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System
Children enter the official U.S. school system at age five going to elementary school. They spend the first year in kindergarten class and then attend grades 1 through 5. (A lot of children, however, start preschool at age of three.) The elementary school program stresses skills in reading and writing, mathematics, social studies and science. In addition, an art and music program, physical education and often computer literacy programs are offered. Next, children attend junior high school (also called middle school) consisting only grades 6 to 8. Finally, they go to senior high school (grades 9 to 12) which usually offers classes in English, math, science, American history and government as well as a large number of specialized classes. When the school year ends, parents are given report cards for their children with the grades for the different learning areas. Grade A is the highest and best grade, D is the lowest passing grade, F stands for failed.
All public schools are free of charge (costs of public schools are paid for by property taxes). Although often books or disposable lab supplies must be paid by the parents. Children may also attend private schools, which demand tuition fees. Good public and private schools can be found, for example, in Naperville.
Classes are held Monday through Friday usually from 8 a.m. through approximately 3:00 p.m. High school will start as early as 7:00 a.m., elementary school as late as 9:00 a.m. During a one-hour lunch break, children eat the meal they brought from home. Some schools provide a cafeteria at which lunch can be purchased. Most children ride to school by bus. Only those who live within a distance of 1.5 miles and have a safe way to walk are not required to take the bus. During summer, schools are closed for approximately eight to twelve weeks of summer vacation. Short breaks are scheduled in spring, fall, and winter around Christmas. In addition, public schools observe a number of legal holidays that most companies do not observe.
Several types and levels of colleges are available as secondary education. High school students need to take the SAT or ACT test to qualify for certain college programs. Depending on their interest and academic level, they can choose between two-year and four-year colleges. Two-year colleges offer technical degrees (Associate's degree) in various professions. Four-year colleges (often part of a university system) award Bachelor's degrees, which are often the required degree if looking for a job with management responsibilities. Four-year college programs offer and request students to take a large variety of classes in various subjects. If interested in more training in one specific field, students continue their education in the graduate program of a university to either obtain a Master's degree (one- or two-year program, leading to a Master of Science, M.S., Master of Arts, M.A., or Master of Business Administration, M.B.A.) or a doctorate degree (Ph.D., usually a five-year program). Medical schools and law schools offer their own specialized advanced education programs.
Secondary education is not free. The program chosen and the academic recognition of the college or university more or less define the tuition. One year at a university may cost up to $25,000 (tuition only), but community colleges, such as the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, are much less expensive.
The quality of education provided by and reputation of a college or university plays a key role in the career of young Americans. Even the choice of high school can be critical if one wants to be accepted by one of the Ivy League universities. Students should try to reach the best grade available by the end of the year (straight A's), since it is important to be within the best 10% of a class. Admission to college depends on the high school diploma, the student's ranking and his or her admission test scores. The ranking within a class, within the school, or the state starts early in childhood and continues beyond graduation from high school. Detailed testing programs evaluate all schools in the U.S. throughout the year, especially high schools. The tests are standardized and usually consist of multiple-choice questions. They are designed by independent non-profit organizations, such as SAT (national average for their tests is approximately 1000), ACT (national average 21), or PSAT (scholarships are selected based on the score). The average score reached by a school determines its ranking in the nationwide or statewide ranking. School Report Cards including the test scores for Illinois are available on the internet at www.chicago.tribune.com/. Whether average test scores reflect a realistic picture of the quality of education in a particular high school is arguable, but it may serve as an indicator. To find out whether a school is good, go there and take a look. You should contact the administrative office and ask for an appointment with the principal. (Note: If you plan to send your children to public school, you will be restricted to enrolling them in the school district in which you live and pay taxes. Therefore, some people check out the quality of a particular school district first before they decide to move there.)
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