American education

ChapterFiveAmericanEducationContent•GeneralintroductiontoAmericaneducation•Fourlevelsofeducation•Highereducation•Grades,examsandqualifications•ExercisesGeneralIntroduction•Respectforeducation•State-administratedratherthannation-administrated•12yearsoffreepubliceducation•Schoolyear•Schoolholidays•SchoolgradesbackEducationislikeabigwindowopening.Americansareproudofthefactthatthewindowofknowledgeisneverslammedshutforanyofthenation’scitizen.AllAmericanchildrenareoffered12yearsoffreepubliceducation&mostgoodstudentscangetfinancialhelptocontinuetheirstudiesformanymoreyears.Adultswhowishtoattendschoolalsofindmanyopportunities.•Atthestatelevel,thereisthestateboardofeducation教育委员会whichisresponsibleforestablishingpolicies.•Atthedistrictlevel,eachlocalschooldistricthasagoverningboard管理委员会whichisresponsibleforthehiringofprofessionalandsupportstaff,determiningcurriculum,etc.Schoolyear•1.two-semestersystem•1-5spring•9－12fall•2.three-semestersystem•9－12fall•1-5spring•6-8summerSchoolholidays•ThanksgivingDay5-7days•Winterholiday3weekstoonemonth•SpringholidayinMarch5-7days•Summerholiday3monthsSchoolGradesLevel/GradeTypicalAge(attheendoftheschoolyear)PreschoolVariousoptionalprograms,suchasHeadStartUnder6Pre-kindergarten4-5ElementarySchoolKindergarten5-61stGrade6-72ndGrade7-83rdGrade8-94thGrade9-105thGrade10-11MiddleSchool6thGrade11-127thGrade12-138thGrade13-14HighSchool9thGrade(Freshman)14-1510thGrade(Sophomore)15-1611thGrade(Junior)16-1712thGrade(Senior)17-18II.FourLevelsofEducation1.PreschoolEducation2.ElementaryEducation3.SecondaryEducation4.Post-secondaryEducation(HigherEducation)1.PreschoolEducation•Nomandatory(强制的，必须的)prekingdergartenprogram•Familiesresponsibleforpreschoolorchildcare•DaycareCenter---frominfancyto3/4year-oldpreschooleducation---3/4-5year-old•Kindergarten---from5-year-old(beginningofcompulsoryeducation)•2.ElementaryandSecondaryEducation1.IntheUnitedStates,classesofstudentsaredividedinto12academiclevelscalledgrades.2.Generally,oneacademicyear(fromSeptembertoJune)isrequiredtocompleteeachgrade.3.Academicwork---learningtoread,write&doarithmetic---beginswhenthechildentersfirstgrade,ataboutage6.TwoWaystodivideelementaryandsecondaryeducationElementarySchoolorGrammarSchoolGrades1-8HighSchoolGrades9-12ElementarySchoolGrades1-6JuniorHighSchoolGrades7-9SeniorHighSchoolGrades10-123.HigherEducation•TheUSisworldleaderineducation.In1825,Englandhadonlytwouniversities:OxfordandCambridge,whiletheUShadoverfiftyuniversities.•Bynow,thereareover2,000universitiesandcollegesthroughouttheUnitedStates.YOURSITEHERELOGODegreesofhighereducationBachelor’sDegreeMaster’sDegreeDoctor’sDegree工商管理学硕士MBA(MasterofBusinessAdministration)3.1Classificationsofhighereducation•Doctoral-levelinstitutions•Master’scomprehensivecollegesanduniversities•LiberalartscollegesofferingBAdegree•Specializedinstitutions/Trainingtechnicalschools•Two-yearinstitutions/communitycolleges（两年制的社区大学)FunctionsofHigherEducation•ThesystemofhighereducationintheUShas3principalfunctions:teaching,researchandpublicservice.Colleges•four-yearundergraduateinstitutions•maybepubliclyorprivatelyfunded,orfundedbyareligiousgroupTechnicalTrainingSchools•Rangingfromsixmonthsto4years•offeringawidevarietyoftechnicalskills,likehairstyling,businessaccountingandcomputerprogrammingetc.•maybepubliclyorprivatelyfunded,ormaybefundedbyreligiousgroupandcharityorganizationsCommunityColleges•rangingfromsixmonthstotwoormoreyears.•nearlyalwayspubliclyfunded•offertrainingforavarietyofjobs•hasacademicprograms•Receiveanassociatedegree(肄业证)aftercompletingatwo-yearprogram3.2HowtoSelectaCollege/University•Fivecategoriesofhighereducation•Curriculum•PublicorPrivate•BigorsmallCurriculum•EachAmericancollegeandgraduateschoolhasitsowncurriculumPublicorPrivate•Publichighereducationalinstitutionisoperatedbyastateorlocalgovernment.•Eachofthe50statesoperatesitsownuniversities.•About25%ofallschoolofhighereducationareprivate•Bothpublicandprivatedependonthreesourcesofincome:Studenttuition,endowments(捐助，资助),andgovernmentfunding.•Privatecollegesrelyon60%tuitionandpublic20%3.3SuccessofApplicationsforaCollegeEducation•student’shighschoolrecords•recommendationsfromtheirschoolteachers•theimpressiontheymakeduringinterviewsattheuniversity•theirscoresontheScholasticAptitude/AssessmentTests(SATs)YOURSITEHERELOGOSuccessfulapplicantsatcollegesanduniversitiesarechosenonthebasisof:a.theirhighschoolrecords;.b.recommendationsfromtheirhighschoolteachers;c.theimpressiontheymakeduringinterviewsattheuniversity;d.TheirscoresontheScholasticAptitudeTests(SATs).学术能力评估测试是美国高中生的所谓“高考”，但能否读四年制大学并不取决于一个SAT分数。SAT由美国的CollegeBoard举办，在美国领土上每年举办7次，其它地方每年6次。考试用英语。SAT成绩是世界各国高中生申请美国名校学习及奖学金的重要参考。HighereducationGRE4.CollegeEntranceExaminations•SAT:ScholasticAssessmentTest学习能力评估考试(Mathematics&EnglishReading&EnglishWriting)SATisthemostwidelyusedcollegeadmissiontest,designedtoassessyouracademicreadinessforcollege.•ACT:AmericanCollegeTest美国大学考试Grades&Degrees•Collegegrades,fromhighesttolowest,runABCDF.•AnFisafailinggrade.•Americanuniversitiesoffer3maincategories