cooper Union)
• School (e.g. Julliard School)
• Academy (e.g. United States
Military Academy)
• Conservatory (e.g. New England
Conservatory)
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19. “College” versus “University”: Etymology
• Collegium: club/ society under a common set of
rules
• Universitas magistrorum et scholarium: community
of teachers and scholars
The American School System
• Degree-awarding tertiary educational institution
• Institution within a university
• Vocational School
• Secondary School
“College” in
English-Speaking Countries
18

20. Two-Year College
• Associate’s degree
• Before 1970, all “junior colleges”
• Today:
o “junior colleges” = private
o “community colleges” = public
(students of local community, with supports)
The American School System
Four-Year College
• Bachelor’s degree:
o Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
o Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
• Curriculum on liberal arts (versus vocational): “liberal arts
colleges” 19

21. Vocational School
• Also called “trade/ career school” or
VET (Vocational Educational Training)
• Skills for a particular job
• Training, not education
The American School System
Residential College
• e.g. Oxford, Harvard
• In the U.S.: housing system
• In the UK: both academic and residential
functions
20

22. University
• Undergraduate and graduate education
• Core: undergraduate colleges with liberal arts
curriculum => bachelor’s degree
• Graduate schools (both teaching and research)
• Divided in colleges/ schools/ faculties (e.g. School of
Law)
• Some universities = “colleges” (historical reasons)
• Different use of the terms among states
• Example: Georgia, 1996:
o 4-year institutions (“colleges”) => “universities”
o “vocational technology schools” => “technical
colleges”
But…
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23. Acronyms you should
know…
• B.A. = Bachelor of Arts / M.A. = Master of Arts
• B.S. = Bachelor of Science / M.S. = Master of
Science
• M.B.A. = Master of Business Administration
• M.F.A. = Master of Fine Arts
• Ph.D. = Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophiae
Doctor)
• M.D. = Doctor of Medicine (Medicinae Doctor)
• D.V.M. = Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Phar.D.. = Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharmaciae
Doctor)
• J.D. = Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor)
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24. Tuition Fees
• Charged almost everywhere, except:
o5 federally sponsored service
academies;
ofew tuition-free institution (e.g.
Webb Institute)
• Lower at public universities
(subsidies)
• Cheaper for local students
• Scholarships, student loans or grantsThe American School System 23

25. Tuition fees
Most Prestigious
UniversitiesThe American School System 24

26. Harvard University
• Cambridge,
Massachusetts
• since 1639
• 2011-12:
o $ 36,305 for tuition
o $ 52,652 for tuition,
room, board and
fees combined
Princeton
University
• Princeton, New
Jersey
• Since 1746
• 2012-13:
o $ 38,650 for
tuition
o $ 54,780 in total
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27. Overview:
Comparison to Germany and the UK
The American School System 26

28. USA – Germany
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29. Education in the United
Kingdom
A-Level
First School
Middle School
Upper School
GCSE
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30. Grades
The American School System
Percentage Letter Numerical
90%–100% A 4.0
80%–89% B 3.0
70%–79% C 2.0
60%–69% D 1.0
59% and below E / F 0.0
Chromatic variants, represented by + and −, are
commonly used.
They are usually represented as being 0.3 higher and
lower than the normal.
(e.g., B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, B− = 2.7)
Academic grading in the United States
29

31. USA
 Average: 12.000 –
16.000 US$ p.a.
 Range:2.000 US$
(community
college)
up to 40.000 US$
(most prestigious
universities) p.a.
UK
 Scotland:
£2700 for 4 years
 England, Northern
Ireland and Wales:
up to £ 9.000 p.a
(effective since
2012)
Germany
 No tuition fees in
most States
 In Bavaria, Baden-
Württemberg and
Lower Saxony:
Up to 1000 Euro
p.a.:
Tuition Fees
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32. Postgraduate Tuition Fee
(Master)
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33. The American School System 32
In Malaysia, primary education and secondary
education make up 11 years of free education.
Malaysia Education System
The admission age to the
first of primary education is
seven. Primary schooling is
mandatory to all children
between the ages of 7 and
12.
Students sit for common
public examinations at the
end of primary, lower
secondary and upper
secondary levels.

34. The American School System 33

35. The American School System 34

36. The American School System 35
While in United States of
America (USA), US children
enter the schooling system at
the age five.
The ninth, through twelfth grades, are
most commonly referred to as high
school. Upon completion of twelfth
grade (aged 17-18), American
students are awarded a certificate
called the high school diploma.
The first year at school is called
kindergarten. It is required of all
American children enrolled in the
America education system. The second
year at school is considered the first
year of primary school and is referred
to as first grade.
Upon completion of fifth grade (the
last year of primary school at age
10-11), American children then
advance to secondary school.
Secondary school most commonly
consists of a total of seven years,
referred to as sixth through twelfth
grades
In the American education system,
students must obtain a high school
diploma before they are admitted
into college or university.
American
Education
System

37. The American School System 36
REFFERENCES:
1. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
2. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Malaysia
3. Blog:Studymode by Faizmail
http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Comparison-Between-Education-
System-In-48898074.html
4. Journal article: Problems Facing American Education
http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Boyer,%20
Ashley%20Problems%20Facing%20American%20Education.pdf

38. The American School System 37
SHARING PART
OPINION
Q & A