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International Affairs Office, U.S. Department of Education Feb 2008http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/edlite-index.html

Structure of the U.S. Education System:School Leaving ualifications

!"I#A"$ A%D #IDDLE S&'OOL

There are no widely recognied primary or middle school leaving !uali"ications in the

#nited $tates. $chool-level education is considered to be comprehensive "rom year %through year %2& and there are no intermediate awards prior to the completion o"

secondary school. $ome schools and school districts will issue certi"icates to studentswho complete 'indergarten& elementary or middle school& but these do not have

signi"icance other than as achievement mar'ers "or having completed the speci"iedgrades. $tudents who do not complete secondary school are considered to be drop-outs&as there are no recognied !uali"ications issued to students who do not completesecondary education through the %2thyear. The only signi"icant exceptions to thispractice are the (ndividual )ducation *lans "or some special education students& whichmay + depending on the plan + result in certi"icates o" completion representing a

di""erent standard than the high school diploma.

'I(' S&'OOL DI!LO#A

The high school diploma is the basic #.$. !uali"ication awarded to students who graduate

"rom secondary school a"ter %2 years o" "ormal instruction. ,igh school diplomas areissued by states or local districts to public school graduates& and by the school to privateschool graduates. ,omeschooled students may or may not be issued a diplomadepending on state policy and parental pre"erence. $ome diplomas may state highschool diploma and others may state secondary diploma or certi"icate or simply

diploma.

There are usually at least three types o" program& or trac'& that secondary graduates

"ollow.

1eneral high school diploma trac's meets the state minimum re!uirements "orgraduation.

ocational diploma trac's exceed the state minimum re!uirement and addinstruction in career sub3ects plus applicable mathematics and sciencere!uirements.4cademic preparatory diploma trac's also exceed the state minimum

re!uirements by adding additional mathematics& )nglish& "oreign language andscience instruction. (n addition& some states and schools award honors or

5egents diplomas "or students whose academic preparatory programs meetspeci"ic re!uirements& and many students graduate in 4dvanced *lacement 4*courses.

(nternational 6accalaureate (6 programs are increasingly popular in #.$. primary andsecondary schools& and (6 7iplomas may now be earned by #.$. students along with& orinstead o"& #.$. high school diplomas.

9T): (nternational exchange students who enroll in #.$. public secondary schools on &or exchange visitor& visas are not allowed to receive #.$. high school diplomas. (nstead&

they will receive a ;erti"icate o" ;ompletion o" $tudies or an award will a similar name

USNEI

http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/edlite-index.htmlhttp://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/edlite-index.html

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that certi"ies they have completed a semester or year or more o" study at a satis"actorygrade level.

5ecognied 5igorous $econdary *rograms o" $tudyprovides lin's to lists o" secondary!uali"ications "or each state and territory that have been recognied by the #.$.7epartment o" )ducation as providing rigorous academic preparation. 1raduates holding

these !uali"ications are eligible to !uali"y "or "ederal merit-based student assistance.

Table o" $tate 1raduation 5e!uirementsappears in the annual 7igest o" )ducation

$tatistics ;)$ and displays state secondary graduation re!uirements in ;arnegie#nits.

;;$$9 0 percent o" #.$. secondary schools

o""er 4* courses and over 2 million examinations are administered annually. $ome ?0percent o" #.$. higher education institutions& and many "oreign institutions& accept 4*

credits.

(nternational 6accalaureate (6is a recognied international program o" primary&middle& and secondary studies leading to the (nternational 6accalaureate (6 7iploma.This diploma or certi"icate is recognied in )urope and elsewhere as !uali"ying holders"or direct access to university studies. $chools o""ering the (6 program are approved bythe (nternational 6accalaureate 9rganiation (69 and their regional o""ice and may use(69 instructional materials& local school materials& or a combination. There are nearly

800 #.$. schools o""ering (6 programs& which are accepted at many #.$. colleges anduniversities. 9ver =0&000 #.$. students earn (6 diplomas each year.

http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs.htmlhttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_154.asp?referrer=listhttp://www.ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=270http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalBrief,10http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=GEDTShttp://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpfhttp://www.ibo.org/country/US/index.cfmhttp://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs.htmlhttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_154.asp?referrer=listhttp://www.ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=270http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalBrief,10http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=GEDTShttp://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpfhttp://www.ibo.org/country/US/index.cfm

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ational @erit $cholarships @$are nationally recognied awards given to high schoolstudents who are #.$. citiens or permanent residents on the basis o" standardied testscores "rom the *$4T/@$AT test. $ome 8&200 students receive @$ monetary awardseach year& and over %.= million compete.

ational 4chievement $cholarships 4$are nationally recognied awards given to

4"rican-4merican high school students who are #.$. citiens or permanent residents onthe basis o" standardied test scores "rom the *$4T/@$AT test. $ome B00 students

receive 4$ monetary awards each year& and over %C0&000 compete.

"eturn to Stucture of U.S. Education"eturn to US%EI 'ome !age

http://www.nationalmerit.org/http://www.nationalmerit.org/nasp.phphttp://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.htmlhttp://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/edlite-index.htmlhttp://www.nationalmerit.org/http://www.nationalmerit.org/nasp.phphttp://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.htmlhttp://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/edlite-index.html