School Education in the usa

Elementary school is usually attended from the age of 5 or 6 until 11 (grades K to 6), when students go on to a middle or junior high school. In some districts, students attend elementary school until 13 (up to grade 8) before attending a senior high school. Elementary schools provide instruction in the fundamental skills of reading, writing and math, as well as history and geography (taught together as social studies), crafts, music, science, art and physical education or gym.

American high schools are often much larger than secondary schools in other countries, and regional high schools with over 2,000 students are common in some rural areas and city suburbs. Secondary school students must take certain ‘core’ curriculum courses for a prescribed number of years or terms. These generally include English, math, general science, health, physical education and social studies or social sciences.

In addition to mandatory subjects, students choose ‘electives’ (optional subjects), which supplement their future education and career plans. Electives usually comprise around half of a student’s work in grades 9 to 12. Students concentrate on four subjects each quarter. Larger schools may offer a selection of elective courses aimed at three tracks: academic, vocational and general. Students planning to go on to college or university elect courses with an emphasis on academic sciences, higher mathematics, advanced English literature, composition, social sciences and foreign languages. The vocational program may provide training in four fields: agricultural education, which prepares students for farm management and operation; business education, which trains students for the commercial field; home economics, which prepares students for home management, child care and care of the sick; and trade and industrial education, which provides training for jobs in mechanical, manufacturing, building and other trades. The third program is a comprehensive program providing features of the academic and vocational programs. Its introductory courses provide an appreciation of the various trades and industrial arts, rather than training students for specific jobs. Those who don’t want to go to college or enter a particular trade immediately but want the benefits of schooling and a high school diploma often follow the general program.

(abridged from http://www.justlanded.com/english/USA/USA-Guide/Education/Elementary-and-Secondary-Education).

CULTURE CORNER

Getting an Insight into American Culture

Pragmatism in American Education

In American society there is a great emphasis on practicality. The curriculum in U.S. schools typically reflects this concern for a pragmatic approach to life. The idea of “experiential learning”, when students experience what they are studying, is much more popular than the idea of “book learning”. The idea of a more practical curriculum belongs to the philosopher John Dewey who argued that children should learn through direct experience and discover knowledge for themselves.

A recent national survey by the Horatio Alger Society backs up the opinion that involving students in more real-world learning experiences would greatly improve student outcomes. Of those students (ages thirteen to nineteen) surveyed, ninety-five percent said opportunities for more real world learning would improve their school. Among adults surveyed, ninety-two percent favored emphasizing real world learning in schools, including work study, community service, and vocational courses (http://www.communityschools.org/results/students2.aspx).

1. Read the following information about two U.S. high schools. How is the idea of combining classroom study with hands-on practical experience and civic responsibility implemented in these schools?

1) At the High School of Computers and Technology in the Bronx enterprising students have rigged the classroom bells to sound a “cuckoo” alarm.  Work and play go together here, says robotics teacher Stan Bellis, who is overseeing a student-led team project build a go-kart. “The students like working with their hands. They like thinking things out,” he says. “They have ideas and they come up with solutions and then they try it out.” In addition to the required academic subjects, students are taught all aspects of computer maintenance and repair and graduate with Microsoft certifications that can land them high-paying entry level jobs. Principal Bruce Abramowitz confidently predicts that “of the kids we have graduating this year, I bet none of them wind up [working] in a fast food restaurant flipping burgers” (abridged from http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/The combination of academics and art).

2) The Environmental Charter High School, in Lawndale, California, teaches all standard academic subjects as well as about the environment. Nearly 500 students are enrolled at the high school where they prepare for college. The teens can get close to nature, and explore topics like alternative energy. Student Rigo Estrada says he was the kind of person who threw trash on the street before he came here. “Now that I have seen firsthand videos, I have done beach clean-ups, I have helped develop water-catchment systems, I have taught [students at] elementary schools the importance of water conservation,  I know the importance of green and that it actually is a really serious topic.” The school also brings in outside experts, including Nancy Gale, who owns an environmentally-friendly business that makes handbags. “We teach the kids business, marketing, sales, design, and we want to take these students, let them see the entire process that actualizes an intangible product,” said Nancy Gale (abridged from http://www.voanews.com/english/news/education/California-High-School-Has-Environmental-Focus-120810004.html)

2. Do you agree that learning in a real-world context makes students more successful?

Should the principle of “experiential learning” be applied to the Russian school system? Why/ Why not?

3. If you were a high school student, which of the schools described in exercise 1 would you like to go to? Why?

4. Below are lists of electives, clubs and sports that are available at Payette High School (Payette, Idaho). Work in pairs and talk about electives, clubs and sports you would have chosen if you had studied at this school.