The United States has no set national curriculum, with each state and school district having their own standards. Elementary schools focus on social interaction and basic subjects, while high schools offer a broad curriculum and split students into educational or vocational tracks. Attempts to create a national curriculum have been challenging.
There is no set standard American curriculum. Instead, each state in the United States sets a different curriculum standard. In addition, each school district in a state may have established separate curriculum standards. While the US Department of Education publishes educational guidelines, that government department has no control over the actual curriculum each state adheres to.
In many ways, the lack of an American curriculum causes many problems. While some states have excellent educational standards, others are lacking in the education department. Also, many states are constantly changing and altering curricula, which results in statewide confusion. However, schools that intend to teach an “American curriculum” follow the same basic guidelines according to the child’s age and grade.
Elementary schools, which span kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade, focus primarily on social interaction. Along with social games and exercises, these schools teach letters, reading, and numbers. Some schools, depending on the state, also teach languages, arts, physical education, and science at this level. After elementary school, students are sent to high school, which includes grades six through eight. The main problem with most high schools in the United States is that these schools offer students a broad curriculum that may, or may not, prepare them for high school.
Often, high school students are divided into two different categories: professional and educational. Students who demonstrate a specific aptitude for educational work are usually given a range of high school and college prerequisites. Students who would be better suited for professional occupations are taught basic vocational skills. While this type of split occurs regularly, it is not the case in all states.
High school in the United States is as mixed as elementary and high school. Every student must earn a total of 26 credits to earn a high school diploma. Subjects counted towards these credits may include science, math, English, history, arts, physical education, and in some cases, language. Additionally, some students may enroll in advanced placement courses reserved for students with excellent academic records. Almost all schools that follow an American curriculum grade students based on letters – letters range from A to F, with “A” being the highest possible grade.
Attempts to create a true American curriculum have been made in the past, although this has proven to be a challenging undertaking. In the United States, at any given time, different curricula are tested on a regular basis. Occasionally, a state may provide an educational model that is attractive to other states, although all states remain educationally separate.
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