Thread: sorting schools

Please help me understand USA schooling system.

What is

High school?

Preparatory school?
Middle school?
Academy?

And please, what ages are they for?

Originally Posted by Imintzio

Please help me understand USA schooling system.

What is

High school?

Preparatory school?
Middle school?
Academy?

And please, what ages are they for?

Some terms are interchangeable...please, patience, and I will explain...

First...please understand that under the U.S. Constitution, each State can organize its own educational structure...but, in general, here is the basic structure of the American educational system:

Kindergarten... this is a class for children 4-5 years old, to help them learn basic socialization skills, and to prepare them for more formal school.

Elementary School ... this is generally for grades 1 to 6, 7 (ages 6-12,13)

Middle School (or sometimes called Junior High) ... this is generally for grades 7 to 9 (ages 13 - 15)

High School ... generally for grades 10 - 12 (ages 15- eighteen).

I say generally because it is very important to understand that under the U.S. educational system, that each State is allowed to organize specific ages and

So when I'm asked about my education and I know that I've graduated институт in Moscow, what should I write? High school? But according to you the term "high school" corresponds to a common 10 year middle school in Russia?

Originally Posted by Ramil

So when I'm asked about my education and I know that I've graduated институт in Moscow, what should I write? High school? But according to you the term "high school" corresponds to a common 10 year middle school in Russia?

Ramil,

We

Well I've graduated Moscow State Academy of Oil and Gas.
That time, there weren't any private high schools here and the education was free.
Russian educational system is like that:
School (typically 6-17 yrs)
After 15 y.o. one could enter техникум (technical secondary school) or continue to go to school till graduation (10 classes).
After the graduation one is considered to have a "среднее образование" (middle education). Some unfortunates are joining the army at this point Then one can find a job or enter the institute (a common name for any higher education institutions) it could be either университет or академия or институт (funny - my alma-mater had the name "Московский Институт Нефти и Газа" when I entered, when I've graduated it had the name "Государственная Академия Нефти и Газа", now it is called "Российский Государственный Университет Нефти и Газа"). Anyway, the educational course usually lasts for 5 years and after the graduation, one has a "высшее образование".
Now, one can continue his education and enter аспирантура (post-graduate course) - 2 years. One defends the кандидатскую диссертацию (candidate's thesis) and gains a title кандидат наук (science candidate). Later he may defend a doctor's dissertation and become a doctor of science (доктор наук).
And finally, after years of hard work one can become an academician (академик - член академии наук).
Apparently there is no direct correspondence between educational degrees in Russia and USA.

Высшее образование != high school . As Dobry explained, high school is something like старшие классы средней школы.

If you want to say you have высшее образование, then higher education is the phrase to use. Colleges, universities, Russian "институты" can be collectively called higher education institutions.

Thank you both Dobry and Ramil.
My interest, at the moment is about Middle (Junior high) ages 13-15 and High 15-18 year olds. There is a chance ( long shot, but not in the dark) of getting to Michigan-Detroit with my project on Primary Prevention of abuse of alcohol amongst youth and I don't want to put my foot in it.
I myself can remember that in Scotland things changed quite often. Same dog with different collars.

By the way what stirred my interest in sorting schools is the slogan "Reach Out Now" more info about it at
http://www.teachin.samhsa.gov/teachin/
Let