American school years :S-confusing things, want help!

[SosbanFach]

This seems like a ridiculous place to put this, but I can't find anywhere more suitable. As a Brit, I am often confused when I see American school grades used on the net, in books etc. I was wondering if anybody could explain it for me. Here is the system in England Wales and northern ireland (the scots are different:
Nursery - 1+ years old approximate (not compulsory)
Reception - 4-5 years old
Year 1 - 5-6 years
Year 2 - 6-7 years (key stage 1 national tests, SATS)
year 3 - 7-8
Year 4 - 8-9
year 5 - 9-10
year 6 - 10-11 (KS 2 SATS)
year 7 - 11-12
Year 8 -12-13
9 - 13-14
10 - 14-15
11 - 15-16
lower 6th form - 16-17 (not compulsory...yet)
Upper 6th - 17-18 (as above)
Uni

School year is split into 3 terms, autumn term sept (start of school year)-dec, with one week half term holiday in the middle ish and a few weeks over Xmas.
Spring term Jan-April again with half term hols and few weeks off over Easter.
Summer term April/May-July (end of school year) half term hols for a week and couple of months over he summer.

Lastly there are two different systems for schools throughout England and Wales. One is a first school (reception - y4) middle school (y5-8) and high school (y9 to U6). The other is a primary and secondary school system years rec.-6 for primary and 7-u6 for the latter.

Anyway, please answer my question and feel free to move it.

[Stay]

We don't have anything like a Nursery, parents are allowed to keep there kids out of school until they're around 4 or 5.

In America there is something called Kindergarten and Preschool, which is like preparing you for actual school, getting the absolute basics down. It would probably be like your Reception.

First grade through 11th grade contain pretty much the same age of kids. (Without the SATs)

After year 11(11th grade) we have a 12th grade which is the last year of mandatory school.

Schools around the country are in session are various times of the year. Some go all year round and some go with a 3 month break after around 8 months.

[ShatteredWings]

Your year 1 is our kindergarten, and everything is shifted.

School is compulsuary until year 12 (your upper 6th form), but depending on the state you can drop out at 16 (year 10) with parental consent.

[goat]

Grade 1-5 is called elementary school. 5-8 is called Jr high (use to be called middle school) though hear in Louisiana they have at times put 6th in Jr High when they needed to balance out attendance. 9-12 is high school. In most states you can finish high school early if you get enough credits. Also some states now allow you to take some college classes in high school and they count for dual credit. It's called dual enrollment. In Louisiana you can take 1 such class per term for free. Canada does that to. I met a guy on Yahoo answers who had 36hrs of college done by the time he graduated college!

[SosbanFach]

Thanks all, btw, preschool and kindergarten are also used here as alternative words for nursery which as mentioned above is not compulsory, compulsory years are rec.-y11 inclusive. Brit system seems even more complex than your system. Still, used to be worse. I think in used to have a 5th, 4th, 3rd etc form as well

[Jess]

in some states 6th grade is in elementary school. like Wisconsin. I was a 6th grader when I moved to PA and in WI I attended an elementary school

pretty much this sums it up. I know others have answered but whatever

[Philleeep]

lol you stopped the KS because year 7 - year 9 is KS3 (key stage 3) and year 10/11 is KS4 and where there is Sixth form (12/13) there is also colledge

[SosbanFach]

I didn't, the only reason I put KS in at all was because the SATS exams are end Of key stage exams, and the one that was in year nine was abolished, and it looks like the y6 one is next, my school stopped hem the year after I did them!

[Cryofthewolf]

Alright, here goes:

Preschool: 4-5 (or earlier)
Kindergarten: 5-6
1st Grade: 6-7
2nd Grade: 7-8
3rd Grade: 8-9
4th Grade: 9-10
5th Grade: 10-11
6th Grade: 11-12
7th Grade: 12-13
8th Grade: 13-14
9th Grade: 14-15
10th Grade: 15-16
11th Grade: 16-17
12th Grade: 17-18

There you go. It may or may not vary from place to place within the states within a few years or so, but that was how I went through school.

[Syvelocin]

Just subtract one from the number XD That's how I get around with the American school system. A year 9 in the UK would be in 8th grade if they were in the US.

[UnknownError]

Its the English school years that confuse me. xP
Everyone should go by the Scottish way. :D

[DreamSeeker]

Its the English school years that confuse me. xP
Everyone should go by the Scottish way. :D

What's the Scottish way? I never understood that.

[UnknownError]

What's the Scottish way? I never understood that.

Before School:
Nursery: 3-4
Primary:Primary One: 5-6
Primary Two: 6-7
Primary Three: 7-8
Primary Four: 8-9
Primary Five: 9-10
Primary Six: 10-11
Primary Seven: 11-12
High School:
First Year: 12-13
Second Year: 13-14
Third Year: 14-15
Fourth Year: 15-16 (You can leave schoo at end of 4th year.)
Five Year: 16-17
Sixth Year: 17-18

But it depends on when your birthday is aswel, as in what month.
First year (My year) has 11 year olds. 12 year olds and 13 year olds atm and some people who are turning 14 soon.

[eatthis9999]

In England you can drop out at the end of year 11 without parents permision but re making it so u have to do year 12 (lower sixth)and then your suposed to do year 13 (upper sixth) if u did lower sixth but rarely people will drop out after year 12, but everyone wants to do 6th form to go uni

[eatthis9999]

Before School:
Nursery: 3-4
Primary:Primary One: 5-6
Primary Two: 6-7
Primary Three: 7-8
Primary Four: 8-9
Primary Five: 9-10
Primary Six: 10-11
Primary Seven: 11-12
High School:
First Year: 12-13
Second Year: 13-14
Third Year: 14-15
Fourth Year: 15-16 (You can leave schoo at end of 4th year.)
Five Year: 16-17
Sixth Year: 17-18

But it depends on when your birthday is aswel, as in what month.
First year (My year) has 11 year olds. 12 year olds and 13 year olds atm and some people who are turning 14 soon.

This is not true Scotland is on British school System

Primary Education

Reception 4-5
Year 1 5-6
Year 2 6-7
Year 3 7-8
Year 4 8-9
Year 5 9-10
Year 6 10-11

Secondary Education
Year 7 11-12
Year 8 12-13
Year 9 13-14
Year 10 14-15
Year 11 15-16 (Can leave school after all year 11 exams are completed and results given (Mid-August(And Further education choice made)))

Higher Education (Sixth Form)
(Lower) Year 12 16-18 (you can repeat Year 12 if Year 12 results do not get you into school for year 13)
(Upper) Year 13 17-19 (as a result of re-doing year 12 and then getting in year 13 the age is a year up to let year 12 repeats enter)

Smaller Primarys have 1 less year so have a combine year
Very Small Primarys have 1-5 classes

the school year is decided on your age on 31st August before the school year, your age = left hand side age on list above to decide year

[Sebastian Michaelis]

Alright, this is how it goes down in my school system.
name/ages provided that you never got held back (flunked and had to do the same grade over)

BEFORE SCHOOL
Preschool/3-4
Kindergarten/4-5
ELEMENTARY
1st Grade/5-6
2nd Grade/6-7
3rd Grade/8-9 (start of state standardized testing)
4th Grade/9-10
5th Grade/10-11
MIDDLE SCHOOL (A.K.A. Junior High) (takes explorer test) (can start taking PRACTICE SAT & ACT tests)
6th Grade/11-12
7th Grade/12-13 (advanced Math & Language Arts classes available from now on)
8th Grade/13-14 (end of state standardized testing)
High School (SAT and ACT taken)
9th Grade/14-15 [driving temps and classes given (15 yo only)]
10th Grade/15-16 (students can drop out of school with parental permission)
11th Grade/16-17 (students can drop out of school with parental permission)
12th Grade/17-18 (last mandatory school year if haven't dropped out)
COLLAGE can be entered at the end of 12th grade BUT IS NOT MANDATORY

THERE ARE SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS TO THE FACTS LISTED HERE

Also each school year in my school system is divided into grading periods and semesters. A grading period ends every 9 weeks and that is when you get a report card. There are 4 grading periods and 2 semesters. A semester is when half the year is over and your school day schedule changes.

This is the schedule for 8TH GRADERS at my school. Core classes are Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Arts classes are gym, health, life skills, keyboard, technology, art, choir, band, ect. and these change at the end of the 1st semester. You get 4 arts classes (you get two on an A day and two on a B day)
Mod 0/Homeroom 7:50-8:10
Mod 1/Core 8:10-9:15
Mod 2/Core 9:18-10:18
Mod 3/Core 10:21-11:24
Mod 4/Lunch 11:27-11:57
Mod 5/Core 12:00-1:05
Mod 6/Arts 1:09-1:49
Mod 7/Arts 1:52-2:32
Mod 8/StudyHall 2:35-3:10 (or this can be used for an arts period for those taking extra classes)

WOW I think I just confused my self. LOL:D

[UnknownError]

This is not true Scotland is on British school System

Primary Education

Reception 4-5
Year 1 5-6
Year 2 6-7
Year 3 7-8
Year 4 8-9
Year 5 9-10
Year 6 10-11

Secondary Education
Year 7 11-12
Year 8 12-13
Year 9 13-14
Year 10 14-15
Year 11 15-16 (Can leave school after all year 11 exams are completed and results given (Mid-August(And Further education choice made)))

Higher Education (Sixth Form)
(Lower) Year 12 16-18 (you can repeat Year 12 if Year 12 results do not get you into school for year 13)
(Upper) Year 13 17-19 (as a result of re-doing year 12 and then getting in year 13 the age is a year up to let year 12 repeats enter)

Smaller Primarys have 1 less year so have a combine year
Very Small Primarys have 1-5 classes

the school year is decided on your age on 31st August before the school year, your age = left hand side age on list above to decide year

Thats England. :rolleyes:

[eatthis9999]

Thats England. :rolleyes:

It's them all because they run on the biritsh school system

[Syvelocin]

Generally, Scotland goes by their own system, the one that Connor listed, while England and Wales go by the English system. Northern Ireland goes by one similar to Scotlands except they drop P1 and they start at year 8 straight from P7 instead of year 1.

Some private and independent schools in Scotland however go by the English system, but the one Connor listed is the main one.