43 Text 2 Education in the US Some general information Although there are some federal (national) regulations for education in the US, each state makes their own education policy. Compulsory education in the US starts and ends at different ages depending on the state. However, most children go to elementary school at the age of 5 or 6, with a year in kindergarten, and usually end secondary education at 18 with 12th grade. From age 6 to 11 (grades 1 to 5), children usually go to elementary school. Most parents send their children to a school that is paid for by the state. (Note that the word ‘grade’ can have two meanings in the US: the score you achieve in a course/an exam, or a year in school.) Secondary education High school Following elementary school, children go to junior high school (sometimes also known as ‘middle school’), usually from grades 6 to 8 (ages 11 to 14). After junior high they attend senior high school until they are 18 (grades 9 to 12). In the first year of senior high school, students are called ‘freshmen’, in the second year ‘sophomores’, in the third year ‘juniors’ and in the fourth year ‘seniors’. In addition to the ‘core’ subjects that the students must take, e.g. English, mathematics, science, social studies and, in some schools, PE and health, there are optional subjects, also called ‘electives’, which often include subjects such as music, art, drama, foreign languages, graphic design, IT, economics and government (or ‘civics’). Apart from the core subjects and the electives, US high schools also offer a number of extracurricular activities like photography or debating clubs, the school newspaper, band, computer club, yearbook and all types of sports, mainly American football (but soccer is also quite popular now), cheerleading, track and field, swimming, basketball and baseball. To graduate from high school and get a high school diploma, the students have to earn a number of credits. They get these credits for successfully completing a course. This means that in most states in the US, students do not have to take a final exam like the ‘Matura’ to graduate from high school. These credits are only part of finishing school. Some states include basic standards tests in core skills such as mathematics and English to complete the high school diploma. If you want to go to college, you may have to take the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude/Assessment Test) or ACT (American College Test). Students’ results from the last four years of school are used to make their grade point average (GPA). The GPA is recorded on a ‘transcript’ and used to apply to universities. Work with someone who has read the other text. Find out as much as possible about their text. Answer your partner’s questions, but do not show each other your notes. What differences can you find between the two school systems? b Listen to Adam and Lizzie talking about the differences between going to school in the US and going to school in the UK. Write down at least three differences that Adam mentions. What differences are there to Austrian schools? LISTENING 14a 07 b Work in groups of three to four students to create a factsheet about the Austrian school system to send to your partner school. First brainstorm additional categories that you want to include (for example, information about grading). Then use the internet and a dictionary to get the information. WRITING 15 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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