The U.S. Education

System

Public Schools• Public schools don’t charge tuition, while private

schools do. Even scholarships an other aid may not cover the difference.

• Public schools usually provide transportation for students who live more than a few blocks away, whereas private schools usually do not.

• With ninety percent of all American children in public school, public education is a uniting element and can be seen as an important factor in our democratic way of life.

• Because public school education now includes magnet schools and charter schools, as well as traditional public schools, there are - right within the public education system - choices that have many of the features of education that used only to be attainable in private schools.

• As a result of receiving Federal funds, public schools must follow strict teacher certification rules, which do not apply in many private schools. As a result, public school teachers may, in some cases, be better qualified than private school teachers.

• Researchers at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana found, when examining data from a standardized math exam taken by fourth and eighth graders, that if they excluded the influence of family background and socioeconomic factors, public school students did slightly better than private school students.

• Pay for public school teachers is overall better than pay for private school teachers, though this differs by school

• http://www.educationbug.org/a/advantages-of-public-schools.html

Private Schools• The student will likely get a better education• The student will mature more rapidly.• Private schools usually have better teacher –

student ratio• Private schools have better discipline.• Students from private schools are more likely to

graduate from a university and with better grades.

• Private schools are safer.

Preschool• Preschool is an optional school for parents to send

their children to• Start at age 3 or 4• Lots of games• Learn numbers, shapes, colors, etc

Kindergarten• Kindergarten is the first year that is mandatory

for children to attend• Kindergarten is a part of elementary school

(primary school)• Children are 5,6 years old• Learn to read, tie shoes, etc

Schools by Grade• Grades K – 5/6 – Elementary School• Grades 6/7-8 – Jr. High/ Middle School• Grades 9-12 – High School• Community College (optional)• College/University: Usually 4-5 years

How to Get into College

• Good grades/ SAT scores• Scholarships: grades, sports

How to Pay for College• Financial Aid• Student Loans• Scholarships

How Expensive is College

• UCLA: $32,275• Stanford: $59,627• Sonoma State: $7,500

The College Experience

• NCAA, Sports• On campus living• Fraternities/Sororities• Clubs• Social Events• Study Abroad• College Towns

School Norms• Boys and girls usually study together, however,

some private schools are all boy or all girl. Very few universities are all men/all women schools

• Uniforms only worn in private schools, not universities

• Discipline varies on school, but usually somewhat strict

• Will be punished for not doing homework, talking in class, sleeping, etc

• Mandatory ages range from state to state: 5/8-16/18• Over 3,000,000 high school dropouts per year (8,300

per day)

Languages• English is spoken in school• Integration programs for non-native English

speakers – ESL classes• Only 2 years of foreign language required, but

offered between grades 7-12