High school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

senior high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

is the education students receive in the final stage of

secondary education in the United States Secondary education is the last six or seven years of statutory formal education in the United States. It culminates with twelfth grade (age 17–18). Whether it begins with sixth grade (age 11–12) or seventh grade (age 12–13) varies by stat ...

. In the United States, most high schoolers are ages 14–18, but some ages could be delayed due to how their birthday coincides with the academic calendar. Most comparable to

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

s, high schools generally deliver phase three of the ISCED model of education. High schools have subject-based classes. The name high school is applied in other countries, but no universal generalization can be made as to the age range, financial status, or ability level of the pupils accepted. In

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, most high schools include grades 9 through 12. Students attend them following graduation from

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

(often alternatively called junior high school).

History

As late as 1900, high school attendance was very rare in the United States, with only a small percentage of the population ever attending high school. In the first half to two-thirds of the twentieth century increasing numbers of students attended, and it became an expected part of almost all students' education. The first institution labeled as a "high school" was Edinburgh's Royal High School in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, which was founded in 1128. The Royal High School was used as a model for the first

public high school A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a Magnet school, magnet Latin schools, Latin Grammar schools, grammar State school, state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635. It is the old ...

, founded in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

in 1635. Boston Latin School was initially a private school, so although it did become the first public high school, a school system in Dedham, Massachusetts was the first to be supported by public taxation. The schools prepared boys for the law or the church. The length of the school day varied with the seasons, but there was a shortage of Latin speakers available to become teachers because the job was unattractive due to low status and low pay. The colony ordered that ''The Protestant Tutor, Instructing Youth and Others, in the Compleat Method of Spelling, Reading, and Writing, True English: To Which is Prefix'd, a Timely Memorial to all True Protestants'', retitled The New England Primer, be used as a textbook. This was the start of a secondary education system. In 1642, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was able to pass a law to require parents to make sure that their children were able to read, which required some form of elementary education. In 1647, Massachusetts again passed a law that required communities to establish some type of public schooling system. Elementary schools were to be formed in every town with 50 or more families, and every town with at least 100 families would have to provide a Latin Grammar School. Over a century later in 1779,

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

proposed the opening of new secondary schools to provide segregated secondary schools with different tracks in his words for "the laboring and the learned." The new academies would be practical in nature but allow a few of the working class to advance by "raking a few geniuses from the rubbish." In 1785, before the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

passed a law calling for a survey of the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

, which included what was to become the state of

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. The law created townships, reserving a portion of each township for a local school. Under the constitution, education was relegated to individual states. The Pennsylvania state constitution, written in 1790, calls for free

public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

, but only for poor children, assuming that the rich will pay for their own children's schooling. In 1805, the New York Public School Society was formed by the wealthy to provide education to the poor. These schools were run on the Lancasterian system, in which one "master" taught hundreds of students in a single room. The masters would give rote lessons to the older students, who would then pass it down to the younger students. Society was moving from an agrarian model with small independent plots to an industrial one, where workers needed to be literate and numerate. Lancastrian schools emphasized discipline and obedience: qualities that factory owners needed in their workers. An 1817 Boston Town Meeting petitioned for the establishment of a system of free public primary schools. The main support came from local merchants, businessmen, and wealthier artisans, while many wage earners opposed it because they knew they would be paying for it through income taxation. In spite of this,

became public in 1820. This was the first public high school in the United States. Seven years later, a state law in Massachusetts made all grades of public school open to all pupils, free of charge. However, in slave-owning states public schooling in rural areas generally did not extend beyond the elementary grades for either whites or blacks. This was known as "eighth grade school". After 1900, some cities began to establish high schools, primarily for middle class whites. In the 1930s roughly one fourth of the US population still lived and worked on farms and few rural Southerners of either race went beyond the 8th grade until after 1945. Even after public schools were being opened up to all ages in Massachusetts, in the 1830s, it was illegal in southern states to teach black children to read. High schools were out of the question. After many years of advocacy, in 1957, federal court ordered the integration of Little Rock,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

public schools. The

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

sent in troops to physically prevent nine African America students from enrolling at all-white Central High School. Though, this decision was overturned by the president. The same delay in equality in public high schools can be accounted for the general regarding of other groups as minorities in the US.

Typical American high school

While there is no set standard for American high schools, some generalizations can be made about the majority. Public schools are managed by local, elected

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

s. There is a range in quality from basic education to more intellectually-stimulating environments for students approximately 14 to 18 years of age. Students enter around the age of 14 (sometimes 13) and pass through four years (sometimes five): * Eighth grade; (the equivalent of the year 9 in the English System) *

Freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...

(

ninth grade Ninth grade (also 9th grade or grade 9) is the ninth or tenth Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education in some countries. It is generally part of middle school or secondary school depending on country. Students i ...

; the equivalent of the year 10 in the English System) *

Sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...

( tenth grade; the equivalent of year 11 in the English System) * Junior ( eleventh grade; the equivalent of year 12 in the English System) * Senior (

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

; the equivalent of year 13 in the English System) School years are normally around nine months long (from August or September to May or June), and are broken up into quarters or semesters.College Board, SAT, 2017
/ref> College entry is controlled by many factors including

Grade Point Average Grading in education is the application of standardized Measurement, measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentage ...

(GPA), and an elective

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...

or ACT exam run by two non-profit organizations: the

College Board The College Board, styled as CollegeBoard, is an American not-for-profit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an asso ...

and the ACT, respectively. Smaller schools can educate fewer than 200 pupils in total, while some teach over 4,000 at any given time.

Typical day

The typical high school day includes: *Students arrive between seven and nine in the morning and leave school between two and four in the afternoon. *Four to eight 40 to 90 minute class periods, broken up by around five minutes to get to the next class. Schools may hold classes daily for a shorter time (traditional scheduling) or alternate days for an extended session (

block scheduling Block scheduling or blocking is a type of academic scheduling used in some schools in the American K-12, K-12 system, in which Student, students have fewer but longer classes per day than in a traditional academic schedule. It is more common in m ...

). *A lunch break (some schools permit students to leave campus to eat, though most hold lunches on-site). *Homework amount differs depending on the school's purpose and culture. *Extracurricular sports team activities right after school (sometimes track, field, and swim sports hold practices in the early morning before the school day starts)

Focus

The high school may emphasize various opportunities for students: *general education *high-achieving college prep (''e.g.'', Advanced Placement (AP)) *vocational-technical *specialties such as arts, music, theater, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) *sports

Curriculum

A high school curriculum is defined in terms of Carnegie Units, which approximate to 120 class contact hours within a year. This is one hour a day, five days a week for twenty-four weeks. Students who satisfactorily complete a unit are awarded a credit. No two schools will be the same, and no two students will have the same classes. There are some general principles, however. Students can also be on different programs within the same school with Advanced/Honors, CP (College Preparatory), AP (Advanced Placement), and IB (

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...

) classes. Students typically do four years of study, with eight core subjects and electives, both of which vary by school. Passing a course earns credit and students must earn at least 30 credits to graduate, among other requirements. Study halls are sometimes offered, which don't contribute to GPA or number of credits earned.

Grading

Primarily, evaluations can be expressed as a percentage score or a letter grade. For percentage scores, the typical practice is to start at 100% and deduct points for deficiences. The relationship between percentage scores and letter grades depends on the method of grading. In the absence of national grading standards, some high schools use norm-referenced grading (commonly called "grading on a curve") which allocates grades across the distribution of scores based on a predetermined formula. Most high schools, though, use criterion-referenced grading which corresponds percentages to letter grades according to a fixed scale: For each course, the student's assignment scores or grades across the term are averaged according to weights established by the teacher. This produces the course grade. A

report card A report card, or just report in British English – sometimes called a progress report or achievement report – communicates a student's performance academically. In most places, the report card is issued by the school to the student or the st ...

lists all of the student's course grades for the term, translates these to grade point equivalents, and calculates a

(GPA) weighted by the number of credits earned for each class. A transcript lists the course grades received during the student's entire tenure at the school and compiles them into a cumulative GPA.

Physical education requirements

2014 recommended federal standards for Physical Education are at least 225 minutes of P.E. a week for middle school and high school. The standards involve: * Competency in motor skills and movement patterns, * Understanding of movement concepts, * Regular participation in physical activity, * Achievement and maintenance of health‐related fitness, * Responsible behavior in physical activity settings, and * Value of physical activity.

Private vs Public High School

Parents in the United States have the option to enroll their children in either private or public high school. While there is evidence that shows private schools tend to perform better academically than public schools, both types of schooling prepare students for the workforce or higher education. There are a few key differences in each type of schooling to consider when making the decision to attend a public or private high school.

Cost

Public high school is paid for by taxpayers, making it a free state-sponsored educational program. In contrast, private schools require tuition for each student that is enrolled, which can cost parents anywhere betwee
$11,000–$16,000
per school year, depending on the specific institution. While the average cost of private school attendance from kindergarten through 4 years of postsecondary school can be up to $307,262. And annual tuition at an average private high school can be $15,344.

Teacher Credentials

Teachers within the public school system are required to complete a process of certification in order to teach within their particular state. Requirements for certification can vary from state to state as well, making it necessary for teachers to complete a unique certification for every state in which they wish to teach. Most public schools require teachers to have a bachelors degree in their subject matter and a certification to teach in their specific state. Private schools, unlike public schools, do not require teachers to be state certified to teach in their educational institutions. Teachers in private high schools often hold higher degrees in their subject matter, giving students a richer, more in-depth education in the classroom
Teachers at private schools also tend to have more flexibility in creating their curriculum
as private schools are not driven to reach state requirements outlined for students in public schools.

Class Size

Class sizes
in public schools are often much larger than those of private schools. Private schools reserve the right to take a limited number of students per year based on the requirements they set for student admission. Public schools have an open enrollment style system for student acceptance, which leads to larger classroom sizes.

School Selection

While there is more flexibility for parents in choosing a private school, parents with children enrolled in public high school still have a choice in deciding which school they will attend. Some states allow parents using the public school system to enroll their child in a school outside of their geographical district, but tha
isn't always the case

List of school facilities/areas

* Lobby *Main office * Cafeteria * Classrooms * Computer lab / media lab * Makerspace / fab lab * Chemistry lab * Woodshop /

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

Library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

/ commons area * Teachers' lounge *

Art studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

design studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

Home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...

/ community kitchen / sewing room * Band room / choir room *

Photographic studio A photographic studio is often a business owned and represented by one or more photographers, possibly accompanied by assistants and pupils, who create and sell their own and sometimes others’ photographs. History Since the early years of th ...

* Music studio / podcast studio / video studio *

Lecture hall A lecture hall or lecture theatre is a large room used for lectures, typically at a college or university. Unlike flexible lecture rooms and classrooms with capacities normally below one hundred, the capacity of lecture halls can sometimes be m ...

Auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

black box theater A black box theater is a performance space, typically a square or rectangular room, with black walls and a black, flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interact ...

* Career and technical education centers * School nurse office * School bus loading zones *

Courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

Parking lot A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdi ...

s *

Amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

Community garden A community garden is a piece of land gardened or cultivated by a group of people individually or collectively. Normally in community gardens, the land is divided into individual plots. Each individual gardener is responsible for their own plot ...

Athletic facilities

* Gymnasium * Locker rooms * Gymnastics facility * Wrestling room * Football field / soccer field *

Track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

Tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

/ pickleball court *

Baseball field A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refer ...

/ softball field * Indoor practice facility * Athletic trainer room * Weight room * Dance studio *

Swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

Skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, Freestyle scootering, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairw ...

* Ice arena

Media

High schools are depicted in many teenage-oriented films and television

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s. Almost universally, these films fall into the comedy or social issues/drama genre categories. High school films from Hollywood rarely discuss the economic disparities between the social classes where the poor gravitate to the lower esteemed courses.

References

External links

Requirements for high school graduation, in Carnegie units: 2004

Sources

*David Angus and Jeffrey E. Mirel, ''The Failed Promise of the American High School, 1890-1995''. Teachers College Press. 1999. . *William Reese. ''The Origins of the American High School''. Yale University Press, 1995. . {{Authority control High schools in the United States,