FAQs: Public Education in the

U.S.Dr. Joseph Piro

Long Island UniversityJuly 23, 2012

How are US Schools organized?

American schools use the following organization:

Elementary School - Grades pre-K-5

Middle School - Grades 6-8

High School - Grades 9-12

To what age do students in the US attend school?

In in most states in the US, students must attend school up until the age of

16. In general, children enter school at age 5

in kindergarten and leave in twelfth grade at age 18.

Schools are divided by ages. Age range for schools:

Pre-School- ages 4-5

Elementary- ages 5-11 Middle- ages 11-14

High School- ages 14-18

How many students are enrolled in public schools

in the US?O There are about 50,000,000 children

enrolled in elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the US. US public

school enroll about 90% of the population. Non-public (private) schools enroll the

rest. The largest public school enrollment is in the southern US states (38%). The

northeast enrolls the least (16%).

Who pays for public education?

American schools were founded on an idea called “local control,” that is the

area in which the school is located is in charge of the school. In general, public

schooling is paid for by the federal, state, and local governments using tax

levy funding with the majority of funds coming from state and local

sources. Local school boards generally set policy for school districts.

What are some funding percentages for public education in the US?

O Approximately 3% of the Federal Budget in the US is spent on Education.

O Total Funding of US Public Education: $584,728,896 (approximately)

O • Federal: $47.7 billion (8.2% of total)O • State: $282.6 billion (48.3% of total)O • Local and private: $254.3 (43.5% of

total)

How does the US compare to the world?

O OECD Average: $8,169O US Average: $10,995O South Korea: $6,723O Highest………New York $13,211O Lowest……….Utah $5,247

How many teachers are there in US public schools?

Estimated number of K-12 public school teachers in the US: 3,700,000

What is the US average teacher salary?

O In 2011, the average teacher salary in the US was: $56,069

O California pays teachers the most, North Dakota the least.

What do students study in American schools?

O Most students in K-12 study subjects including Science, Mathematics, English and Social Studies. The curriculum also includes the Arts, World Languages, Technology, and Athletics and Physical Education.

O There are many more subjects and areas included in school curriculum throughout the US based on local needs and decisions.

What is the ethnic makeup of American public schools?

O 23% of American public school students have one parent born outside the US.

O 11,200,000 public school children speak a language other than English at home.

O White 54%; Black 15%; Hispanic 23%; Asian/Pacific Islander/American Indian 8%

How many English Language Learners (ELLs)

are there in US public schools?

O There are approximately 5.5 million ELLS in public schools throughout the US.

O They can be found in greatest numbers in

California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, and new Jersey.

What are some other types of schools in the US

O Home SchoolsO Charter SchoolsO Alternative SchoolsO Magnet SchoolsO Vocational SchoolsO Private SchoolsO Religious SchoolsO Online Schools

What are some special needs populations in US

schools?

O Learning DisabilitiesO Speech/Language ImpairmentsO Health Impairments (hearing,

mobility, vision)O Emotional ImpairmentsO Developmentally DelayedO Gifted and Talented

For more information…

O The Condition Of Education (published by the US National Center for Education Statistics- NCES)

O http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/

O http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/

O http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/ous/