9781422274040

CLASSROOMS IN THE UNITED STATES Each state’s government sets the standards for its public schools, which receive state and local government funding to operate. Private schools, on the other hand, have greater freedom to determine their curriculum, educational pro- grams, staffing needs, and regional accreditation. Accred- itation is a process by which school practices are reviewed by an independent expert authority, to make sure they are properly preparing students to move up to the next educa- tional level. (from middle school to high school, for exam- ple, or from high school to college, or from college to graduate school). Most states have laws requiring or encouraging accreditation for public schools and state-chartered private schools. Homeschooling is another option for students. One of the biggest reasons parents choose homeschooling is con- cern about the public school environment. They may feel that public schools are unsafe or that the children attend- ing the school misbehave. Other reasons parents homes- chool include a desire to pursue religious curriculum and dissatisfaction with the curriculum of public institutions. The United States recognizes homeschooling as a valid means of obtaining an education, though state-level laws apply. By and large, public schooling is the most popular way to achieve an education in the United States. Pub- lic schools typically include grades kindergarten through twelfth grade, each year progressing in difficulty and ex-

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Education in the United States