Essay about The Process of an American Education

Words: 563
Pages: 3

The American Way
Seventy-five percent of students graduated high school in the United States of America, ranking sixteenth in the world. However, it ranks fist on dollars spent per student. It cost around $80,000 to educate [the child] from the age of six to fifteen” (The Real Reason America’s schools Stink.) The American Education system needs fixed.
“In the United States, education is compulsory for all students until ages sixteen to eighteen depending on the individual state” (The American Education System). A child can attend a public school, a private school, or home school in America; however, children who are home schooled face additional challenges. They are isolated from sports, extracurricular activities, and resources (Education.). American educations drastically differ. Some children attend schools with high reviews and proper funding. Other children attend schools that have low funds, low performance, and bad reviews. When an American child turns six they are enrolled for kindergarten. The child learns basic numbers, letters, and word recognition in their first year of school; unfortunately, some students fail to identify the letters of the alphabet and numbers one to a hundred. These are the most important goals in the first year of education.
The next year the child advances to the first grade. An important focus is to begin basic mathematical calculations, such as addition and subtraction. By the end of the year the child should be able to read a simple book. Most often these goals are accomplished, but sometimes a child can advance, unable to interpret a sentence or complete calculations.
In the second grade, another topic is introduced to the child, science. The child focuses on reading chapter novels and writing three to five paragraph essays. The child also learns basic multiplication and division facts. The child will underperform in all three subjects if he has not properly developed his ability to read and write. In third grade, the child now studies math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. The most important change for a student in the third grade is standardized testing. The child must prove he has successfully learned the curriculum for third grade. Standardized test scores range from Pass+, Pass, to Fail.