American school education system. International students at US universities

Today's education system in the United States of America has a number of distinctive features, formed under the influence of the specific conditions of the country’s development. The most significant feature can be considered the fact that in the United States there is no single state system training: any of the states has the opportunity to pursue independent policies in this area.

The education system in the USA includes:

Preschool institutions - here children 3–5 years old are educated and acquire basic knowledge.
Primary School, 1-8 grades - children 6-13 years old study.
Secondary school, grades 9-12 - teaching teenagers 14-17 years old.
Higher education lasts from 2 to 4 years.

The American education system is more democratic than the European one and does not have a rigid hierarchical structure.

Preschool

Preschool education institutions in the United States include kindergartens that have nursery groups for very young children, and special centers that prepare children for future education. These establishments are owned by the state or private individuals. The activities of private enterprises are monitored by authorities, stimulating the introduction of advanced techniques in training practice and providing financial assistance. The undoubted advantage of such an organization preschool system education - mobility in relation to various pedagogical innovations.

This has a beneficial effect on increasing the overall level of the next school stage of education, since every child has the opportunity from the very beginning early age join educational process, demonstrate and develop your abilities.

Upon reaching the age of five, pupils move to senior groups kindergarten, which can conditionally be considered zero grades of primary school. At this stage there is a smooth transition from game form conducting classes to the traditional one.

In the USA, there are so-called preschool laboratories, which are opened at higher educational institutions and serve as a research base for the training of future teachers. Such experimental departments are remarkably equipped and create optimal conditions for the upbringing and development of children. They are designed for children from 3 to 6 years old.

School

The school education system in the United States is represented by various types of institutions that independently set study periods. But mandatory for For all institutions, the condition is the presence of a preschool group for preliminary preparation.

Children begin to master knowledge at the age of six and, depending on the policy and program of a particular educational institution, study for 6-8 years until the next stage - junior high school, where they are taught from 7th to 9th grade. The final stage - senior secondary school (grades 10–12) is mandatory for those who intend to enter universities.

In small towns, secondary schools adhere to traditional scheme: eight-year starting course plus four years of complete secondary education. Recently, there has been a tendency to shorten the initial level in favor of a faster transition to a system of subject teaching.

In the USA they operate in parallel Various types schools - public, private and institutions affiliated with churches (approximately 15% of students receive education in them).

In total, there are more than 90,000 public schools and nearly 30,000 private schools in the United States. They have 3 million teachers and at least 55 million students.

The private school system is a privileged paid education that provides graduates with good starting opportunities, opening the doors of elite higher education institutions. There are about three thousand such schools in the United States.

Education in America is not compulsory, but almost all children from kindergartens and preparatory centers go to school, and 30% of high school graduates become university students. The length of the academic year, divided into quarters, is on average 180 days. The working week is five days. Classes last from half past eight in the morning until three or four in the afternoon. From the eighth grade, schoolchildren have the right to choose subjects to study, but there are also compulsory ones for everyone - mathematics, native language, natural science, social studies and a number of other disciplines.

Secondary schools can be academic, vocational or multidisciplinary. Institutions of the first type prepare students for entering universities. In them, every child must take an IQ test to determine their level of intelligence (mental talent). If the score is below 90, the student is recommended to change educational institution. Vocational schools focus students on obtaining applied knowledge that can be used in practical activities, while multidisciplinary schools combine the features of schools of the first and second types.

Higher

The American higher education system is represented by universities and colleges. In the USA, the concept of “university” in our usual understanding does not exist - there is literally translated “post-secondary school” (in the original – postsecondary school), which includes both higher educational institutions and those that we usually classify as secondary vocational. IN colloquial speech Americans call all higher education institutions colleges, even if they mean universities.

The US higher education system includes various types and types of educational organizations and is based on the following principles:

Flexibility curricula, their mobile adaptation to pressing social needs.
Variety of forms of training, courses and programs.
Highly democratic educational process.
Decentralized management of institutions.
Freedom of choice by the student of the form and program of study.

Along with public universities, there are also private universities in the country, which play an important role in the US higher education system. Tuition is expensive in both, but there are special scholarships for especially gifted students.

There are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, of which 65% are private. The ratio of faculty to students in American higher education institutions is approximately 1 to 7.5 (2 and 15 million, respectively).

Each educational institution has its own admission procedure, which depends on the level and prestige of the individual college or university. Some universities will require entrance exams for admission, while others will require interviews, tests, or a school diploma competition. There are also those where it is enough to present a diploma of successful completion of high school (these are, as a rule, colleges). An additional advantage will be letters of recommendation from public and religious organizations, certificates of active participation in festivals, Olympiads, sports competitions, etc. Equally important is the motivation of the applicant in relation to his professional choice. The most prestigious universities conduct competitive selection, since the number of people wishing to enroll in their studies far exceeds the number of available places.

An American applicant has the right to simultaneously apply to several universities to increase his chances of admission. Entrance tests - tests or exams - are conducted by special services, and not by teachers of this university or college. Each university itself determines the number of students that will be accepted - there is no single plan in the country. It is interesting that the duration of study is not limited, since all students have different financial capabilities and life circumstances.

It is interesting that within the walls of American universities, each student is trained in accordance with an individual program, and not within the framework of the traditional academic group for our educational institutions.

Colleges in most cases have a four-year course leading to a bachelor's degree. To obtain it, you must pass the appropriate exams and score a certain number of points. You can become a master by adding another year or two to your bachelor's degree and defending a scientific analytical report.

The highest stage of university education is doctoral programs focused on independent work in the field of science. To enter doctoral studies, a candidate in most cases needs a master's degree.

As a result, we can say that the education system in the United States is perfectly adapted to the ever-growing needs of society and is ready for flexible changes to comply with the directions of development of scientific and technological progress

Secondary and higher education in the USA

There is no unified national education system in the United States; each state determines its structure independently. Education is largely public, controlled and funded at the federal, state, and local levels. The most common system is public schools, except for them the education system includes church and private educational institutions (three thousand privileged private schools) in which about 14% of all students study. America's institutions of higher education are primarily private.

Children in America become schoolchildren between the ages of 5 and 8 and graduate from school between the ages of 14 and 18.

The US education system includes:

preschool education, where children 3-5 years old study
primary school (grades 1-8), which educates children aged 6-13 years
secondary school (grades 9-12) which educates students aged 14-17 years
educational institutions of the last level of education related to the higher education system

Elementary education

At the age of 5, children go to primary school (Elementary school, Grade school or Grammar school), to grade zero (Kindergarten). Although it is not compulsory in some schools, almost all children go through this stage of education, also called “Preschool”. Depending on the school district, in fifth or sixth grade elementary education American schoolboy ends.

Secondary education

High school in the USA (Middle school, Junior high school or Intermediate school) is divided into two stages - junior and senior, each lasting three years. Junior high school ends with eighth grade, senior high school is grades nine to twelfth. In most senior secondary schools, students study mathematics (2 years), English language(4 years), natural sciences (2 years) and social sciences (3 years). Usually American children finish high school about 18 years old. To receive a high school diploma, graduates need to complete credits in 16 academic courses during the last four years of study.

Colleges: local, technical, urban and elementary education.

Four-year colleges and universities Those who have completed a high school education may enroll in:

to community colleges
to technical colleges (Technical College)
to city colleges (City College)
to primary colleges (Junior College)

After two years of study, all of them issue an Associate’s Degree comparable to the average special education. There is another way to continue your education - enroll in colleges or universities, where a four-year course of education ends with a bachelor's degree. To receive it, students must earn a certain number of credits and pass the required exams. Those who have received a bachelor's degree can, again, continue their studies to obtain a master's degree (2-3 years) or a PhD (3 years or more).

Higher education

American higher education is considered one of the best in the world and is usually completed over 4 years of college or university. In the USA, it is customary to call all universities colleges, even when we are talking about universities.

All American universities can be divided into three types. Subject to availability research programs or graduate programs, institutions of higher education are divided into colleges and universities.

Most four-year colleges are small (less than 2,000 students and most are religious) and private. Universities, in turn, are divided into two types: private universities and state universities. The latter, as a rule, are quite large and in many ways inferior to private ones. Private universities include the most famous American universities, such as Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and others. A number of universities and colleges admit students only based on the results of a competition of documents on graduating from high school, but prestigious universities usually arrange competitive selection, since the number of applicants significantly exceeds the possibilities for admission to educational institutions.

The American education system offers ample opportunities for international students. The number of programs, educational institutions and cities where they are located is so large that even a student from the USA can feel dizzy. If you begin your search for a suitable university, it is important to understand the American education system. This will help you eliminate unnecessary options and develop own plan training.

Structure of education in America

Primary and secondary school

American students first attend primary and secondary school, where education takes a total of 12 years (grades 1-12).

At around age 6, American children begin primary school, where they study for 5 or 6 years and then move on to secondary school. It includes two levels: secondary school itself (“middle school” or “junior high school”) and senior high school. Upon completion of high school, a diploma or certificate is issued. After completing 12 grades, American schoolchildren can enter a college or university, that is, receive higher education.

Rating system

To apply to a university or college, like Americans, you will need to provide academic certificate(transcript). This is an official document of your academic performance. In the US, it contains grades and grade point average (GPA), which measure academic performance. Course completion is typically measured in percentages, which are then converted into letter grades.

It can be difficult for a foreign student to understand the American grading system and average academic scores. The same grade can be interpreted differently by a university. For example, two applicants from different schools apply to the university. Both have a 3.5 GPA, but the first attended regular school, and the second - a prestigious school with a more complex program. For the university, their grades have different weight, since the requirements for students in schools are very different.

Therefore, it is worth keeping in mind a few very important points:

Find out which level of education in the United States corresponds to the last level completed in your country.
Pay close attention to the entry requirements of each university and college, as well as individual higher education programs, which may have different entry requirements from university ones.
To ensure compliance, meet periodically with your academic advisor or guidance counselor.

Your academic advisor or guidance counselor will be able to advise you whether you should spend an extra year or two preparing for university in the US. In some countries, governments or employers may not recognize U.S. education if the student attended a U.S. college or university before becoming eligible to enroll in a university in their home country.

Academic year

The school year in the States usually begins in August-September and lasts until May-June. Most freshmen begin their studies in the fall, and students from abroad should join them. At the beginning of the academic year, everyone is full of enthusiasm, making new friends and adapting to the new stage of university life. In addition, many training courses are studied sequentially, one after another, and start in the fall.

In many universities academic year consists of two parts, which are called semesters, and in some it includes three periods - trimesters. There is also a division of the year into quarters, including an optional summer quarter. Essentially, with the exception of the summer quarter, the academic year is usually divided into either two semesters or three quarters.

US higher education system: levels

First level: Bachelor's degree

A college or university student who has not completed a bachelor's degree is considered to have failed to graduate. The duration of a bachelor's degree is usually about four years. To earn a bachelor's degree, you can begin your studies at a two-year community college or take a four-year course at a university or college.

In the first two years of study, you will study mainly a variety of compulsory subjects: literature, science, social studies, arts, history, and so on. These general education disciplines provide a knowledge base, a foundation for further in-depth study of a particular area.

Many students choose community college to complete a two-year mandatory program. Upon completion, they receive a transferable associate's degree with which they can transfer to a university or four-year college.

This is where students develop a specialization - a specific area of study that you focus on in your further studies. For example, if your major is journalism, you will receive a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. To qualify for this degree, you will need to complete a certain number of courses relevant to your chosen field. The specialization is chosen at the beginning of the third year of study, and it can be changed according to at will.

It is the flexibility of the American higher education system that sets it apart from others. Switching from one specialization to another is a very common practice for students in the United States at a certain stage of their education. Often they find that they are making progress in something else, or finding more interesting areas. However, remember that changing your specialization means learning new disciplines, and this, in turn, increases the time and cost of training.

Second level: Master's degree

Currently, graduates with a bachelor's degree are seriously considering further education in order to be able to work in a certain field or advance in their career. career ladder. A master's degree is usually required for senior level positions in library science, technical specialties, mental health and education.

In addition, foreign students from some countries can study abroad only in programs at this level of education. It's best to find out which diplomas and certificates are valid for employment in your country before you apply to American University.

A master's degree is usually a department at a university or college. To enroll, you will need to pass the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). Certain master's programs require special admissions tests: LSAT (Law School Admission Test) in law, GRE or GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) in business schools, MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) in medicine.

Master's programs usually last one or two years. Eg, most popular program An MBA takes about two years to complete, while others, say a journalism program, last only a year.

Classroom studies make up a significant part of the master's program, and the graduate must prepare a qualifying research work, which is called a master's thesis (“master’s thesis”) or complete a master’s project.

Third level: Doctoral studies

Many higher education institutions consider obtaining a master's degree only the first step towards a doctorate (PhD). However, there are also universities where students can prepare for a doctorate directly, bypassing the master's program. A PhD will require you to spend at least three years, and for international students this period can increase to five to six years.

Most PhD candidates spend the first two academic years in classrooms and seminars. You should devote at least another year to conducting your own research and writing your dissertation. It must have scientific novelty and contain a point of view, developments or research results that are published for the first time.

The doctoral dissertation includes an analysis of existing scientific knowledge on the chosen topic. Most US universities that offer doctoral degrees also require candidates to have knowledge of two foreign languages at least at the level of reading, working at a university as a visiting researcher or teacher for a certain period, passing a qualifying entrance examination for doctoral studies, as well as an oral examination on the topic of the dissertation.

Features of the American higher education system

Atmosphere in the classrooms

Classes can be held either in the form of lectures for large audiences - up to several hundred students, or in the form of seminars or discussion classes for just a few students. The atmosphere in American university classrooms is very democratic. Students are expected to express their opinions and defend points of view, participate in discussions and make presentations. For international students, this is one of the most unexpected aspects of the American education system.

Every week, teachers give assignments to read certain sources. You will need to complete homework to participate in class discussions and understand lectures. Certain program requirements also include laboratory work.

The instructor assigns a grade to each student taking the course. Typically they depend on the following points:

Each teacher has different requirements for classroom work, but all students should take part in classroom discussions, especially in seminars. Typically this is very important factor in student assessment.
Usually, midterm control is carried out during classroom work.
To be assessed, you must submit at least one research or coursework, or laboratory reports.
It is possible to conduct short exams or tests. Sometimes teachers conduct unscheduled knowledge tests. It does not have much impact on the grade and is intended to motivate students to complete assignments on time and attend classes.
The final exam is conducted after completion of classroom training.

Credits

Each course is “worth” a certain number of credits or credit hours. This number roughly corresponds to the number of academic hours a student spends in the classroom for a given course during a week. Typically, you can earn 3-5 credits per course.

The full program at most institutions includes 12 to 15 credits (4-5 courses per semester). To successfully complete your studies, you need to earn a certain number of credits. International students should study full-time.

Transfer to another university

If a student transfers to another university before graduation, all (or most) previously earned credits are usually taken into account at the new university. This means that when transferring to another university, the total study time remains almost the same.

Types of higher education in the USA

1. Public colleges or universities

It is an educational institution that is funded and operated by the state government or local authorities. Each of the 50 US states has at least one such university and may have several colleges. Many of these state universities are named after a state and have the word "state" or "state" in the name, for example: State University Washington, University of Michigan.

2. Private colleges and universities

Unlike universities of the first type, these educational institutions are privately financed and managed. Tuition is likely to be higher than public colleges, and private colleges and universities are typically smaller in size.

All religious educational institutions are private. Almost all of them accept students of all faiths and religions, however, a certain number of universities prefer students who adhere to the same religious beliefs as the college or university.

3. Community College

These are two-year colleges that provide the opportunity to obtain an associate's degree (counted toward transfer to a four-year university). There are many types of two-year degrees. Most important aspect Such training is the opportunity to take this degree into account when transferring to another educational institution. In general, this education is divided into two main areas: preparation for further education and professional education for the purpose of employment. Associate's degrees in the arts or sciences are generally suitable for transfer to higher education institutions and colleges. It is unlikely that you will be able to transfer with an Associate of Applied Science or College Certificate qualification.

Community college graduates most often enroll in four-year colleges or universities to further their education. Since they can re-credit previously earned credits, students have the opportunity to complete their bachelor's degree in two or more years. Many community colleges also have English as a Second Language (ESL) or intensive English language programs that help students prepare for university-level courses.

If you don't plan to pursue more education than a community college, you should find out if your associate's degree counts for employment in your country.

4. Institutes of Technology

An institute of technology in the United States is a university with at least four years of study in the fields of natural sciences and engineering. Some of them offer postgraduate education, others have short-term programs.

Material prepared by: Makhneva Alena

The education system in the United States has generated a lot of controversy around itself. Whatever opinions may exist on this matter, today it is one of the developed and leading powers in terms of science and high technology. Education in the USA is quite complex system. This article will produce detailed analysis starting from preschool education institutions and ending with universities.

Officially, in the United States there are no public kindergartens and preschool institutions as such. Up to 5–8 years of age, a child can stay with relatives, a nanny, and attend private kindergartens. The US Department of Education believes that a child should be taught all the basics by parents, nannies or other relatives. Most often, many children, when they move to elementary school in the zero or first grade (depending on the state of residence), already know how to speak clearly and explain what they want, count, distinguish colors/shapes, and some already know how to write words and compose primitive sentences in native language.

If the parents of a child under 5 years of age do not have free time to sit with him, then there are several options:

I would like to tell you in more detail about private kindergartens and what they are. If a preschool educational institution operates legally, it must have:

Teachers in the amount of 3 or more people with teacher education or with experience working with children.
A playroom where children will play, act out various skits, and learn the basics of writing and reading.
Sleeping room. This room should have beds, one for each student. If the pupils include children under 3 years of age, there must be special beds with guardrails.
A small courtyard with a playground where children will play in the fresh air. The yard should be surrounded by a high fence.

Primary schools

In each state, a child can go to school at the request of his parents from the ages of 5 to 8 years old - officially, primary schools belong to the first stage general education of this country.

Everyone should get an education in the USA. Therefore, a child must attend primary and secondary schools, except if his health or religion does not allow it. In primary schools, most often one teacher teaches all the necessary subjects with the exception of physical culture, music and fine arts (classes in all three subjects are held once or twice a week).

The main purpose of the American public elementary school is to teach boring material through entertainment and instill in children the concept of individualism. Teachers and primary school students often visit various museums, go on excursions, make their own art or technical projects. Also, in addition to entertainment, primary schools teach subjects such as mathematics, reading, writing, in which children are prepared for studying in secondary school.

The child's parents bring the child to school, or the child travels by school bus (travel is free). Classes start differently in all schools, most often from 9–11 am. The duration of the school day in primary schools is short, about 3–5 hours a day, depending on the workload that day. The length of one lesson in different schools is a different period of time - from 25 to 35 minutes. The length of the breaks is 5–10 minutes, with the exception of the lunch break, which lasts about 30 minutes. Parents come or come to pick up their children at school; the staff does not let some children go. As soon as someone comes for the child, the child is asked if he recognizes this person and whether this person is his relative. Only after the child recognizes the person who came for him, the student is sent home.

Funding for elementary schools comes entirely from the US Department of Education. Parents who send their children to public schools don't pay a cent. It should be mentioned that the child is assigned to the school that is as close as possible to his home, that is, if you live in a disadvantaged area, you can get to a prosperous school only by changing your area of residence.

With private schools, everything is also simple - you pay them a lot of money, in return your child receives the necessary (in your opinion) education.

Secondary schools

In secondary schools, a child studies from 11–12 to 14–15 years. This school includes only three grades - sixth, seventh and eighth. In fact, the education system in the USA is similar to the Russian one. Also in high school, each teacher teaches his own subject. However, here the school students are given certain choice and freedom to study certain subjects; compulsory subjects include English, algebra, science, history, and physical education. As additional subjects, you can choose to study Spanish, French, Italian languages(in some Japanese and Chinese schools), computer science, literature, drawing, drama.

also in public schools In children, they most often try to develop qualities such as independence and the ability to work with the information provided. Great emphasis in schools is placed on multicultural education and the development of tolerance. You do not need to pay for education at a public school; the US Department of Education even allocates money for gifts for teachers.

As for private schools, the parent can also completely choose the program in which the child will study. Almost immediately after entering secondary school, students are divided into two types - more capable and less capable. The larger volume is set first homework, they have more lessons and gain more knowledge. Students who are not endowed with outstanding abilities receive less of everything. Some Americans think this is even better. Private educational institutions generally provide better services. However, the cost of training can vary from 15 to 30 thousand dollars per year of study.

High school

After eighth grade, students are transferred to high school, which includes ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. This school educates people aged 14 to 19 years. Students are given both greater freedom and greater workload, since in order to receive a diploma of successful completion of school, the following criteria must be met:

Of the four years in high school, a student is required to study biology, physics, and chemistry for three whole years, thus leaving one free year in which the student may not attend these subjects at all, preferring others.
You must also study mathematics for at least 3 out of 4 years.
A large emphasis in all religious and public schools in the United States is placed on the cultural and multicultural education of a person, so literature will have to be studied all 4 years.
History and society. These subjects are treated differently everywhere; in one school you will have to study them for 2 years, and in another - 4.
Physical Culture. This subject is also given quite a lot of attention in the USA, so the student must attend physical education classes for at least one year out of four.

In addition to the above subjects, the student may, at his discretion, attend all other subjects as additional classes.

If we consider private schools, then each school has its own specific system and specialization. For example, a private high school that specializes in teaching mathematics will focus more on mathematics than literature.

Structure of higher education

From the moment a person graduates from high school, he is faced with a choice - to go further to study or start working. Higher education in the USA is not free, and it is extremely difficult to get into government-funded places, so about half of the US population does not have a higher education, which does not prevent them from working and earning good money. However, employees with a university degree are more willingly hired for high-paying jobs (especially if the person studied at Harvard or another famous institution) than those who have received only a complete secondary education.

The price for a year of study at universities can vary from 8 to 60 thousand dollars. However, there is always the opportunity to enroll for free, let's look at how you can get a free higher education:

People from poor families whose annual income is less than 10 thousand dollars have the right to receive it, but there are quite a few such families in the States.
The American education system provides for admission to budget place on several scholarships. However, it is very difficult to get this scholarship, since you have to prove that you are smarter and better than others in your field.
Get sponsor support. You can consider the option of full or partial payment by the sponsor for your training, but you can receive such assistance only if the sponsor sees any prospects in you.

School structure

By law, everyone must receive school education in the United States, no matter in which school or at home, the main thing is that a diploma of completion is issued. The majority of the country's citizens send their children to study in public (free) schools - this is about 75% of children in the entire country. Particularly religious families send their children to study in schools at churches, where the main emphasis is on the spiritual development of a person. 6–8% of the country's schoolchildren study in church schools. Private schools are expensive, however, they educate about 15% of all students in the country, and the emphasis is on the mental and professional development of the child. Homeschooling is also not very popular, with about 2–3% of children receiving education at home.

The school year is distributed differently depending on the state and school district.. Everywhere children study for about 9 months (170–190 days), but the beginning of the school year falls on different time, for example, in Kansas children will go to school in early September (1st–15th), and in New York - on the 20th of August. Consequently, the academic year begins between August 20–September 15. The average school day lasts 4–7 hours (8:30–15:30), all breaks except the 30-minute lunch break last 2–5 minutes, lessons last 35–45 minutes. In total, secondary education involves 12 grades, the last 4 grades (9–12) are needed to obtain secondary special education and completion of high school.

As for the regulations of other schools at churches and private schools, they have their own specific regulations, however, the Ministry of Education has the right to make certain amendments to the regulations of these schools. Across the country, schools teach 5 days a week; on Saturday and Sunday, schools have various clubs, but if we talk about private schools again, you can also find those where children study 7 days a week.

The basic principles and features of each school in the USA are that they try to work with each person separately as far as possible. Therefore, in American films you can often see single desks for students. Also in many films you can notice that in schools there is no school uniform– it’s true, they don’t wear uniforms in public schools, only in private or church schools.

Screenwriter and author Liliya Kim lives in California with her teenage daughter and experiences first-hand 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 the very general view it's structured like this:

Preschool education
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 too free schools, but you don’t have to live in the area to go to 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 the long summer holidays should be canceled because they were introduced due to the heat, which did not allow students to be in classes. 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 24 December to 1 January. School starts on the second.

All this can be different, since schools have very great autonomy in terms of the formation of 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 if little man, for whom you need to adapt information precisely because he is still small and not stupid.

Providing children with a good education in America is quite difficult. 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 more high level education. Gifted students can receive a grant to study there, or, having scored a very high number of points in the school in total (studies, sports, leadership, volunteering, scientific projects), receive government support for education at private colleges and universities.

After military service, veterans have the right to receive education at state expense in any higher education institution. educational institution, for which they will have enough credits received during their service. Those who excel can earn enough to study at the most prestigious private universities.