Chapter8

AmericaEducationContent1.AbriefintroductiontoAmericaneducation—goingtoschoolinAmericatoday2.Elementaryeducation3.Secondaryeducation4.Highereducation5.Admission1.AbriefintroductiontoAmericaneducation1.1Educationhasbeengreatlyrespectedthroughoutthehistoryoftheunitedstates.Evenbeforetherevolution,severaloutstandingcollegeswerefounded.Thefollowingtablewillgiveyousomeideaoftheseearliestcolleges.EarliestcollegesOriginalnamePresentnameFoundingyearLocationHarvardHarvardUniversity1636Cambridge,MassachusettsYalecollegeYaleuniversity1701Newhaven,ConnecticutCollegeofNewJerseyPrincetonUniversity1746Princeton,NewJerseyKing’sCollegeColumbiauniversity1754NewYorkcityFeaturesofAmericaneducationThegovernmentdoesnotinterfereinthemanagementofschoolsthoughthereisafederalexecutiveconcernedwitheducation.Americanschoolslagtheemphasisoncultivatingstudent’smindratherthanrequiringhimtomemorizefacts.Americansthinkhighlyofeducationforlong.

EducationwasusedtoAmericanizethechildrenofforeignerstofosterculturalconformity.therearespecialeducationservices,adultbasicandcontinuingeducation,leisurelearningprograms,andcontinuingprofessionaleducationandtrainingprograms.AlthoughthereisnonationalcurriculumintheUnitedStates,certainsubjectsaretaughtinvirtuallyallelementaryandsecondaryschoolsthroughoutthecountry.ThedistinctivefeatureoftheAmericaneducationalsystemis:emphasisoneducationofthemassesratherthanoneducationoftheintellectuals.

1.4However,HowmanylevelsinAmericaneducation?Whatarethey?1.Elementaryeducation2.Secondaryeducation3.Highereducation2.Elementaryeducation2.1ThescheduleofeachacademicyearTheacademicyearlasts9monthsformSeptembertoJune.withwinter,springandsummervacation

Classesareheld5daysaweek,fromMondaytillFriday.2.2Thecoursestheyhavetolearn

Reading,wring,Science,art,PEandmusic;socialcourses:history,geography,civicsofgovernment;Cookingandmanualskills:carpentry,sewing.2.3Idealvs.RealityMostAmericansappreciatetheguidingprinciplethatallcitizensshouldreceiveatleastsomeeducation.However,theprinciplecannotbeandhasneverbeentrulycarriedoutinAmerica.3.Secondaryeducation3.1Noentranceexamwhenapupilhasfinishedhiselementaryschooleducation,hegoestohighschoolautomatically.There'snoentranceexam.3.2ThecoursestheyhavetolearnRequiredsubjects:English,mathematics,science,socialstudies,laboratoryexperimentsforeignlanguagesaswellasart,musicandPE.Vocationaltrainings:skillstoworkassecretaries,mechanicsetc.ageGrade3Nurseryschool(1or2)NS4NS5Kindergarten(1or2)K6Elementaryschools(4)172839410Elementaryschools(6)MiddleSchool(4)511612Elementaryschool(8)JuniorHighSchool(3)713814High(orsecondary)schoolHighschool(4)915SeniorHighSchool(3)10161117123.3Typesofelementaryandsecondaryschools:Publicschool-free,fundedbypublictaxdollarsPrivateschool-moreexpensiveandexclusivethanapublicschool-offerssmallerclassesandoftenmorespecializedprogramsParochial[p?'r?ukj?lschool-aprivatereligiousschoolthatincorporatesreligioustrainingand/orritualsintoeducation(i.e.Catholicschools,Jewishyeshiva)3.4SchooldayandholidaysThetypicalschooldaystartsat9:00a.m.andendsabout3p.m.Duringtheelementaryschoolyears,studentsaregroupedintoclasses.Inhighschool,studentsmovefromoneclassroomtoanotherandstudyeachsubjectwithadifferentteacherandadifferentgroupofclassmates.Foralllevels,schoolsareinsessionfivedaysaweek,fromMondaytoFriday.Traditionalvacationperiodsincludeatwo-weekwintervacation,includingtheChristmasandNewYear’sholidays；aone-weekspringvacation,andatwo-monthsummervacation.Inaddition,thereareseveralone-dayholidaysgivingstudentsadayofftocelebrate.Studentsparticipateinmanyextracurricularactivities(課外活動),suchasathletics,dramatics,theschoolorchestra,studentgovernment,schoolnewspaper,mathcluborpart-timejobs.3.5DiplomaandCertificateTwobasicschoolleavingcertificatesareawardedforcompletingschool,theHighSchoolDiploma,awardedtograduatesofsecondaryschool.Itisadiplomaawardedforthecompletionofhighschool.IntheUnitedStatesandCanada,itisconsideredtheminimumeducationrequiredforgovernment

jobsandhighereducation.AnequivalentistheGED.TheGEDCertificate(GeneralEducationalDevelopment),awardedtoadultswholeftschoolbutthencompleteaspecialsupervisedstudyandexaminationprogram.

3.4Sourcesofincomea.Studentstuitionb.Governmentfundingc.Donations/Endowments4.Highereducation:4.1Briefintroduction:Arelativelonghistory(372);Alargenumberofinstitutions(3595);Someofthemareworldfamous(Harvard);Averycomplexsystem.4.2Typesofinstitutions4.2.1Two-yearcollege/Juniorcollege/

Communitycollege4.2.2Four-yearcollege4.2.3Universities

4.2.1Two-yearcollegeTwo-yearcollegewasoriginallycalledJuniorcollege,butnowitiscalledcommunitycollege.Itservesasabridgewhichconnectssecondaryschoolsanduniversities.Teachersinthiskindofcollegearethosewhohavemaster’sdegreeandwhoaredevotedtoteachingandLessinterestedinresearchandscholarlywritingthanthoseatuniversities.4.2.2Four-yearcollegeAfour-yearcollegeinAmericaisoftencalleda“liberalartscollege”or“collegeofartsandscience”.ItscurriculumisconfinedtoHumanities:languages,literature,philosophy,art,music,culturalhistory,etc.Socialandbehavioralsciences:history,economics,politicalscience,sociology,geography,andpsychologyNaturalscience:math,physics,chemistry,geology,biology,botanyandzoology.Four-yearcollegesaresmallerthanuniversities,withsmallerclasses.MostcommonlytheyofferthedegreesoftheBachelorofArts(BA)andtheBachelorofScience(BS).4.2.3UniversitiesAnAmericanuniversitiesisaninstitutionwhichismorecomprehensiveandcomplexthananyotherkindofU.S.highereducationalinstitutions.Auniversitymayhaveseveralcollegeswithinit,suchasacollegeofartsandscience.Itscurriculumisbroaderanddeeper.Inaddition,ithaveoneormoreprofessionalschools,suchasmedicine,dentistry,law,medicine,etc.anditmayhaveavarietyofresearchunitsinvariousfields.Comparedwithfour-yearcolleges,universitiesaregenerallylargerinenrollment,withbetterlibraries,moreresearchwork,andteacherswithhigherdoctorates.Somearesupportedbypublicfundsandsomebyprivatefunds.Manyuniversitiesandcollegeshavewonreputationsforprovidingtheirstudentswithahigherqualityofeducation.

4.3Undergraduateschool

Studentswhohavecompletedhighschoolandwouldliketoattendcollegeoruniversitymustattendwhatisreferredtoasanundergraduateschool.Theseareschoolsthatoffereitheratwo-yeardegree(calledanassociatedegree)orafour-yeardegree(calledabachelorsdegree)inaspecificcourseofstudy.Studentswhocompleteanassociatedegreecancontinuetheireducationatafour-yearschoolandeventuallycompleteabachelordegree.4.3.2Undergraduate

(College)YearsCourseofstudy:U.S.studentsusuallystudyawidevarietyofsubjectswhileincollege.Manystudentsdonotspecializeexclusivelyinonefielduntilgraduateschool.Thefirsttwoyearsofcollegearecalledthe"freshman"and"sophomore"years.Studentsinthefirstyeararecalled"freshmen,"andtheyare"sophomores"inthesecondyear.Someschoolsrequirefreshmenandsophomorestotakecoursesindifferentareasoflearning:literature,science,thesocialsciences,thearts,history,andsoforth.Freshmenandsophomoresareknownas"underclassmen."The"junior"and"senior,"orthirdandfourthyears,arethe"upperclasses."Studentsintheseyearsareknownas"juniors"and"seniors"-"upperclassmen."Whentheyentertheirjunioryear,theymustchoosea"major"fieldofstudy.Theymusttakeacertainnumberofcoursesinthisdepartment,orfield.4.4Graduateschool

Studentswhohaveobtainedabachelor’sdegreecancontinuetheireducationbypursuingoneoftwotypesofdegrees.Thefirstisamaster’sdegree.Thisisusuallyatwo-yeardegreethatishighlyspecializedinaspecificfield.Studentsaresometimesadmittedtoamaster’sdegreeprogramonlyiftheyhaveabachelor’sdegreeinacloselyrelatedfield.However,therearemanyexceptionstothis,suchaswithstudentswhowanttopursueaMaster’sinBusinessAdministration(MBA)degree.DoctoratedegreeStudentswhowanttoadvancetheireducationevenfurtherinaspecificfieldcanpursueadoctoratedegree,alsocalledaPhD.APhDdegreecantakebetweenthreeandsixyearstocomplete,dependingonthecourseofstudychosen,theabilityofthestudent,andthethesisthatthestudenthasselected.Thethesisisaveryintensiveresearchpaperthatmustbecompletedpriortoearningthedegree.TableofAcademicDegreesAgeGrade18Undergraduate:liberalartsmajor’sgeneraleducationandprofessional(4)119220321422GraduateschoolfortheMaster’s(1or2)523624GraduateschoolfortheDoctorate(2,3ormore)72584.5Marks:

Classroomparticipation.Discussion,questions,conversation;Studentsareexpectedtoparticipateinclassdiscussions,especiallyinseminarclasses.Thisisoftenaveryimportantfactorindeterminingastudent'sgrade.Amidtermexamination.Usuallygivenduringclasstime.Oneormoreresearchortermpapers,orlaboratoryreports.

Possibleshortexamsor"quizzes."Sometimestheprofessorwillgiveanunannounced"surprisequiz."Thisdoesn'tcountheavilytowardthegradebutisintendedtoinspirestudentstokeepupwiththeirassignmentsandattendance.Finalexamination.Heldsometimeafterthefinalclassmeeting.

4.6.FamousuniversitiesHarvardCollegeHarvardCollege,originallyformen,wasfoundedin1636withagrantfromtheGeneralCourtoftheMassachusettsBayColony.In1638itwasnamedforJohnHarvard,itsfirstbenefactor.Duringthe1640sthecollegeexpandeddespiteinadequatefinancesIvyleagueHarvardUniversity(1636)YaleUniversity(1701)UniversityofPennsylvania(1740)DartmouthCollege(1769)ColumbiaUniversity(1754)BrownUniversity

(1764)PrincetonUniversity(1746)CornellUniver