American education(1)

AmericanEducationContentsGeneralintroductionEarlychildhoodeducationPrimaryandsecondaryschoolsHighereducationSupplementaryinformationAmericansareproudofthefactthatthewindowofknowledgeisneverslammedshutforanyofthenation’scitizens.Childrenareallowedtoattendclasseswithkidsofvariousraces,schoolshaveequalopportunitiesforbothmalesandfemales,andforchildrenwithdisabilitiesorhandicaps.Noweachandeverystudentcangetanequalchancetobeeducated.GeneralIntroductionGeneralIntroductionAmericanpublicschoolshavefourbasiccharacteristicsincommon:theyarelocallycontrolled,freefromreligiousinfluence,coeducational,andpubliclysupportedbytaxes.EarlyChildhoodEducationInmostareas,freepublicschooleducationbeginswithkindergartenclassesforfive-year-olds.Somepublicschoolsystemsalsoofferpre-kindergartenprogramsforfour-year-olds.Someareintroducedtotheclassroomsituationatamuchyoungerage,eitherthroughnurseryschoolsordaycarecenters.Somecommunitieshavepre-andpost-schoolprogramsforschool-agechildrenwhosemothersleaveforworkbeforeschoolbeginsandcomehomeafterschoolletsout.Kindergartenhalf-daysessionsthechildbecomesaccustomedtobeingseparatedfromMommy,playingandsharingwithotherchildren,andfollowingthedirectionsofateacheralsointroducedtoskillsandinformationthatwillhelphimlaterwithacademicworkNurseryschool(幼儿园)‏Nurseryschoolsacceptchildrenformthreetofiveyearsoldhalf-daysessionsrangingfromtwiceaweektofivedaysaweek.well-equippedclassroom(dolls,toyfurniture,buildingblocks,books,etc.)andplaygroundNurseryschoolsusuallychargetuition,thoughsomearesubsidizedandsomeofferscholarships.Daycare(日托)centerDaycarecentersprovidecareforpre-schoolchildrenofworkingmotherswhoneedaplacetoleavetheirchildrenallday,fivedaysaweek.Somedaycarecentersacceptpre-schoolersfrominfancyon.Daycarehasbeenmalignedbythosewhobelievethatchildrenbelongwiththeirmothersand‏that‏a‏woman’s‏place‏is‏in‏the‏home.TheWomen’sLiberationmovementhaswidelypublicizedtheideathatfree,high-qualitydaycareisessentialifwomenaretoparticipatefullyinsociety.Existingdaycarecentersareoperatedandfundedbymanydifferentorganizations.Someareprofit-makingfacilitiessupportedbytuitionfees.Othersarenon-profitcentersrunbyphilanthropic,religious,governmental,orindustrialsponsors.PrimaryandSecondarySchoolsIntheUnitedStates,classesofstudentsaredividedintotwelveacademiclevelscalledgrades.Oneacademicyearisrequiredtocompleteeachgrade.Thechildentersthefirstgrade,ataboutagesix,todosomeacademicwork(learningtoread,write,anddoarithmetic)PrimaryandSecondarySchoolsThefirstacademicinstitutionthatachildattendsiscalledgrammarschoolorelementaryschool.Insomeschoolsystems,elementaryschoolincludesgradesonethrougheight.Thenextfouryearsarecalledhighschool.Inotherschoolsystems,therearethreedivisions:elementaryschool(gradesonethroughsix),juniorhighschool(gradesseventhroughnine),andseniorhighschool(gradestenthroughtwelve).Grammarschool(elementaryschool)‏Subjects:reading,arithmetic,languagearts,socialstudies,music,artandphysicaleducationStudentsaregroupedintoclasses.Theclasshasthesameteacherformostsubjects.Onlyart,musicandphysicaleducationaretaughtbyteacherswhospecializeintheseareas.HighschoolSubjects(morespecialized)‏English---grammarandliteraturesocialstudies---AmericanhistoryAmericangovernmentEuropeanhistoryalgebra,geometry,andtrigonometry三角学generalsciencecourse(oneyear)detailedcoursesinbiology,chemistry,andphysicsforeignlanguagemusic,art,andphysicaleducationHighschoolStudentsmeetadifferentteacherandadifferentgroupofstudentsforeachsubject.The‏high‏school‏student’s‏day‏may‏be‏divided‏intonineperiods:fiveforacademicsubjects,onesessionforphysicaleducation,alunchperiod,andtwostudyperiods(visitingthelibraryorparticipatinginanextracurricularactivity)‏Atthestageofelementaryeducation,theteachershaveforalongtimeacceptedtheideathattheimportantthingistomakethechildrenhappyandinterested.SchoolsintheUnitedStateshavealwaysstressedcharactertrainingorsocialskillstrainingthroughextracurricularactivities.Schoolandhomearecloselylinked,andthereis,ideallyatleast,asenseofpartnershipbetweenteachersandparents.HigherEducationAmericaneducationonthecollegelevelisprovidedbymorethan3,000institutions.Someofthemaresupportedprivatelyandsomebylocaland/orstategovernment.Mostarecoeducational.SinceWorldWarII,oneofthemostdramaticdevelopmentsinhighereducationhasbeentheenormousincreaseinthenumberofstudents.This‏expansion‏reflects‏the‏nation’s‏population‏explosionaswellasatrendtowarddemocratizinghighereducation.HigherEducationadmittance:goodhighschoolrecordandtestscoresclassification:college---offeronlyundergraduatecoursesuniversity---haveundergraduate,graduate,andprofessionalschoolsjuniorcollege---offerthefirsttwoyearsofcollegeonlySomeattendjuniorcollegeswithtwo-yearcourses,moststartfullfour-yeardegreecourses.TheAssociate(大专毕业证书)inArtsorSciencesdegreeofthejuniororcommunitycollegeisatransferdegreecoveringthefirsttwoyearsofthebachelor’s‏degree‏requirements.‏TestsSAT:ScholasticAssessmentTest学术评价测验ScholasticAptitudeTest学术性向测验ACT:AmericanCollegeT