1. THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Justin Cubilo

2. Types of Schools  Kindergarten  A program or class for four-year-old to six-year-old children that serves as an introduction to school.  Public School  An elementary or secondary school in the United States supported by public funds and providing free education for children of a community or district.  Elementary School  A school for the first four to eight years of a child's formal education, often including kindergarten.  Secondary School  A school that is intermediate in level between elementary school and college and that usually offers general, technical, vocational, or college- preparatory curricula.

3. Types of Schools (cont.)  Prep School  A usually private secondary school that prepares students for college.  Charter School  A public school operated independently of the local school board, often with a curriculum and educational philosophy different from the other schools in the system.  Boarding School  A school where pupils are provided with meals and lodging.  Vocational High School  A school that offers instruction and practical introductory experience in skilled trades such as mechanics, carpentry, plumbing, and construction

4. Types of Schools (cont.)  Community College  A junior college without residential facilities that is often funded by the government.  Home School  A school operated outside established educational institutions, especially in a home.  College/University  An institution for higher learning with teaching and research facilities constituting a graduate school and professional schools that award master's degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate division that awards bachelor's degrees

5. College vs. University  What is the difference between the usage of college and university?  Nothing. The only difference is that college is used more often in American English while university is used more often in British English.  What is the difference between a community college and a college/university?  Community colleges generally only offer a two year degree at the end of which they get an associate’s degree. They also prepare students to go off to a university where they can earn their bachelor’s degree.

6. The American School System  Fill out the graphic organizer with the information that you are presented with.  Each box represents a new progression through the school system.

7. Example: Nursery School/Kindergarten: Transition from home to formal schooling Children are taught to develop basic skills through creative play and social interaction Generally for children between the ages of 4 and 6.

8. Elementary School  Generally for students between kindergarten and fifth-grade.  Children are taught the basics of reading and writing.  These skills are continuously developed.  Social studies, science, math, English are integrated into the school day.

9. Middle School/Junior High  Serve as a “bridge” between elementary school and high school.  Junior High generally includes grades 7 and 8  Middle school generally includes grades 6, 7, and 8  The terms are often interchangeable  Students are taught in an interdisciplinary approach by several teachers who teach the same group of students.  Students learn about the same topic from the perspective of different disciplines  Courses begin to target

10. This leads into two possibilities  High School  Vocational High School

11. High School  Educates students from grades 9 through 12  Subclassed as general high schools, vocational high schools, or preparatory high schools.  Most are general high schools  Offer college preparatory classes for advanced students as well as general education classes.  High school curriculums vary by state.  Students have a little more freedom in what classes the take.

12. Vocational High School  Generally considered to be “post-secondary schools”  Exist to teach job-specific skills.  Considered as institutions devoted to training.  Examples of vocations that training is given for:  Car mechanics  Electricians  Plumbers

13. University/College  Institution of higher education and research.  Grants degrees in many subjects.  Offers undergraduate and postgraduate education.  Organized into a number of academic schools or colleges.  i.e. Arts and Letters, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences  Students pay tuition and fees in order to attend.  A great deal of flexibility in courses that can be taken to fulfill requirements.

14. Professional School/Postgraduate School  Schools that are attended after the Bachelor’s degree has been earned.  One generally goes to a postgraduate school in order to get a Master’s degree or PhD in a subject that is normally related to their undergraduate major.  Professional schools refer to medical school, law school, pharmacy school, etc.  These schools train a student in a specific area.

15. Pre-Reading: Vocabulary  1. H  2. L  3. B  4. E  5. A  6. M  7. F  8. O

16. Pre-Reading (cont.)  9. G  10. I  11. C  12. N  13. K  14. D  15. J

17. Comprehension Questions  1. Middle-class, white, English-speaking.  2. Demographic shifts took place. Minority groups joined the original student population.  3. Mexican immigrants and other Spanish speaking people. African-American children.  4. Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Hmong, Chinese and Farsi. No, they are all at different levels.  5. She remains constant in her enthusiasm and her vision for her teaching job. Her greatest challenge is the cultural diversity of her students.

18. Focus on the Grammar  Simple Past  How is it formed? Verb + -ed There are also irregular forms.  How is it used? Completed actions in the past. Series of completed actions in the past. Duration of actions in the past.

19. Worksheet  1. grade  2. core  3. started  4. interaction  5. accepted  6. took  7. expanded  8. became  9. minority

20. Worksheet (cont.)  10. began  11. spoke  12. considerable  13. intermediate  14. constraints  15. demographic  16. techniques  17. components  18. integration  19. levies

21. Homeschooling  1. Able to spend more time with children, test scores are higher, able to tailor curriculum, siblings able to be closer, lessens the burden on taxpayers  2. 6,296 ; 4,241  3. controversial public school decisions  4. Notify the state, hold a high school diploma, keep attendance and immunization records on file, give an annual standardized test.  5. Most are white, Christian, and affluent.