University of Danang

College of Foreign Languages

AMERICAN

EDUCATION

Long V Nguyen, PhD

nvlong@cfl.udn.vn

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Overview
 Because of the country’s history and cultural values, no
national education system or national curriculum exists in
the United States.
 The federal government does not operate schools.
 Each of the 50 states has its own Department of
Education, which sets guidelines for the schools of that
state.
 Most of the control of American schools is in the hands of
each local school district.
 Each school district is governed by a school board, a small
committee of people elected by the local community.
 The school board sets general policies for the school
district. Students do not pay tuition in grades 1-12.

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Schools
 Generally, school districts are divided into elementary schools, middle
schools or junior high schools, and high schools. Elementary schools
contain students in kindergarten and 1st through 5th or 6th grades.
 Depending on the school district, students follow elementary school with
either middle school or junior high school.
 Middle school contains grades 6-8. Junior high school contains grades 7-9.
 Following that, students go to high school. High school contains grades 9-
12 or 10-12. In the United States, education is compulsory for all children
until age 16 or 17.
 Although there is no national curriculum in the United States, certain
subjects are taught in virtually all elementary and secondary schools
throughout the country.
 Almost every elementary school, for example, teaches mathematics;
language arts (including reading, grammar, writing, and literature);
penmanship; science; social studies (including history, geography,
citizenship, and economics); and physical education.

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College
 A college is a four-year institution of higher learning that
offers courses in related subjects. Americans often use the
word "college" as shorthand for either a college or a university.
 Every state has its own university, and some states operate
large networks of colleges and universities.
 Unlike public elementary and secondary schools, public
colleges and universities usually charge tuition.
 There is no clear distinction between the quality of education
provided at public and private colleges or institutions.
 A college student takes courses in his or her "major" field (the
area of study in which he or she chooses to specialize), along
with "electives" (courses that are not required but chosen by
the student). It has been estimated that American colleges and
universities offer more than 1,000 majors.

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Higher education: A snapshot
 The United States leads the industrial nations in the
proportion of its young people who receive higher
education.
 For some careers - law, medicine, education, and
engineering - a college education is a necessary first step.
 The widespread availability of a college education in
America dates back to 1944, when Congress passed a law
popularly known as the GI Bill.
 By 1955 more than 2 million veterans of World War II and
the Korean War had used the GI Bill to go to college.
 About the same time, the percentage of women in
American colleges began to grow steadily.

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College, universities, institutes
 Degree-granting institutions in the United States can be called by any
of these terms, and colleges and institutes are in no way inferior to
universities.
 As a general rule, colleges tend to be smaller and usually offer only
undergraduate degrees, while a university also offers graduate
degrees.
 The words "school," "college," and "university" will be used
interchangeably.
 An institute usually specializes in degree programs in a group of
closely related subject areas, so you will also come across degree
programs offered at institutes of technology, institutes of fashion,
institutes of art and design, and so on.
 Within each college or university you will find schools, such as the
school of arts and sciences or the school of business.
 Each school is responsible for the degree programs offered by the
college or university in that area of study.

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University types
 State Universities: founded and subsidized by U.S. state governments (for
example, California, Michigan, or Texas) to provide low-cost education to
residents of that state.
 They may also be called public universities to distinguish them from private
institutions.
 Some include the words "state university" in their title or include a regional
element such as "eastern" or "northern."
 State universities tend to be very large, with enrollments of 20,000 or more
students, and generally admit a wider range of students than private
universities.
 Also, in-state residents (those who live and pay taxes in that particular state)
pay much lower tuition than out-of-state residents.
 International students, as well as those from other states, are considered out-
of-state residents and therefore do not benefit from reduced tuition at state
institutions.
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University types (Cont’d)
 Private Universities: funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees,
research grants, and gifts from their alumni.
 Tuition fees tend to be higher at private universities than at state
universities, but there is no distinction made between state and non-state
residents.
 Colleges with a religious affiliation and single-sex colleges are private. In
general, private universities have enrollments of fewer than 20,000 students,
and private colleges may have 2,000 or fewer students on their campuses.

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University types (Cont’d)
 Community Colleges: provide two-year associate degree programs, usually
called the associate of arts (A.A.) or associate of science (A.S.) degrees, as
well as excellent technical and vocational programs.
 As the name suggests, community colleges are community-based
institutions with close links to secondary schools, community groups, and
employers, and many U.S. students live close to campus with their families.
 Community colleges can be public or private institutions and are sometimes
called junior colleges or two-year colleges.
 A growing number of international students are choosing to study at
community colleges.
 Tuition costs are often lower at two-year than at four-year institutions, and
many have agreements to allow students on transfer programs to move
easily into the third year of a bachelor's degree at the local state university.

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University types (Cont’d)
 Technical and Vocational Colleges: specialize in preparing students for
entry into, or promotion within, the world of work.
 They offer certificate and other short-term programs that train students in
the theory behind a specific vocation or technology, as well as in how to
work with the technology.
 Programs usually last two years or less.
 There are several thousand technical and vocational colleges across the
United States, and they may be private or public institutions.

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Admission to a college/university
 Although admission policies vary from one college and university to
the next, most determine admission based on several factors such as
a student’s high school course of study, high school GPA, SAT
scores, written essay, and possibly a personal interview.
 A GPA is a quantitative figure representing a student’s accumulated
grades. Each letter grade is assigned a number of points: A=4 points,
B=3, C=2 , D=1, and F= 0 points. A GPA is calculated by adding all
of the points earned for each course grade and dividing the total
points by the total number of courses taken. For example, a GPA of
3.0 means a “B” average for all of the courses taken.
 Most colleges and universities set a minimum SAT score that a
student must achieve in order to gain admission. The SAT is the
Scholastic Aptitude Test, a standardized quantitative examination
(Math, Physics, Chemistry) taken by high school students throughout
the United States. Each college or university decides the minimum
SAT score it will accept.

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Admission to a college/university
 Colleges and universities often require applicants to write an essay.
The length and content of the essay is determined by each admission
office.
 Depending on the college or university, applicants might also have a
personal interview with a representative from the admissions office.
 At the college and university level, most courses are only one
semester or one term long. Each course is assigned a number of
credit hours.
 Credit hours are usually based on how much time is spent in class.
Most courses are 3 or 4 credits. However, some courses may be 1, 2,
or 5 credits.
 All degree programs require students to complete a minimum
number of credit hours before graduation. Most Bachelor’s degree
programs in the United States don’t require students to write a final
thesis. A final thesis is required for most Master’s programs and all
Doctorate programs.

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Admission to a college/university
 Selection for admission to a graduate program is similar to the
factors used to determine admission to an undergraduate program.
 Instead of considering high school courses and GPA, an admissions
office examines the student’s undergraduate courses and GPA.
 Most Master’s programs require students to have a minimum score
on the GRE. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is similar to
the SAT.
 In most Doctorate programs, students continue to take courses until
they have earned enough credit hours to attempt their qualifying
examinations.
 After students pass the qualifying exams, they can begin to write his
their final theses.
 Because degree requirements can be very complex and vary from
one program to another, all students should check with their
departments and program advisors to make sure they are meeting the
requirements of their particular program.

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Curriculum
 As mentioned above, there is no national curriculum in
America. However, there are also some common
characteristics.
 High school students take a wide range of courses. All students
are required to take English, math, science, and social studies
courses.
 They also might be required to take a foreign language and/or
physical education.
 A course can be one semester or two semesters long. Most
Americans attend twelve years of primary and secondary
school.
 With a secondary school ("high school") diploma or certificate,
a student can enter college, university, vocational (job training)
school, secretarial school, and other professional schools.

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Curriculum (Cont’d)
 At the college and university level, most courses are only one semester or
one term long.
 Each course is assigned a number of credit hours. Credit hours are usually
based on how much time is spent in class. Most courses are 3 or 4 credits.
However, some courses may be 1, 2, or 5 credits.
 All degree programs require students to complete a minimum number of
credit hours before graduation.
 Most Bachelor’s degree programs in the United States don’t require students
to write a final thesis. A final thesis is required for most Master’s programs
and all Doctorate programs.
 Typically, colleges require that students complete a minimum number of
units in order to graduate, rather than a minimum number of courses. This
gives students more flexibility in what courses they decide to take to
complete their graduation requirements.
 In most Doctorate programs, students continue to take courses until they
have earned enough credit hours to attempt their qualifying examinations.
After students pass the qualifying exams, they can begin to write his their
final theses.

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Grading
 Grades are given to students for each course at the end
of every semester or term.
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
D = Below Average
F = Failure
 A student who fails a required course must take the
course again.

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Academic year
 The school calendar usually begins in August or September and continues
through May or June. The academic year at many schools is composed of
two terms or semesters.
 Other schools use a three-term calendar known as the "trimester" system.
Still others divide the year into the "quarter" system of four terms,
including a summer session which is optional.
 Most colleges and universities follow either a quarter-based calendar
system or a semester-based calendar system.
 In a quarter system, the academic year is divided into three sessions called
quarters.
 Each quarter lasts about 12 weeks. There is usually an additional quarter
in the summer, where registration is optional. In a semester system, the
academic year is divided into two sessions called semesters. Each
semester lasts 16 weeks.
 Again, there may be an optional session during the summer. Students who
have registered for at least 12 units in a session (either a quarter or
semester) are said to be “full-time” students. Students who have registered
for fewer than 12 units in a session are called “part-time” students.

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Questions
 Cloze (one word is needed in each blank)
American education is a complex topic because a single school
can draw upon ………… from several different public and
private …………. For example, a student may attend a
………… high school whose curriculum must meet …………
set by the state, some of whose science courses may be
financed by federal funds, and whose sports teams may play on
local, publicly owned fields. Despite this …………, however,
it is possible to ………… the broad contours of American
education.
 Why is it said that American education is a complex
topic? Comment on the idea: "The United States does not
have a national school system.“
 Education: Now and future

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Questions
 Find out major differences between public and private
educational institutions (schools, colleges, and
universities).
 What are the social and academic problems facing
American education now?
 Build up a diagram of American educational system from
elementary education to higher education in comparison
with that of Vietnamese.
 Do you think that we should also have required courses
and elective courses in Vietnam? Are you satisfied with
the current curriculum you are following at the college
now? Justify your opinion.

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