Local Management
Education in the US The management of educational institutions, public and private, depends on local and municipal governments. For this reason, there is no uniform educational system for the entire American Union, with the exception of military academies and schools for Native Americans.
The Federal Government, for its part, exercises supervisory functions over the educational regions and must ensure – among other aspects – that equal opportunities are granted to all children residing in each school district, regardless of their immigration status.
Resources
The financing of public education, therefore, depends on the taxes collected by local governments, especially the one that depends on the real estate property tax.
By virtue of this decentralization, it is common to observe that the best schools are located in the educational zones where the most affluent neighbors reside, generating a greater volume of taxes than those in the lower income zones.
Levels
Education in the US is divided into four basic levels:
- Preschool
- Primary
- Middle School
- Higher education
Preschool:
Kindergartens, known as "Pre-K" or "pre-kindergarten," offer education to children ages four and five. The «Pre-K» are financed by the state government and, in addition to being free, almost always include food for the students.
Primary:
The primary education program covers from "Kindergarten" to the fifth grade. Enrollment is free and includes school bus transportation.
The first cycle of secondary education is known as "Middle" or "Junior High School" and covers the sixth to eighth grade of education.
Secondary:
Secondary begins after the fifth year of primary education and runs from year 6 to year 12.
Higher education:
In the US, higher education allows students to obtain partial diplomas as they progress in their study program. Thus, after the first two school years of "College" or University, the student opts for an "Associate" certificate in various areas of specialization. Two years of studies later the student will opt for the title of "Bachelor" which is a kind of degree. The diploma of "Master" It is awarded after two regular years of postgraduate studies and the "PHD" or doctorate after four years of regular postgraduate courses. All these periods of study can be shortened if the student absorbs a greater number of courses per semester, prior approval of the Study Council of each educational institution. The second cycle of Secondary education or "High School" includes education between grades nine to twelve o'clock.
El "College" o "community college" It generally offers basic and intermediate courses that allow the student to obtain the degree of “Associate”. In some cases these institutions grant “Bachelor” diplomas in certain disciplines. The advantage of these educational centers is that they are subsidized by the State and are cheaper than private institutes. It is common to observe that a large number of students begin their higher studies in a "College" and after passing the second year they move to a University to apply for a "Bachelor" degree there.
The requirements to enter the «College» and the University are similar and include exams such as the SAT, which measures the student's ability in mathematics and English, and, in the case of foreign students, the TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) which is a test to determine the student's ability to function in English.
Costs of Education in the US
While the State guarantees free access for students to primary and secondary education institutes, at the university and postgraduate level the panorama changes.
Although the universities are partially subsidized by the government, the cost of tuition per student can range from US$7.000 to US$20.000 per academic year, at the undergraduate level, and double at the graduate level. To these tuition amounts must still be added the expenses corresponding to housing, maintenance, books and transportation.
Author Alfredo Gonzalez I www.negociosenflorida.com