In many areas, primary and secondary public education are distributed in a three-tier arrangement, as shown below (though it should be borne in mind that this table, like the one that represents the comparison between the federal government and the state governments, is necessarily an oversimplification: each state has its own educational system and structures, and each school board within the state makes decisions regarding the organization of education within the district it governs):
| Age of Pupil | Type of School | Grade Level | Content & Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ 5 | Primary | Kindergarten | Socialization, Colors, Letters & Numbers |
| 6 - 11 | Primary / Elementary | 1st to 5th, sometimes 6th grades | The "3 Rs": Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic |
| 12 - 14 | Junior High School / Middle School | sometimes 6th, 7th, 8th, sometimes 9th grades | Intellectual content: introduction to history, mathematics, English, physical and biological sciences, etc. In Junior High Schools, often organized by subject-matter department, in Middle Schools, more often organized around groups of pupils. |
| 15 - 18 | High School | often 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) | Continuation of subjects introduced in Middle School; in some cases, differentiation into "college prep" and vocational streams, both leading to the High School Diploma |
| 18 + | Higher Education: College (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) | Four years, leading to Bachelor's degree (BA: Bachelor of Arts, BS [sometimes BSc]: Bachelor of Science) |
The objectives and organization of primary and elementary education are quite similar to what they are in France; in particular, all subjects are taught by a single teacher. In secondary school, the situation is often somewhat different: different subjects are taught by different teachers, but most often to different class groups. Indeed, students in the academic stream have a number of options to choose from, and can to a certain extent construct their own curriculum, as long as they fulfill the requirements for graduation of their state and school district.