</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Poiple Weezard &#064; Feb 26 2004, 07:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>...I&#39;ve also heard rumors of U.S. high schools that have grades 10-12 and that 9th grade is included in the junior high, but I&#39;ve never had that confirmed....

Each state and county in the U.S. has a seperate School Board, so it can get a bit awkward.

...If the school only has three grades, drop the sophomore status.Â* If the school only has two grades, drop the sophomore and junior statuses...</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
when I was in public school (in Florida) there was

Age..........Nomenclature
03 - 04: Head Start / Nursery School (Preschool)
05 - 05: Kindergarten
06 - 10: Elementary School (grades 1-5)
11 - 12: Secondary Schools (grades 6-7) There were sixth grade centers and seventh grade centers.
13 -14: Junior High School (grades 8-9) <span style='colorurple'>Poiple Weezard, you now have confirmation</span>
15-17: High School (grades 10-12)

note: you started as a sophmore and there were no freshmen. 10 is alsways sophmore, 11 is always junior and 12 is always senior.

And there were no magnet schools; where you went was based on where you lived.
Then either junior college or college and then post-graduate... and then WORK- ugh&#33;

Now they&#39;ve gone back to high schools of 9-12 and generally combine grades 7 and 8 at one school. Also, I believe now in high school if you simply show up doing nothing but drooling, you don&#39;t even have to take final exams. Which irks me.

In FL we have the FCAT which every student must pass to graduate. So mostly the last four years of school are focussed on how to beat the test rather than any actual learning or development of students&#39; cognitive processes.... (state funding for each school is based on how well its students do on the test)

And you&#39;re right, Poiple Weezard, there is a school district for each and every county/parish in the US, and they are comprised of local citizens who must be elected. They basically set the curricula and policies for the all the schools in the district. Which is why you often hear about scary little podunk towns banning the word &quot;evolution&quot; from science classes...

Funding is very complicated, and frankly, I don&#39;t understand it. In FL. new buildings, textbooks, PCs, etc., are generally paid for via property taxes. Therefore, rich counties like Naples have better schools than the poor ones (isn&#39;t that always the way?). The State also kicks in money to pay for teachers&#39; salaries, etc. Not sure where the Feds come into all of it...

Was that way more than anyone wanted to know? Don&#39;t answer.

<span style='color:blue'>PS: I just love to hear about &#39;the stuff of life&#39; from other countries&#33; Even if it&#39;s mudane-like.</span>