EDUCATION
EDUCATION SYSTEM:
no national system of education
highly decentralized and diversified; state dependent
supervised by the State Board of Education
types of school:
public (state supported)
private schools (preparatory schools - prepare students for admission to highly selective colleges); “character schools”
homeschooling (total estimated 1,9-2,5 mln students)
three basic levels: elementary, secondary and higher education
the 6-3-3 plan:
primary school: grades 1-6
junior high school: grades 7-9
senior high school: grades 10-12
additional vocational training programs for adults
typical beginning age: 5-6
typical finishing age: 16
the school year usually starts in early September and ends in mid-May
most school starts at around 8 o'clock every morning except Saturdays and Sundays, and finish at 3 or 4 o'clock
grades from A to F (A being the best)
students receive report cards at least twice a year
you can make up for failed courses during summer classes
no religious institutions
subjects:
typical subjects:
English,
Maths,
Science (the basis of Chemistry, Physic and Biology),
Social Studies (Geography, History, Sociology and Civics),
Music, and PE,
optionally Foreign Language
optional subjects in high school:
Foreign Language,
advanced English Literature,
Composition or Social Sciences,
Arts or vocational training in such fields as Agriculture, Business, Home Economics, Child Care
university preparing courses:
Science courses (Biology, Chemistry or Physic)
more advanced Maths (Algebra, Geometry, Calculus and Trigonometry)
Foreign Language
broad program of extracurricular activities: orchestras, bands, choirs, drama group, debating clubs, computer clubs, flying, swimming and many sport activities
PROBLEMS:
lowering of educational standards: growing functional and cultural illiteracy
the USA places 17th on the development world of education (Pearson ranking)
dissatisfaction with school policies (busing, forbidden public display of religious sentiments, teaching creationism)
busing - the transporting of children to a school outside their residential area as a means of achieving racial balance in that school
creationism - a doctrine of theory holding that matter, the various forms of life and the world were created by God out of nothing and usually in the way described in Genesis (as opposed to evolutionism)
growing school violence: bullying, firearms - related crimes
HIGHER EDUCATION:
SAT (Scholastic Attitude Test) - English language skills and Maths is taken by approximately 40% of high-school graduates.
ACT (American College Testing) - English, Maths, reading and Science is taken by approximately 35% of high-school graduates.
A school transcript is usually given to students to apply for admission to colleges or universities; it summaries the courses taken and grades obtained in high-school and must be stracinized ? by the admission committee.
US institutions of high education include 2-year colleges (known as community or junior colleges), 4-year colleges, universities, institution of technology, vocational and technical schools and professional schools such as law and medical studies.
public and private
SOPHOMORE - student in the second year of college.
open admission policies
applicants are college usually chosen on the basis of:
their SAT/ACT results
high school diploma
recommendation from their high-school teachers
the impression they made during admission interviews at the university
4 years --> B.A. degree (Bachelor of Arts) or B.S. degree (Bachelor of Science)
+ 1-2 y. --> MA degree (Master of Arts)
MS degree (Master of Science)
MFA degree (Master of Fine Arts)
MBA degree (Master of Business Administration)
+ 3-4 y. --> PhD degree (Doctor of Philosophy)
two or three terms a year with final examinations at the end of each term
classes are usually five days a week
the grading system in the US differs from university to university: the most popular grading scale is A to F, with A+ (plus) being the highest possible grade
an elective curriculum, for undergraduates after fulfilling a set of core requirements, and a school for graduates, who sometimes do some of the undergraduate teaching too
“Core curriculum” or “”distribution requirements”: during the first two years students have the opportunity to explore various fields of study such as social science, humanities and natural or physical science.
the major: by the end of the 2nd year, students at many institutions are asked to choose a specific field of study
low interest long-term loans for higher education enable more equal access to courses; system of grants and scholarship
4 year total: T. & Fees, Room and Board, Books and Supplies, Transportation, Other
Community College: -
State Universities: $85,788
Out of State: $ 135,892
Private Colleges: $ 168,896
The most expensive US College: Sarah Lawrence College, New York, $58,334
The least expensive: Berea College, $ 10,378
Fraternity: A chiefly social organization of men students at a college or university, usually designated by Greek letters.
Sorority: A social dub or society for university women.
* limited or non-official at Harvard, Princeton and Yale
IVY LEAGUE
an association of 8 universities and colleges in the northeast US, comprising Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale
started as an athletic association in 1954
elitist
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Cambridge, Massachusetts
the oldest university in the US (1636)
third in the world
particularly known for its Law, Medicine and Business Colleges, it educated many prominent political leaders, scientists and artists
YALE UNIVERSITY
new Haven, Connecticut
founded in 1701
a residential college
7th university in the world
educated many prominent leaders
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Princeton, New Jersey
founded in 1746
people associated: physicists, mathematicians and economists (Albert Einstein, John F Nash), writers (Eugene O'Neil, F. Scott-Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison)
9th University in the world
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (U PENN)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin
first to open a school of medicine, to establish a teaching hospital, first collegiate school of business, ENIAC, the first-ever large-scale, general purpose computer
noted as a leader in interdisciplinary and join degree programs
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
New York, NY
founded in 1754
wants to provide the best general education curriculum available
for students interested in pursuing graduate academic work
one of the best engineering schools in the US famous also for the economics colleges
CORNEL UNIVERSITY
Ithaca, NY
founded in 1865
the first university to teach a course in American history, establish professorships in American Literature and American studies, establish a university press
DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY
Hanover, New Hampshire
founded in 1749
the smallest member of the Ivy League
the highest rate of participation in study-abroad programs
one of the best college sports programmes in the country
BROWN UNIVERSITY
Providence, Rhode Island
founded in 1764
most non-conformist
its program demands a great degree of initiative and self-direction
Other major universities:
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT)
founded in1861
Cambridge, Massachusetts
the best university in the world (QS ranking)
strong emphasis of scientific and technological research
collaborated with Thomas Edison
associated with TT research, electronics and cybernetics
renowned physics, astronauts
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECH (CALTECH)
Pasadena, California
founded in 1891
10th university in the world
associated with physics (Richard Feynman) and astronomy
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
founded in 1891
Stanford, California (Silicon Valley)
prominent TT researchers
notable students: Condoleezza Rice, Francis Fukuyama, John Steinbach
founders of Hewlett-Packard, Nvidia, Yahoo!, Google, Nike, PayPal
BERKELEY UNIVERSITY
Berkeley, California
founded in 1868
public university
highly awarded students and faculty
Manhattan Project (atomic bomb)
prominent people: Steve Wozniak, Irving Stone
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Baltimore, Maryland
founded in 1876
first research university
specialized in medicine and humanistic research
famous of lacrosse teams
DUKE UNIVERSITY
Durham, North Carolina
formed in 1838
very selective: known for its medical department
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
formed in 1890 (J. D. Rockefeller)
the largest press in the country (style guide)