Friday, April 10, 2009

How does the American school system work?

I've been reading books and fanfiction which use the American school system and words keep cropping up such as freshman and sophomore, junior and senior. What is this and what ages are they? Also, what is the UK year equivalent to US grades?


Generally

5-6 Years Old Kindergarten

6-7 First Grade

7-8 Second Grade

8-9 Third Grade

9-10 Fourth Grade

10-11 Fifth Grade

11-12 Sixth Grade

12-13 Seventh Grade

13-14 Eigth Grade

14-15 Ninth Grade

15-16 Tenth Grade

16-17 eleventh grade

17-18 twelth grade

This is when one normally graduates from high school. Then can choose to go to college, trade school, or work force.

Hope this helps

freshmen is the 9 grade year and the other go up one year for each different name senior being 12 and final year. to get a High School diploma you must finish the senior year. after that you can either go to college or into the work force

Freshman - 9th grade or first-year college student

Sophomore - 10th grade or second-year college student

Junior - 11th grade or third-year college student

Senior - 12th grade or fourth year college student

Kindergarten - Ages 5-6

1st grade - Ages 6-7

2nd grade - Ages 7-8

3rd grade - Ages 8-9

4th grade - Ages 9-10

5th grade - Ages 10-11

6th grade - Ages 11-12

7th grade - Ages 12-13

8th grade - Ages 13-14

9th grade/freshman - Ages 14-15

10th grade/sophomore - Ages 15-16

11th grade/junior - Ages 16-17

12th grade/senior - Ages 17-18

*Unless someone repeats a grade, these ages are true

I don't know the UK equivalents, but here's some info.

In the US, school goes through 12th grade, which is the Senior year of high school. Most kids are 17-18 this year.

11th grade is the Junior year (age 16-17).

10th grade is the Sophomore year (age 15-16).

9th grade is the Freshman year (age 14-15).

These terms are also used for college years. (First year is Freshman, etc., through 4 years. If you go beyond 4 years for some reason, you're still a Senior.)

OKay so, in America, we don't have sixth form or anything like that. You start school in either preschool (optional) or kindergarten (mandatory). Preschoolers are 3-4. Elementary school ends in the 5th or 6th grade, depending on your school. Then some students go to middle school. Middle school is usually 6th-8th, but it can be 7th and 8th. After that, the students go to high school, for 9th -12th. Some students skip middle school and go to 6 year high schools instead. Six year high schools go from 7th to 12th grade. After 12th grade students graduate and go to university (which is usually referred to as college).

Ages

Preschool 3-4

Kindergarten 4-6

1st grade 6-7

2nd grade 7-8

3rd 8-9

4th 9-10

5th 10-11

6th 11-12

7th 12-13

8th 13-14

9th 14-15

10th 15-16

11th 16-17

12th 17-18

Well I am sad to say that I can not compare our system to yours simply because, like you, I have no idea how the other system works.

Anyway the setup of our school system looks like this:

This will vary slightly from place to place in the US, but this is how my town's system works. Hopefully the ages next to the grades will help you compare it to your system in the UK

Pre-K

An optional year or two that prepares the child to enter Kindergarten.Typically age 4 give or take a year

Elementary school-Kindergarten-4th grade

Kindergarten-Typically age 5 or 6

First Grade-Age 6 or 7

Second grade-Age 7 or 8

Third Grade-Age 8 or 9

Fourth Grade- Age 9 or 10

Middle School-Grades 5-6

5th Grade-Age 10 or 11

6th Grade- Age 11 or 12

Junior High (Sometimes referred to as Middle School still)-Grades 7-8

Grade 7-Age 12 or 13

Grade 8-Age 13 or 14

High school-Grades 9-12

Grade 9(Freshman)-Age 14 or 15

10th Grade (Sophomore)-Age 15 or 16

11th Grade (Junior)-Age 16 or 17

12th Grade (Senior)- Age 17 or 18

Then there is either college or university. They are considered one in the same by most. The only difference is that a college is typically smaller than a university.

Just a note- The ages vary slightly based upon when someones birthday falls and when their parents decide to send them to school.

These are high school terms

Freshman = first year of high school usually 9th grade about 14 years old

Sophomore = second year - 10th grade - about 15years

Junior = 3rd year or 11th grade - about 16 years old

Senior - 4th and last year = 12 th grade - 17 years old usually

The American school system doesn't work. we are raising idiots over here! They can't write, spell, speak....we are turning into a nation of fools! Freshman= 9th grade, Sophomore= 10th grade, Junior= 11th grade, and Seniors are the 12th and final grade. Then you go off to college if you are able. Most freshman are 13-14...Most seniors are 17-18 years old.

Apparently not very well, as evidenced by the lack of proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure seen in these questions...

School runs thru grades 1 - 12.

Typically elementary school starts at age 6 for FIRST GRADE, and progresses to grade 5.

Grades 6, 7, and 8 in some places is called "Middle School", however, when I grew up in Columbus OH in the 60's, elementary school went to 6th grade, and 7th, 8th and 9th grades were considered "Junior High School".

Some districts consider only 7th and 8th to be 'Junior High", and when we moved to a semi-rural area of Ohio, "High School" were grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. Here in AZ, high school consists of grades 9, 10, 11, 12, with 6, 7, and 8 compromising "middle school".

Typically, schools starts in mid August or by Labor Day (first week of September), but some schools start as early as the first or second week of August. Typically the school year lasts until around the end of May or beginining of June, with breaks in the Fall, Winter (around Christmas/New Years) and Spring (usually in March or thereabouts).

A "freshman" in high school is typically 9th grade.

A "sophomore" in high school is typically 10th grade.

A "junior" in high school is typically in 11th grade and

a "senior" is 12th grade or the last year.

There has been a move afoot, though, by those who are 'offended' by the labels "junior" and "senior" to remove those titles (officially) because being called a "junior" makes children feel bad about themselves when compared to "seniors". Those people are typically wimps anyways and cry about everything (the people who thing that Junior and Senior titles are 'bad' for students). They also typically believe that teachers should not grade students with RED INK and actually use grades like "A", "B", "C", "D" and "F"...they also hug trees, drive hybrid SUVs, and don't believe in keeping score at soccer matches because kids that 'lose' feel 'bad'....after all, everybody SHOULD be a winner, right?

No comments:

Post a Comment