It is a well-known fact that the education system in the United States is one of the best in the world. This is why young people from different countries our planet strives to study at American universities, which occupy leading places in the rankings best universities peace.
Trying to solve the problems that exist in the Russian education system, many specialists are trying to apply the positive experience of other countries. But before introducing any innovation into our kindergartens, schools and universities, you should carefully read it and analyze all its pros and cons.
So, let's look at the features of the US education system and compare it with the one that exists in our country.
Study in America
The modern US education system has developed under the direct influence of many economic, social and historical factors. That is why it is characterized by some features that do not coincide with Western European standards. Thus, in the United States there is no unified state education system. In addition, each of the American states has the right to independently determine its structure.
The entire territory of the United States is divided into 15.5 thousand school districts. As a rule, these are small schools attended by up to 50 thousand students. But some of these school districts are simply huge. An example of this is New York. The school district located on its territory educates about a million children. Each of these entities carries out work on collecting taxes allocated to the needs of educational institutions, developing and adopting programs, recruiting teachers, etc.
The modern American educational system contains the principles of self-financing, self-government and self-determination. At the same time, its effective interaction with federal and local authorities is carried out.
Today the US education system includes:
Preschools;
- general education “all-encompassing” 12-year schools providing complete secondary education;
- professional and higher educational institutions.
Typically, American children begin their education in preschool and then continue through school for twelve years.
Elementary education
In the USA, a child receives primary education at the age of five, while in senior group kindergarten. This is the time when a smooth transition from playing to reading and writing begins.
The primary education system in the United States is focused on the child's own social experience. In English this is called this ambiguous word like experience. This means that the child acquires the skill of independence, instilling in him a respectful attitude towards his peers, as well as an adequate understanding of the world around him, which is achieved without a lot of knowledge and excessive theorizing.
The education system in the United States provides that at this stage a teacher and an assistant work with a group of twenty children. Volunteers also play a major role in educational work. They help organize leisure activities, excursions and activities.
Who are volunteers? These are, as a rule, men and women of mature age who work for free for the public good. In schools and kindergartens, they help teachers and educators, working with children and giving them the warmth of their souls.
But this is not the only reason why the education system in the USA differs from the Russian one. While still in kindergarten, every child can visit the library and work on the computer. And those children who have certain problems with communication are separated into separate small groups. In each of them, only one teacher works with three students. This allows you to pay more attention to each child and develop individual creative abilities in the little person.
What else is the system preschool education Is it different in the USA from Russia? Surprisingly, you won't find cribs in American kindergartens. Children who decide to relax simply spread a towel on the carpet and sleep while the teacher reads them a fairy tale. Such principles exist in public kindergartens, which are attended by more than fifty percent of five-year-old Americans. But in the USA there are also private preschool institutions. They cater to a wider range of parenting requirements.
Staffing classes
The secondary education system in the United States includes schools, which, unlike Russian ones, house each of their units (primary, middle and high school) in separate buildings. This has its pros and cons. On the one hand, age groups do not overlap, which eliminates the possibility of conflicts. But at the same time, children from the same family studying in different levels do not have the opportunity to go to the same educational institution.
The school education system in the United States, represented by the elementary level, includes education from 1st to 5th grade. In this level, all classes are conducted by one teacher. Classes are formed purposefully. Children are sent to each of them based on the results of preliminary testing. In this case, three main groups are distinguished. The most capable students fall into the first of them. Classes with them are conducted at the most serious level. This is a group of gifted children who are subject to the most serious demands. Every year in such a class the teacher and composition of students changes.
Reformation of groups is carried out with the aim of instilling individualism in the child, as well as equal and friendly relationships with different people. In this case, American schoolchildren simply do not have time to establish personal bonds with teachers and classmates. Of course, relationships in such a team are rather cool, but this allows children not to focus on any one person. An annual change of teachers and classmates allows the American child to remain calm in situations of uncertainty, as well as reduce general anxiety about his future.
The primary education system of Russia and the United States also differs in that in our schools the teacher teaches the same students from first to fourth grade. In addition, in America less time is devoted to arithmetic. The set of other subjects is practically no different from that which exists in Russian schools. The length of the school week is five days.
high school
In this unit, children study from sixth to eighth grade. Moreover, there are no uniform textbooks and programs for high school in the United States. Each district develops its own recommendations, and teachers are allowed to create subject syllabuses themselves. It is worth noting that school teachers in America are people who graduated from the relevant departments at colleges and universities. In other words, their level of qualification in the relevant subject is beyond doubt. But even after receiving a diploma, they can only work with children if they have confirmation of their pedagogical qualifications.
Basic school subjects
In America there is a certain list of lessons that should be included in school curriculum. The US education system operates in English. That is why its study is considered a compulsory subject. In addition, the school curriculum includes mathematics and science, physical education with hygiene, labor, fine arts and home economics. All lessons last from 40 to 50 minutes.
Changes in the USA are short. Children are given 3 to 5 minutes just to get notebooks and textbooks from the locker for the next lesson. That is why, unlike Russian schools, in the USA it is impossible to find children who do not know what to do with themselves between bells.
In America, students take no more than six lessons a day. IN high school, the same as in the initial one, school week consists of five days.
If we compare the education systems of Russia and the United States, then in America children play sports and sing with great pleasure. In this country, schools are proud of such teams. Our children also have the opportunity to develop their sports and musical abilities. However, all this is included in the system additional education. And the most talented children attend specialized sports and music schools. In the USA, gifted students have the opportunity to develop without leaving the walls of their educational institution. In this country it is believed that a child should receive intellectual, spiritual and physical development at the same time. That is why there are no divisions into cultural and sports events and direct educational activities. This is a big plus of the American school, since children develop harmoniously without “distortions” either into the area of excessive muscle development or into the area of artistic separation from existing reality.
High school
At this level of education, children are taught from ninth to twelfth grade. At this level, training programs are developed that provide for continuous teaching of the English language. Other subjects include social sciences, the study of which takes at least three years. Mathematics and science subjects are taught to children over two years.
Among the features of the American senior school, one can highlight the existence of three directions - academic, professional and multidisciplinary. The student has the right to make his choice only after conducting independent computer testing.
Those students who choose an academic profile can receive good scientific training. You will need it for further education. A professional profile will allow you to gain the skills needed for direct practical activities. At the same time, children are given less general education knowledge.
Consultants help students make an informed choice of one or another senior school profile. At the same time, each child receives the education of which he is capable.
Russian high school students, as a rule, imagine themselves in the future only as students of prestigious universities. Almost all parents strive for their child to receive a higher education. As for the American education system, it, unlike ours, orients students to the fact that, despite any abilities, they will always find their place in life. This allows children not to be afraid of their future and to be more relaxed.
In different countries of the world, training can differ quite significantly. Thus, the education systems of Great Britain and the USA also differ. At senior school level in England, children do not have any compulsory subjects in which they have to sit exams. Everything here is connected with the requirements put forward by the universities to which current high school students will enroll. That is, English children make the choice of their future profession in advance in order to Special attention on this or that subject.
But in Japan, senior management does not give children the opportunity to choose. There exists here big number compulsory subjects that everyone without exception should know.
School ratings
Assessment of knowledge in an American school provides for the existence of a five-point scale, which has letter designations. In it, A means excellent, B means good, C means satisfactory, D means bad, and F means unsatisfactory. Teachers often add a plus or a minus to the grades of American children.
In-class control consists of tests and tests. It is carried out at the discretion of the teacher. In American schools there is also internal control. It is carried out by the school administration. All this is very similar to the Russian system.
Professional education
This type of training is carried out in secondary schools. It is also carried out by regional vocational centers and vocational skills centres. Here, students are offered the opportunity to master a variety of specialties until they reach the level of a skilled worker.
The US vocational education system has a very impressive scale. As a rule, students take at least two or three courses of study. In some schools, almost two-thirds of children are enrolled in such a program.
The vocational education system prepares not only workers, but also personnel who will be employed in the service sector, office workers, etc.
In order for students to master such skills, specialized streams and departments are being formed in American high schools. Many educational institutions have workshops, and the study of subjects in professional specialization is organized directly in the classroom.
Higher education
Surprisingly, in America there is simply no such thing as a university. The higher education system in the United States is considered post-secondary. At the same time, it includes a variety of institutions whose work is based on:
Flexibility of curricula, as well as their mobile adaptation to various social needs;
- variety of forms of training;
- highly democratic educational processes;
- freedom of choice by the student himself of the program and form of study.
The higher education system in the United States includes public and private universities, which play a significant role in student education. These are numerous colleges and universities that represent the final stage of the educational process.
US applicants have the opportunity to submit documents to several universities at the same time. This significantly increases the chance of admission.
Colleges offer a four-year course of study to their students. Upon completion and passing the relevant exam, a bachelor's degree is awarded. You can also get a master's degree in colleges. To do this, you need to study for another one or two years and defend an analytical report in a scientific field.
The highest stage of university education is doctoral programs. They are focused on independent scientific work of those students who have a master's degree.
Conclusion
Based on the above, we can conclude that the education system in the United States is fundamentally different from the one that exists in Russia. It is adapted to the needs existing in society. In addition, the American system is distinguished by flexibility and the ability to change to implement further development scientific and technological progress. Of course, it deprives children of the ability to create solutions by offering ready-made answers to tests. But, on the other hand, such a system trains excellent specialists in their field, even if it is a very narrow one. At the same time, the country's economy receives exactly the personnel it needs.
I will talk here about how education is organized in American public (free) schools in our state of Massachusetts (each state has its own differences).
Here are the questions and answers:
1) Is it possible to learn more about the education system in American schools? How many classes are there in American schools?
Children go to school in America for only 13 years (from 5 to 18 years old).
School in America is divided into 3 different schools:
Elementary school: from 0 to 4 grades (5 years)
Middle school: from 5th to 8th grade (4 years)
Senior classes (High School): from grades 9 to 12 (4 years).
All three schools are located in different buildings. My younger son This year I went to 3rd grade at Elementary school, and the eldest went to 10th grade at High School.
2) In Russia you can study 9th or 11th grade, is there something similar in the USA?
Yes, there is something similar. After grades 8, 9, 10 or 11, a teenager can go to study at a technical school, where, along with general education, he can receive some useful specialty, for example:
Engineer,
Electromechanic,
Teacher at a preschool institution,
Landscape designer,
Telecommunications specialist
Marketing Specialist,
and others.
3) What subjects are there in American schools that are not taught in Russia?
My eldest son is in 10th grade. Here are the subjects he is taking this year (5 compulsory and one optional).
Required subjects in 10th grade:
2. Algebra
3. Chemistry
5. American Studies. They have this instead of history (history ancient world and other countries was in high school).
The elective subject at our school could be chosen from the following (usually the choice depends on the state): “Photography”, “Ceramic Making”, “Drawing”, “Painting”, “Additional course in physics”, “Additional course in history and law”.
My son chose “Photography” (this is classic photography, not digital, where photographs are processed according to all the rules: developer, fixer, clothespins, etc.). His works are very creative, especially black and white.
Compulsory subjects in 9th grade were:
1. English (as native language)
2. Social Studies includes World History and Geography
3. Physics
4. Spanish (as a foreign language)
5. Geometry
4) How is education organized in American schools?
The fact is that starting from grade 9, teenagers are asked to choose their level of study in each subject. The teenager and his parents, together with teachers, choose the level of study that best suits the teenager's interests and abilities in a given area.
Each subject has 3 levels, and each teacher has 3 groups of students:
Level 1 (the easiest): College Preparation class - Preparation class for college (university)
Level 2 (more difficult): Honors class - Excellent class
Level 3 (the most difficult): Advanced Placement class - Class of increased difficulty
All children have different interests and different abilities. So someone might take English or algebra in a Tier 3 class and chemistry or physics in a Tier 1 class.
Level 2 and 3 classes cover the same material as Level 1 classes, but in more depth and their curriculum focuses on developing independent thinking and creative ideas. The class size is slightly smaller than a Level 1 class to make it easier for students to participate in class discussions and express their opinions. At the end of the year, classes of all levels take the same annual test (MCAS), and in grades 11 and 12 - the SAT test (this is something like the Russian EG).
The test is the same for everyone, and in order to pass it, you need to know the compulsory syllabus, so a student who did well in Level 1 can pass this test with flying colors. And those who studied in Levels 2 and 3 classes, if they pass the test well, will receive in addition the note “graduated with Honors” (“graduated the course with honors”), and this is a big plus upon admission! And the more of these “differences” in each subject, the better.
IN primary school training is organized more easily. Children learn to read, write and count in a class of 25 with one teacher. Once a day they have an additional subject: Physical Education, Art or Music. During the day they have many short breaks, as well as two long breaks, one of which is for lunch.
Lunch can be purchased at school or brought with you.
5) Chow many lessons per day?
Lessons consist of modules (blocks) of 25 minutes each.
Since all students in high school attend classes different levels, each teenager has his own schedule and is not similar to the schedule of other students.
Here is a typical day for my tenth grade son:
Algebra: 3 modules of 25 min.
Studying America: 2 modules of 25 min.
Break: 3 modules of 25 min.
Photography: 2 modules of 25 min.
Break: 1 module of 25 minutes.
Spanish: 2 modules of 25 min.
Chemistry: 2 modules of 25 min.
6) When do children come to school and when do they leave?
In primary schools, the school day lasts from 8.40 to 14.40.
In high school - from 8.00 to 14.40.
In high school - from 7.30 to 14.40
Many children travel to and from school by school bus, the route of which takes into account the children's residence in a given town.
Many parents bring their children to school and pick them up by car. If parents cannot pick up a child after school, he can, for an additional fee, attend an extended day group at school, where teachers will work with him, play educational games, do crafts and help him with his homework.
Every morning, when children go to school, traffic controllers in yellow vests stand at several intersections located near each school, stopping vehicles to allow children to cross the road safely. Traffic controllers are not police officers, they work at the school.
When children arrive at school and when they go home, police are stationed outside the school to monitor the safety of children and to prevent undesirable individuals from approaching schools who may pose a threat to children.
I apologize for the quality of the photos. Teachers don't like people taking pictures at school (you need special permission to do this), so I had to secretly take pictures with my mobile phone.
Screenwriter and writer Liliya Kim lives in California with her teenage daughter and own experience delves into the American education system. At the request of ChTD, she explains how the different stages of education are structured, how this system differs from ours, where it is better to study and why.
In addition to a different measurement system (miles, pounds, ounces), different sockets and different voltages in them, an insane health insurance system, after moving to America, my daughter and I had to adapt to a completely different education system. In its most general form, it works like this:
- Before school education(Preschool)
- Primary school: from 1st to 5th grade
- Secondary school: grades 6-8 (Middle school) and grade 9 (Junior High school)
- High school: grades 10-12
- Higher education - colleges and universities.
Types of schools
All educational institutions can be state (maintained with public funds), municipal (public schools, community colleges - maintained with funds from the local municipality; schools are financed by property taxes - therefore, the more expensive the area, the better the public school there), or private.
Immediately after the move, all my friends advised me to save money on something else, but to send my child to an inexpensive, but still private school, so that she could adapt in a gentle way: there are fewer students in the class, and the teachers pay more attention to them. When she got used to the language and environment, and I had the funds to move to a good area, I transferred her to a public school.
Public schools are free, but you need to prove that you really live in the area. Some of our friends went to charter schools and magnet schools. Charters are also free schools, but you don't have to live in the area to attend them. Let’s say that people cannot rent or buy housing in an expensive area, and where they can, there are very bad schools.
In bad areas, real estate is cheap and there are few taxes on it, so they can spend 6 thousand per student per year, and in good areas - 36.
Of course, this will be very noticeable in the quality of teachers and management, classroom equipment and, ultimately, student performance. To avoid creating ghettos of “vicious cycles of poverty,” charter schools were created. They have mixed funding - state, municipal, and private donations. They have a good standard of education, but a place can only be won by winning an annual lottery in which all applicants participate. Magnet are free schools with some focus: science, art, sports. They are also not tied to the area.
Private schools are paid. They can be anything. The price range is very wide. Accommodation (boarding school) and regular. Some provide financial aid - this is not a scholarship, but a significant discount on education. The council examines each case individually. Let's say school costs 47 thousand a year, but the board may decide that two adopted African children of the same family can study for 20 thousand a year for two. Or a woman who has lost her husband and who can no longer pay the full price can receive an individual discount so that her children can finish their studies at the school they are used to, say, for 50% of the full price. There are no uniform criteria.
Rating system
Americans have a letter system where five is “A” and count is “F”. In school rankings you can see the mysterious abbreviation GPA. This is the average score, grade point average. Unfortunately, I did not understand at the time of admission how important it is to correctly recalculate grades when transferring from a Russian school to an American one. Because if in Russia only the current year’s grades matter, in America it’s the average score accumulated over the entire period of study.
The average GPA in America is considered to be 3.5 - therefore, to enter prestigious high schools you need to have a 4.0. For graduating from middle school with a GPA of 4.0 or higher, you are given a medal. Although my daughter graduated from high school as an A+ student, her GPA was 3.5 due to incorrect recalculation of points received at a Moscow school.
Universities calculate average scores using completely different criteria.
Academic year
All vacations in the USA are much shorter than in Russia, which creates problems with planning trips to visit family in Russia. The American school year runs from August to May-June. Opinions are often heard that long summer holidays should be canceled because they were introduced due to the heat, which did not allow students to be in classrooms. Now an air conditioner can solve this issue, so that children do not hang around for several months without anything to do, wasting time and forgetting everything that happened.
The year is divided into trimesters. Long holidays fall on Thanksgiving and Easter. The Christmas holidays are usually short, about a week from December 24th to January 1st. School starts on the second.
All this can be different, since schools have very great autonomy in terms of developing curricula, rules, and schedules. Therefore, so much depends on the quality of teachers and management.
Inclusion
In California, all schools are inclusive. This means that students with special needs study together with everyone else if their health conditions allow them. However, not all schools may have a special worker accompanying such students. There may simply not be enough of them, or there may be no means to pay them a salary. Schools in good areas can afford enough staff and equipment to create a safe environment for everyone.
In the first year after moving, my daughter asked me: “Mom, why are there so many disabled people in America? In Russia there are none at all.” It wasn't easy to explain why she didn't see people with special needs.
Onboarding process
The most difficult thing was to follow the requirement “not to interfere with children’s studies.” The imperative here is that the parent must give the child the opportunity to make mistakes and correct them in the safe learning environment that is school. They are encouraged to submit important work in each subject as early as possible - and then go to correct it, bring it to perfection for at least the entire trimester. Anything submitted at the last moment is rated lower - a penalty for delaying.
It is not customary to help children. When I first came to the school “science fair”, where children presented their projects, I was amazed at how clumsy everything was. Then I realized that this is what the children’s work looks like, for which their parents had just purchased materials.
My daughter adapted easily and quickly. Over the course of a year, she completely switched to English, found friends, and got used to the incredible variety of names and appearances. In many ways, we moved because since her first long stay in America, when she was 7-8 years old, she constantly asked when we would move.
I remember how she once came from a Russian school in tears, shouting: “I’m not stupid, I’m just small! Why do they treat us like we're fools?" This was the key difference for her: while there were very strict rules for everyone in an American school, she was treated with unconditional respect, as little man, for whom you need to adapt information precisely because he is still small and not stupid.
Provide children a good education It's hard enough in America. Because parents need to pay not only for university, but in some cases also for internships (in a number of prestigious professions).
Yes - you need to pay companies so that children work there for free after graduating from a prestigious, incredibly expensive university. Buy access to experience and connections. Not in every area - but increasingly.
Community college
This is a transitional stage between school and higher education. Closest to the Soviet concept of “technical school”. As a rule, they provide two-year programs, after which students can either go to work or transfer to complete their studies in a regular four-year program.
Higher education
The first stage is general specialization. As a result, you can obtain a bachelor's degree in some field. With this degree you can already start working.
For those who apply for higher and more prestigious positions, a master’s degree and then a “doctor” - PhD are needed.
Types of higher education institutions
A public college or university is supported by public money and offers free education if certain conditions are met. They will be different for each establishment.
Private colleges or universities provide a higher level of education. Gifted students can receive a grant to study there, or, having scored a very high number of points in the school in the aggregate (studies, sports, leadership, volunteering, scientific projects), - receive state support to receive education at private colleges and universities.
After serving in the army, veterans have the right to receive education at state expense in any higher educational institution for which the credits received during their service are sufficient for them. Those who excel can earn enough to study at the most prestigious private universities.
US education is distinguished by a high level of education, the widespread popularity of American diplomas, the impeccability of the English language and the presence of brilliant job opportunities not only in a country of prosperity and limitless realities, but also in various parts of the world. The American educational system is famous for its diversity. The proof of this is:
Education scheme
Despite the absence of a unified state education system and the determination of its structure by each state individually, education in America is multi-stage in nature. The country's educational system consists of:
Preparing children for school
Instilling an interest in learning, developing a child’s abilities, and shaping him as an individual are the main goals of preschool education in the United States, which is represented by such institutions as nurseries, kindergartens, preschool centers(public and private). A fairly common occurrence at this stage of education was the creation of schools - nurseries for the youngest pupils.
The basis methodological activities All preschool institutions are based on the principle of play, from which there is a smooth transition to reading, writing, and the formation of appropriate skills for academic work at school. Meanwhile, the main emphasis is on the all-round development of the child, which is to a certain extent facilitated by modeling, making crafts, music, drawing, singing, and physical exercise.
Some states issue certificates of general achievement upon completion of preschool (in certain cases required document for enrollment in primary school).
There is known experience in opening small private kindergartens for Russian children from the age of two (the number of pupils does not exceed 8 people). 
Schooling
Schooling is the education of children in primary and secondary schools. Elementary schools in America require a differentiated principle of staffing classes. Depending on the results of the test, which tests the child’s intelligence, flexibility and depth of mental abilities, students are enrolled in groups (“gifted”, “normal”, “incapable”). Consequently, teaching in group “A” orients students towards entering college from the first days of classes, which are characterized by a high level of demands on students’ knowledge.
The content of training at the initial stage is determined curriculum which includes: reading, writing, literature, spelling, native language (orally). In accordance with planning, arithmetic, geography, history, natural science, and hygiene are studied. A certain role is given to manual labor and physical education, music and visual arts. However, the distribution of educational time for studying subjects is ambiguous: arithmetic, music, manual labor and fine arts occupy equal positions.
The duration of education in secondary school is 6 years (junior level - 3 years, senior level - the same period). Junior secondary school is distinguished by the absence of uniform programs, plans and textbooks. The universality of training at this level is determined by the following factors:
- duration school year, including semesters (170-186 days);
- five-day school week;
- duration of classes (from 8.30 to 15.30);
- availability of a system for selecting subjects from grade 8;
- compulsory study of English, mathematics, natural science, social studies, hygiene, physical education, music, labor and visual arts.
The core disciplines of the curriculum at the senior level of secondary school are subjects such as English language(4 years of study), mathematics (2 years), natural sciences (2 years) and social sciences (3 years of study). 
The presence of different types of secondary schools (academic, vocational, multidisciplinary) determines their focus. The academic type of schools guides students toward subsequent education at a higher level. Required condition upon admission is passing a test, which determines the student’s mental giftedness coefficient (90 and above).
Vocational high schools prepare students for practical work.
A multidisciplinary secondary school assumes the presence of various departments from the 9th grade: industrial, agricultural, commercial, academic, general. Moreover, the last two profiles do not provide students with the proper level of preparation for entering colleges and universities.
Due to the compulsory nature of secondary education, American schoolchildren are provided with public schools (education is free), private schools with a high level of education on a fee basis, and specialized private schools for gifted children with the opportunity to study at home.
The presence of 3,000 private schools, where tuition is more than $2,000 per year, indicates wealth a certain number Americans who can afford their children (about 3%) to study in such educational institutions. Graduates of private schools occupy positions of diplomats, leaders, and members of the government. Most private schools have been given the status of boarding houses (accommodation for students during the academic year).
A certain percentage of American parents use the option of homeschooling according to a pre-approved curriculum. The explanation for this is their religious beliefs, the presence of characteristics of the student’s physical development, and the desire of parents to protect their child from weapons, drugs and alcohol.
If earlier special education in the United States was represented by a network of special institutions for children with mental and emotional development disorders or behavioral problems, now the majority of children in this category receive the opportunity to study in regular classes of normal schools.
The presence of Russian emigrants in America contributed to the emergence of schools in the country that provide an educational process for their children. A striking example This was due to the opening of a free Russian school in the state of Florida (Jacksonville) in 2009, where teaching is conducted in English (in addition to Russian language and literature subjects). 
Russian institutions such as all-day schools, Sunday church schools at Orthodox parishes, and Jewish centers have become widespread in the States.
Various studios provide Russian children with the opportunity to develop and improve their abilities and talents, training centers different directions (sports, theater, fine arts).
There is no national grading system in the United States (for some schools there is a numerical scale, for others it is a letter scale). A five-point letter scale with the highest grades A (excellent), B (good), C (average), D (below average), F (unsatisfactory) has become widespread in schools across the country.
The main form of testing students' knowledge is testing (annual tests of mental abilities, intraclass tests with a letter grading scale).
Completion of secondary education is accompanied by a high school diploma. The reality of this phenomenon is possible subject to passing credit in 16 academic courses, which students choose independently over 4 years of study.
Some schools practice organizing special courses equivalent to university level for talented students with subsequent issuance of letters of recommendation for admission to elite universities.
A necessary condition for attempting to obtain higher education in the United States is passing the SAT test (determining literate writing skills and level of problem solving).
Studying in the States on vacation
The educational process during the holidays is carried out through the organization of children's camps in the USA, providing children from many countries with a unique opportunity to relax and improve their language skills. 
The effectiveness of summer training is achieved by a combination of high professionalism of teachers and modern level equipping classrooms for conducting classes. Teaching English at the camp includes a mandatory curriculum of approximately 20 hours of lessons per week. Improving grammatical and lexical skills, training the ability to construct phrases correctly occurs naturally, in the process of conducting various events (role-playing games, excursions, meetings with interesting people, discos and sports competitions).
The most important advantage of summer schools and camps is providing the teenager with the opportunity to get rid of the language barrier due to complete immersion in language environment. Private high schools are opening summer language camps in America, offering children individual language courses and thematic programs focused on teaching English. Such camps can be organized in the spring, during the winter and autumn holidays. The following programs have gained particular popularity among teenagers: “Language + Sports”, “English + Photo”, “English + Theater”.
The opportunity to study in the USA for Russian schoolchildren can be realized through the following options:
- training in a public school for a year under the experience exchange program (FLEX) for teenagers from 15 to 18 years old;
- admission and study at a private school;
- obtaining permanent residence in America and choosing an educational institution for study (public or private).
Getting higher education
After graduating from high school, American teenagers are provided with the opportunity to access higher education thanks to the existence of community colleges, which form the basis of the vocational education system in the United States. 
These colleges are in demand not only among American but also foreign students due to the availability of modern training programs, a simplified document submission system, reasonable tuition costs, and comfortable living conditions. Vocational colleges provide the opportunity for students to continue their education at a university college to obtain a bachelor's degree.
Higher education in the USA is represented by universities and colleges, which can be public (state funded) or private.
The main feature of higher education institutions is the ability for students to choose a study program in the United States. This means that they choose subjects to study (in addition to those required in their specialty). Universities adequately provide their graduates with practical experience in their specialty through a combination of scientific and research activities and practice in the learning process. The duration of study at universities and colleges is 4 years. Graduates are awarded a bachelor's degree.
Obtaining academic degrees
Master's programs in the USA provide the opportunity to obtain a master's degree after continuing education for two years. Studying at the second stage of higher education comes down to the student preparing a major research project in his specialty and defending it.
The highest level of education is a Ph.D. The reality of its receipt is determined by the following factors:
For university graduates and graduate students in Russia, there is the opportunity to independently obtain an education and enter graduate school in America. Candidates of Science have a chance to enter graduate school, but with subsequent training for 2-3 years. For them, internships in American institutions of higher education, participation in research activities or lecturing during the evaluation (legalization) of a diploma for the USA are realistic.
Education for Russians in America
If you want to study abroad, you should think about how much it costs to study in the United States. The starting number is from 30 thousand dollars per year. Therefore, it is worth looking for opportunities to obtain free education in the USA, the reality of which can be realized through:
- scholarships awarded based on student achievements;
- grants provided in case of impossibility of paying tuition fees;
- various types of financial assistance provided by the educational institution.
The following grant programs for studying in the USA are especially popular: the Fulbright program, the E. Muskie scholarship program, the AAUW educational foundation program.
To get an education in the States, you must pass tests (GRE, GMAT, SAT) with a high score, and prepare a motivation letter to the utmost High Quality, proving the uniqueness of the candidate for selection by the selection committee.
The search for a scholarship or grant for free education should begin two years before admission, because application deadlines have their own deadline.
For outstanding athletes, there is a chance to receive free education through sports scholarships in the USA. However, this unique American benefit is issued only for 1 year; its extension is possible at the end of the season, provided that the athlete improves his results.
Students from Russia can study in the States under a student exchange program, which involves an agreement between educational institutions to complete an internship or study for 1-2 semesters while living on campus or with host families.
The development of education in the United States began in the first half of the seventeenth century. The life of the colonists who arrived in the country at that time was full of hardships and quite unsettled, but the first educational institutions had already begun to open - these were both small schools and quite large educational centers. For example, the well-known one was founded back in 1636.
In America, it is predominantly public, financed from state, federal and local budgets. But the higher education system in the United States is structured in such a way that most universities operate on a private basis, so they strive to attract students from all over the world.
Structure
The age for starting training and its duration vary depending on the state. For children, education in the United States typically begins at age five to eight and ends at age eighteen to nineteen. First, American children go to elementary school and study there until the fifth or sixth grade (depending on the school district). They then enter high school, which ends with eighth grade. Senior, or higher, school is grades nine through twelfth.
Girls and boys who received school education in the United States can go to college. After studying there for two years, they receive a degree that is equivalent to secondary specialized education in Russia. Or you can study at a college or university immediately for four years and get a bachelor's degree. Those who wish can then continue their studies even further and in two to three years receive a master's or doctorate degree.
Primary School
Children from five to eleven or twelve years old study here. As in Russia, all subjects are taught by one teacher, with the exception of music, fine arts and physical education. Academic subjects included in the curriculum include arithmetic (sometimes elementary algebra), writing, and reading. Social and natural sciences are studied little in primary school and often take the form of local history. The peculiarities of education in the USA are such that training largely consists of excursions, art projects and entertainment. This form of learning evolved from the Progressive movement of education that emerged in the early twentieth century, which taught that children should acquire knowledge through everyday actions and analysis of their consequences.
high school
Schoolchildren from eleven-twelve to fourteen years old study here. Each teacher teaches his own subject. The curriculum includes English, mathematics, social and natural sciences, and physical education. Children can also independently choose one or two more classes for themselves: as a rule, these are subjects from the field of art, foreign languages and technology.
In high school, students begin to be divided into streams: ordinary and advanced. Children who perform well are placed in “honor” classes, in which all the material is covered more quickly and higher demands are placed on learning. However, such school education in the United States is now being criticized: many experts believe that the separation of well-performing and lagging students does not provide an incentive for the latter to catch up.
High school
This final stage secondary education, including education in the ninth to twelfth grades. In high school, students are given more freedom in choosing what subjects to study. There are minimum requirements for graduation as determined by the school board.
Higher education in the USA
There are about 4.5 thousand higher educational institutions in the country. More than fifty percent of students choose to study in a six-year program (bachelor's + master's). More than half a million people receive education in the United States every year. foreign students, more than half of them are representatives of Asian countries. Tuition costs are growing every year, and this applies to both public and private universities. For a year of study you have to shell out from five to forty thousand dollars (depending on the educational institution). At the same time, many universities pay generous scholarships to low-income students. IN colloquial speech Americans usually call all higher education institutions colleges, even if in fact it is not a college, but a university.
Types of universities
Higher education in the United States can be divided into three types. Educational institutions differ mainly in atmosphere and number of students. A college differs from a university in the absence/presence of research programs and graduate school.
Colleges primarily provide education to students, and scientific work remains outside the scope of educational programs. As a rule, those colleges that offer a four-year education are private and small (accepting up to two thousand students). Although in Lately Large state colleges began to be formed for talented young people. According to American laws, a resident of the area where they are located can enroll in such educational institutions, but in reality this is quite difficult to do. Since different schools have different educational standards, colleges do not really trust the grades of applicants and provide their own exams for them.
All universities in the country are also divided into state universities, funded by the government, and private educational institutions. At the same time, in terms of prestige, the first few are inferior to the second. The main purpose of state universities is to educate students from their own region, and for young people from other states, competition is established and they are charged higher tuition fees. Such universities often suffer from overly large classes, bureaucracy, and insufficient attention from teachers to students. But despite this, many school graduates and even foreign applicants who want to get an education in the United States flock to the best state universities, including the University of Michigan and Virginia, as well as the University of California at Berkeley.
Private higher education institutions include the most famous American universities, namely Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Most private universities are medium-sized, but there are some very small (for example, Caltech) and very large (for example, the University of Southern California).
Education level in the USA
Higher education in the United States is considered one of the best in the world. In general, the literacy rate of Americans reaches 99 percent. According to 2011 statistics, 86 percent of young people over the age of twenty-five had vocational education(high school + two-year college), and 30 percent have a bachelor's degree (high school + four-year college or university).
In contrast to the successes of higher education institutions, secondary education in the United States is experiencing a number of difficulties. As the United States Secretary of Education says, school system The country is now stagnating and cannot compete with many other countries. About 25 percent of American students fail to graduate on time because they fail final exams.
Finally
Despite a number of problems, the education system in the United States has established itself as one of the best in the world. Tens of thousands of people come to the United States of America every year from different countries for only one purpose - to study at universities. The United States has more institutions of higher education than any other country. And universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Princeton have long become synonymous with the highest level of education throughout the world. People who graduate from them have every chance to build a successful career in the future.