As part of education in the United States, secondary education usually covers grades 5, 6, or 7 through twelve. Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Educational stages vary around the world. ...

Teaching secondary

Teachers are certified in one of two areas for secondary education: middle school or high school. These certifications can overlap. In Missouri, for example, middle school certification covers grades 5-9, elementary school certification covers up to grade 6, and high school certification covers grades 9-12. This reflects the wide range of grade combinations of middle schools, Junior Highs, and elementary schools. Alternatively, some states certify teachers in various curricular areas (such as math or history) to teach secondary education. Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis Metro[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ...

Middle schools (Grades 5/6/7 through 8/9) and Junior High schools

Main article: Middle school

Middle schools (Still commonly called by the older names "junior high school" and "intermediate school") are schools that span grades 4 through 9. Schools that span grades 7 through 9 typically are referred to as junior high schools . Both are between primary education/elementary education and high school.Missouri issues it's wide ranging, and overlapping, certification because many schools districts, especially around Saint Louis, historically and currently are divided into Elementary, Middle School, Junior High, and High School. In these districts Middle Schools range grades 5-6'th, in some cases 4'th grade is included, with Junior High running 7-8'th, and in some cases 9'th , grades. More rural districts offer an all inclusive elementary school K-6. Some very poor rural districts only have one school building in the district, as that is all the district can afford to build and operate, serving K-12. In Missouri this is possible because the Missouri certification for elementary school allows teachers to teach up to 6'th grade, Middle school from 5'th up to 9'th grade, and the High School certification runs 9'th-12'th grades. The divisions vary widely by state and even by district. Some districts even mix all inclusive elementary schools teaching K-6, but split other schools in the district into Elementary and Middle schools . The general rule being there is no general rule in the US as states and even districts within the state have quite a bit of control over the divisions.Damn it dawg. Middle school (also known as intermediate school or junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ... Middle school (also known as intermediate school or junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Primary or elementary education consist of the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education, which is otherwise known as secondary education. ...

At this time, students begin to enroll in class schedules where they take classes from several teachers in a given day, unlike in elementary school, where most classes are with the same teacher (except for usually art, music, and physical education). The classes are usually a set of four core academic classes (English or "language arts," science, mathematics, and history or "social studies") with two to four other classes, either electives or supplementary or remedial academic classes. English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, and the Middle East, among other areas), English linguistics (including English phonetics, phonology, syntax, morphology, semantics... Language arts refers to the class of art forms, including novels, poetry, songs and others, that focus on the creation of art works which are primarily language based. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... The title page to The Historians History Of The World. ... Social studies is a term used to describe the broad study of the various fields which involve past and current human behavior and interactions. ...

In school districts divided into Middle and Junior High Schools one of the main differences between the two typically is elective courses. Middle school typically offering only an elective courses for physical education, organized group sports versus fitness, and for music education, voice/music appreciation versus instrumental music courses (band/orchestra). Junior High by contrast offers 2-4 elective courses including foreign languages. The other main difference being the instructors work closely together as a team each working within the same grade level of students but teaching different core curriculum classes in Middle Schools, where as Junior High is set up with each academic department operating independently of each other teaching all grades that attend the school.

Some students also start taking a foreign language and some advanced math and science classes in middle school, such as Spanish, French, German, even Asian languages, Algebra I, Earth Science, and other courses for high school credit. Physical education classes (also called "PE" or by the older term, "gym") are usually mandatory for various periods. In the United States Algebra I is a common title for the first course in elementary algebra. ... Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1917 Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ...

High school (Grades 9/10 through 12)

High school usually runs from grades 9 through 12 although sometimes from 10-12. Some school districts deviate from this formula. The most widely seen difference is to include 9th grade in middle school. Some districts split off the 9th grade into their own school. Others have a three-level secondary system with high school as 10-12. In high school, students obtain much more control of their education, and may choose even their core classes. The control given to students varies from state to state and school to school. Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education, which is otherwise known as secondary education. ... School districts are a form of special-purpose district in the United States (amongst some other places) which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools. ...

At the turn of the 20th century, it was common for high schools to have entrance examinations which restricted entrance to fewer than 5 percent of the population in preparation for college. Most were expected to be ready for a job or family after junior high school. By mid-century, Comprehensive high schools became common which were designed to give a free education to any student who chose to stay in school for 12 years to get a diploma with a minimal grade point average. The goal became to minimize the number who exited at the mandatory attendance age, which varies by State between 14 and 18 years of age, and become considered to be drop outs, at risk of economic failure. By the 2000s, standards-based education was embraced in most states and federal education policy with the goal of raising standards. It required students to demonstrate their learning rather than sit in 12 years of instructional time. By 2006, two-thirds of students lived in states which had created new standards, and requiring passing tests to insure all graduates had achieved these standards. Many, however, would be concerned that this would roll back advances in high school graduation rates of groups at academic risk. Among American ethnic groups, Asians have the highest graduation rates, followed by white / European Americans. African Americans still lag whites, but today are not far behind at a national level. Latino / Hispanic students, many who immigrate from nations with low rates of high school education have the lowest rates of high school completion. Most public high school in the United States are comprehensive public high schools. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Basic curricular structure

There is wide variance in curriculum for students in the United States, unlike their counterparts in other developed nations, many do not begin to specialize into a narrow field of study until their sophomore year of college. Many high schools have always offered a choice of vocational or college prep curriculum. Schools that offer vocational programs include a very high level of technical specialization, Eg; auto mechanics or carpentry, with a half-day instruction/approved work program the senior year as the purpose of the program is to prepare students for gainful employment without a college degree. The level of specialization allowed varies depending on both the state and district the school is located in.

A class period is the time allotted for one class session, usually in schools and colleges. A period may vary in time, but is usually 30-90 minutes long.

There is wide variance in the curriculum required each year but, many American high schools require that courses in the areas of English, science, social science, and mathematics be taken by the students every year although other schools merely set the required number of credits and allow the student a great deal of choice as to when the courses will be taken after 10th grade. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... The social sciences are groups of academic disciplines that study the human aspects of the world. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ...

Generally, three science courses are required. Biology, chemistry, and physics are standard options. Other science studies include geology, the environment and forensics. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that the central science be merged into this article or section. ... The first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density Physics (Greek: (phúsis), nature and (phusiké), knowledge of nature) is the branch of science concerned with the discovery and characterization of universal laws which govern matter, energy, space, and time. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Crime Scene, done by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. ...

High school mathematics subjects include topics such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Advanced study options can include precalculus, calculus and statistics, with or without Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) accreditation. Algebra is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of structure, relation and quantity. ... Calabi-Yau manifold Geometry (Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth, metria = measure) is a part of mathematics concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space. ... Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Trigonometry Trigonometry (from Greek trigōnon triangle + metron measure[1]) is a branch of mathematics that deals with triangles, particularly triangles in a plane where one angle of the triangle is 90 degrees (right angled triangles). ... In mathematics education, pre-calculus, in reality just advanced secondary school algebra, is a foundational mathematical discipline. ... Calculus (from Latin, pebble or little stone) is a mathematical subject that includes the study of limits, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series, and constitutes a major part of modern university education. ... A graph of a Normal bell curve showing statistics used in educational assessment and comparing various grading methods. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into International Baccalaureate Organization. ...

English/Language classes are usually required for four years of high school although many schools count journalism, public speaking/debate, foreign language, literature, drama, and writing (both technical and creative) classes as English/Language classes .

Required social science classes often include American history, civics, state history, and world history. Additional study options can include classes in law (constitutional, criminal or international) economics, sociology, and psychology. Pre-Colonial America For details, see the main Pre-Colonial America article. ... Civics is the science of comparative government and means of administering public trusts—the theory of governance as applied to state institutions. ... World History is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, spirit, soul; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is an academic / applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior of humans and animals. ...

A year of physical education (usually referred to as "gym," "PE" or "Phys-Ed" by students) is commonly required, although some states and school districts require that all students take Physical Education every semester. Many states require a "Health" course in which students typically learn anatomy, nutrition, first aid, the basic concepts of sexuality and birth control, and how to make clear decisions concerning illegal drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. In some places contraception is not allowed to be taught for religious reasons. In some places, the health and physical education class are combined into one class. Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1917 Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ... Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption. ... First aid is a series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or layman can be trained to perform. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Birth control is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or giving birth. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... A cigarette will burn to ash on one end. ... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ...

In some private schools, such as Catholic schools, theology is required before a student graduates. Catholic schools are education ministries of the Roman Catholic Church. ... At Wikiversity you can learn more and teach others about Theology at: The School of Theology Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ...

Electives

High schools offer a wide variety of elective courses, although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular school's financial situation. Some schools and states require students to earn a few credits of classes considered electives, most commonly foreign language and physical education. A foreign language is a language not spoken by the indigenous people of a certain place: for example, English is a foreign language in Japan. ... Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1917 Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ...

Common types of electives include:

• Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography)
• Performing arts (choir, drama, band, orchestra, dance, film)
• Vocational education (woodworking, metalworking, automobile repair)
• Computer science/business education (word processing, programming, graphic design, computer club, Web design)
• Physical education (American football, weight training, baseball, basketball, cheerleading,tennis, track and field, swimming, gymnastics, water polo, soccer)
• Journalism/publishing (school newspaper, yearbook, television production)
• Foreign languages: (French, German,Italian, and Spanish are common; Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Greek, Latin, and American Sign Language are less common, though the latter two are gaining increased popularity; however not all states consider sign language a foreign language and can, therefore, hamper students ability to go to an out of state college were they require a foreign language in high school but do not count American Sign Language.)
• Family and consumer science/health ("home economics"; nutrition, child development)

Some American high schools offer drivers' education. At some schools, a student can take it during school as a regular course for a credit. At some, however, drivers education courses are only available after school. The Mona Lisa is one of the most recognizable artistic paintings in the Western world. ... Drawing is a visual art which makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. ... A sculpture is a three-dimensional object, which for the purposes of this article is man-made and selected for special recognition as art. ... For building painting, see painter and decorator. ... Photography [fәtɑgrәfi:],[foʊtɑgrәfi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or sensor. ... The performing arts are those forms of art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artists own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... A blacksmith is a traditional trade. ... Artists can use woodworking to create delicate sculptures. ... Turned chess pieces Metalworking is the craft and practice of working with metals to create structures or machine parts. ... A mechanic works on the rear end of a car An auto mechanic is a mechanic who specializes in automobile maintenance, repair and sometimes modification. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Business education is the enterprise of education directed at the study and research of the field of business. ... Word processing, in its now-usual meaning, is the use of a word processor to create documents using computers. ... Computer programming (often simply programming) is the craft of implementing one or more interrelated abstract algorithms using a particular programming language to produce a concrete computer program. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A computer club is an organization that meets regularly to build, converse about, and assist others with computers. ... Web design is the designing and graphical presentation of content shown on the Internet in the form of Web sites and other Web applications using many different forms of media. ... Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1917 Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... A view of the playing field at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. ... Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by throwing a ball through a 10-foot high hoop (the basket) under organized rules. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... This article concentrates on human swimming. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... Water polo is a team water sport, which can be best described as a combination of swimming, handball and wrestling. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Journalism is a discipline of gathering, writing and reporting news, and more broadly it includes the process of editing and presenting the news articles. ... “Publisher” redirects here. ... A student newspaper is a newspaper run by university or high or middle school students that covers local and in particular school/university news. ... A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. ... For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ... A foreign language is a language not spoken by the indigenous people of a certain place: for example, English is a foreign language in Japan. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... It has been suggested that ASL Grammar be merged into this article or section. ... Family and consumer sciences, human sciences, human ecology or home economics, is an academic discipline which combines aspects of consumer science, nutrition, cooking, parenting and human development, interior decoration, textiles, family economics, housing, apparel design and resource management as well as other related subjects. ... Family and consumer sciences, or home economics, is an academic discipline concerning consumer science, nutrition, cooking, parenting, interior decoration, textiles, gardening, and other subjects related to home management. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Drivers Ed or Drivers Education is a class or program offered by independent agencies and most high schools in the United States, where students learn how to drive and practice road safety. ...

Additional options for gifted/high performing students

Main article: Gifted education

Not all high schools contain the same rigorous coursework as others. Most high and middle schools have classes known as "honors" classes for motivated and gifted students, where the quality of education is usually higher and much tougher. Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented. ... Coursework refers to work carried out by students while they are studying a course at university or school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. ...

Some states and cities offer special high school with examinations to admit only the highest performing students, such as Boston Latin School, or San Francisco's Lowell High School. Other high schools cater to the arts. Some schools have been set up for students who do not succeed with normal academic standards. Some have even been created for special social groups such as LGBT students who have been said to have special needs. Motto Sumus Primi Founded April 23, 1635 Head Master Cornelia A. Kelley Affiliation Boston Public Schools Curriculum College-Preparatory Grades 7-12 Enrollment c. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Lowell High School (San Francisco) Lowell High School, a public magnet school in San Francisco, is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi. ...

If funds are available, a high school may provide Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, which are special forms of honors classes. AP courses are usually taken during the second, third, or fourth years of high school, either as a replacement for a typical third-year course (e.g. taking AP U.S. History as a replacement for standard U.S. History), a refresher of an earlier course (e.g. taking AP Biology in the fourth year after taking Biology as a freshman), or simply as a way to study something interesting during senior year (e.g. AP Comparative Government). IB courses are taken as part of a larger, overall program. IB courses last two years and are typically taken in the final two years of high school. Prior to IB courses, most IB students take pre-IB courses during the sixth through tenth grades. IB courses are taken as a block of seven courses (e.g. a student cannot choose to only take IB chemistry; IB chemistry must be taken as a part of a larger IB curriculum with six other IB courses). Advanced Placement (AP) is the term used to describe high school classes that are taught at a college level. ... The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, often colloquially referred to simply as IB[1], is a prestigious and rigorous educational programme taught in one of three languages (English, French or Spanish) and is intended for students in their final two years of secondary school, often before entering university. ...

Most postsecondary institutions take AP or IB exam results into consideration in the admissions process. Because AP and IB courses are supposed to be the equivalent of freshman year college courses, postsecondary institutions may grant unit credit which enables students to graduate early. Both public schools and private schools in wealthy neighborhoods are able to provide many more AP and IB course options than impoverished inner-city high schools, and this difference is seen as a major cause of the differing outcomes for their graduates.

Also, in states with well-developed community college systems, there are often mechanisms by which gifted students may seek permission from their school district to attend community college courses full-time during the summer, and during weekends and evenings during the school year. The units earned this way can often be transferred to one's university, and can facilitate early graduation.

Graduation examinations

Main article: High school graduation examination

Under the education reform movement started in the early 1990s by many state legislatures and the federal government, about two-thirds of the nation's public high school students are required to pass a rigorous graduation exam, usually at the 10th grade level, though no new states had adopted a new requirement in 2006, according to the Center on Education Policy^[1]. This requirement has been an object of controversy when states have started to withhold diplomas, and the right to attend commencement exercises if a student does not meet the standards set by the state. This movement was inspired by examinations in other nations, however a key difference is that most other nations use tests to sort students between academic and vocational schools at different levels. Most American high schools are comprehensive high schools which enroll all students in a local area, regardless of ability or vocational/college track. According to a 2006 study by the Center on Education Policy, two-thirds of the 15 million public high school students in the United States of America were required to pass a graduation examination to get a diploma of completion of studies. ... Most public high school in the United States are comprehensive public high schools. ...

The Business Roundtable has supported the goal of standards-based education to ensure that all students meet one single world-class standard that will insure success in all careers and college. However, education progressives such as Gary Orfield of Harvard University and Fairtest, along with advocates of traditional education question whether such a goal is practical or realistic given the wide range of student ability. The fairness of penalizing disadvantaged students who typically fail at rates 2 to 4 times the rates of the best performing groups has been called into question by many in the education community. Gary Orfield, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is one of the founders of Harvards The Civil Rights Project. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, also known as FairTest, works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open valid and educationally beneficial. ...

See also

• Comprehensive high school
• Education in the United States
• Secondary education
• Primary education in the United States
• Lists of high schools in the United States

Most public high school in the United States are comprehensive public high schools. ... Educational oversight Secretary Deputy Secretary U.S. Department of Education Margaret Spellings Raymond Simon National education budget $1. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... ...

References

External links

Education Portal

• Digest of Education Statistics, 2004, U.S. Department of Education
• Percent of high school dropouts, U.S. Department of Education
• Consumer Guide: High School Dropout Rates, U.S. Department of Education