EDUCATION

IN THE USA
Monika Kuliga
Klaudia Wojnar

HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN THE USA

Free public schools were opened in 17 th century
Harvard College established in 1636
The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg established in 1693
Yale established in 1701
University of North Carolina the first US state university 1789
Many changes in public education introduced by Horace Mann
By 1850 every state had developed a system of free public schools

paid for by public taxes

1865 education became available to all white children
By 1900 over 1,000 institutions of higher education in the USA
1837, Oberlin College, Ohio the first to admit women on equal basis

with men
1954 racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional

OVERVIEW

Educational system is based on strong tradition of local control

Each state has its own laws regulating education

The federal government is committed to programmes providing equal education

opportunity

Three basic levels of education system elementary, secondary, higher

education

There are state-supported and private schools

School year lasts from September to mid-May

The 6-3-3 plan

CURRICULUM REFORM
Americans realized in the 1970s and 1980s that there had been an alarming
decline of educational efficiency in many public elementary and high schools due to
the lack of qualified teachers, changes in curricula and lowering of educational
standards, e.g. There were reports about students who were graduated from high
schools although they were functionally illiterate and could not read and write well
enough to complete an application for employment.

CULTURAL ILLITERACY
Cultural illiteracy is a term coined by E. D.
Hirsch , referring to the ability to understand
and participate fluently in a given culture.
Cultural literacy is an analogy to literacy proper
(the ability to read and write letters). A literate
reader knows the object-language's alphabet,
grammar, and a sufficient set of vocabulary; a
culturally literate person knows a given culture's
signs and symbols, including its language,
particular dialectic, stories, entertainment, idioms,
idiosyncrasies, and so on. The culturally literate
person is able to talk to and understand others of
that culture with fluency, while the culturally
illiterate person fails to understand culturallyconditioned allusions, references to past events,
idiomatic expressions, jokes, names, places, etc.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE
School violence is widely held to have become a serious problem in recent
decades in many countries, especially where weapons such as guns or knives are
involved. It includes violence between school students as well as physical attacks
by students on school staff.
Each year 3 million young
school.

people

in the United States fall victim to crimes at

The Tragedy at Columbine High School in Colorado, April 1999 two teenage
students shot dead twelve schoolmates and a teacher before commiting suicide,
the worst tragedy of its kind in the history of American public schools.

PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Introduction to formal education usually begins in kindergarten classes

Children begin instructions at age of four or five

Programmes in pre-school classes are flexible

Children learn basic skills the letters of the alphabet, basic colours etc.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Lasts 6-8 years

Is for children from 6 to 12 or 14 years of age

Children learn Three Rs (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic)

There are special tutoring for weaker children

Learning is a cooperation, not competition

Subjects include: English, mathematics, science, social studies, music, PE

Bussing a policy which ensures that public schools are racially mixed

Classes from 8 a.m. to 3-4 p.m. Monday Friday

SECONDARY EDUCATION
Most high-school students enrolled in public secondary education, 10% students

enrolled in private schools (the end of the 1990s)

The American high school 19th-century invention
Six-year high school divided into junior high and senior high
Four-year high school for students who have completed the eighth grade
There are all kinds of subjects
Courses - English, science, social studies, mathematics and PE
Optional subjects foreign languages, arts, business, home economics etc.
Students graded from A to F
Extracurricular activities bands, choirs, debating clubs, swimming etc.
On completing high school students receive a diploma
Theres not such thing like Polish matura

SAT or ACT?
SAT and ACT are tests for high school students who wish to attend a
college or university.
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) has sections on English language, skills and
mathematics and its taken by approximately 40% of high school graduates .
ATC (American College Testing), composed of a series of tests in English,
mathematics, reading and sience is taken by approximately 35% of high school
graduates.
A school transcript is usually given to students to apply for administration to
colleges or universities. It summarizes that courses taken and grades obtained in
high school and must be scrutinized by the admissions committee of the
prospective college.

QUiZ
1. When were the first free public schools opened in America?
a) In 17th century
b) In 18th century
c) In 19th century

a) In 17th century

2. School year lasts from:

a) October May
b) September May
c) September June

b) September May

3. What happened at Columbine High School in April 1999?

a) Teenage students strangled schoolmates
b) Teenage students shot the headmaster
c)

Teenage students shot schoolmates and a teacher

c) Teenage students shot schoolmates

and a teacher

4. Children go to pre-school at the age of:

a) Two or three
b) Three or four
c) Four or five

c) Four or five

5. What subject is NOT taught in elementary school?

Chemistry
b) Foreign languages
c) Geography
a)

b) Foreign
languages

THANKS
FOR YOUR ATTENTION