Education in the United States

Education in the United States is highly decentralized and varies widely. Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts, which are usually coextensive with counties, while educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by the U.S. states though acts of the state legislature and governor and decisions of the state departments of education.

Related Topics:
Decentralized - School board - School district - Counties - Standardized testing - U.S. state - State legislature - Governor - Departments of education

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The U.S. federal government, through the U.S. Department of Education, is involved with funding of some programs and exerts some influence through its ability to control funding. School accreditation decisions are made by voluntary regional associations. Schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia teach in English, while schools in the territory of Puerto Rico teach in Spanish. Non-profit private schools are widespread, are largely independent of the government, and include secular as well as parochial schools.

Related Topics:
U.S. federal government - U.S. Department of Education - School accreditation - District of Columbia - English - Puerto Rico - Spanish - Non-profit - Parochial school

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The United States has a relatively educated population. Literacy is estimated at 97 percent. As of 2003, 76.6 million students were enrolled in nursery through undergraduate study. Of these, 72 percent to 17 were judged academically "on track" for their age (enrolled in school at or above grade level). Of those enrolled in compulsory education, 5.2 million (10.4 percent) were attending private schools. Among the country's adult population, over 85 percent have completed high school, and 27 percent have received a bachelor's degree or higher. The average salary for college graduates is $45,400, exceeding the national average by more than $10,000.{{ref|census}}

Related Topics:
United States - Literacy - As of 2003 - Bachelor's degree

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