Graduating American High School

[LotsOfBalloons]

I've gone down a bit or a rabbit hole and it seems most people graduate high school?

Does this mean high school is easy enough that say 98% of people can graduate if they turn up and do the work (ie it's aimed at lowest common denominator?)

Can kids with additional needs pass/graduate high school?

I really like the idea of something everyone can pass. Given our system by design fails about half the population.

You've never heard of a "high school drop out" ?

High school graduation rates vary by location. In some states, it's pretty easy. In other states, it's harder. There are also socioeconomic factors. It's about 87% overall. More info here:

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/coi/high-school-graduation-rates

Lljkk yes that's what started my rabbit hole. In the sense a "high school drop out" is unusual or someone who doesn't do any work/difficult hone life/doesn't turn up. Rather than 1/3 of the year or so?

50% of our kids fail ????
I work in a special school with behaviours issues we do not fail any of our kids !!!
They all get a college place level one and two qualifications

Where do you get this idea that we fail half the population

Ah thanks MissConduct.

I do know people can do Advanced Classes to prep for uni etc. But I really was just interested in what was considered enough to "pass".

Certainly England doesn't get 87% passing with even maths and English. It's about 51% so by definition around half of English people "fail high school". I don't think the English system works (unless you're fairly academic)

Where I live (NY), kids are legally required to stay in school until they are 16. Most don't graduate high school until they are 18. "Drop out" means that they didn't complete the additional years and meet minimum requirements.

@pimplebum the gov has statistics on those that pass maths and English gcse and its around 51%.

I work with people who "failed" Maths and that sense of failure sticks and really affects people. Hence thinking it would be better if we had a system most could pass...

MissConduct- so nearly everyone if they stayed in school those extra 2 years would graduate? Including those with learning difficulties? Is the bar lowered for them or is it just that you have to pass a course appropriate to your level?

Well… the big drop out is when they finish GCSEs, those who continue with A levels are normally more motivated as they have their sights in university education.

I checked this when looking at schools for DS, the best school in the city shed about 30% of their pupils just after GCSEs.

To graduate high school you have to take a certain number of classes over the 4 years and in a certain number of subjects. Each State sets these requirements for public schools and the Private schools can set their own requirements (within reason) and usually require more

So at my dc high school, at the end of 4 years the dc all have to have done (at least)
4 years of english classes (mostly like Eng Literature)
3 years of maths classes
3 years of social studies classes (a mash up of history/religious studies/geography/politics and current events)
3 years of science classes (usually physics, chemistry and biology)
2 years of art classes
3 years of sport/pe

and assorted one term classes on health/study skills/use of tech

they then have many more classes to choose from to build up their curriculum to fill approx 6 class slots week. They are required to be taking at least 5 classes a week for the 4 years to graduate, but the schedule will work for 6 or 7 classes if they want to load up.

they can they add extra curricular activities in the afternoon in sports/music/drama/technology etc

They have to pass the class for it to count which means a C grade or above and every piece of homework, quiz and test counts. They also get marks for participating. This grading system is what give them the score they call their GPA

If they are heading to University (College) they will usually also take the SAT test which is meant to score them on general aptitude with math and language skills and they can also take AP classes which are more like A levels in difficulty.

And no, the bar is not lowered for them. It is just that those that struggle academically choose to go into vocational study, apprenticeships or work. Having said that, there are many academically able students who choose these routes as well because they are attracted to them. I know very academic kids going to college for photography, carpentry, hairdressing and other vocational courses because they love the subject so much.

The level of high school to pass is closer to GCSEs, you don't need to actually stay at school either you can get an equivalent diploma in just weeks

Ha! It us high school in America! Not a Anerican talking about 6th form colleges, Sorry! 🙊

Also for dc that have learning differences, they get extra support, and are often excused additional classes, but they have to pass the graduation requirements to graduate high school. For anyone that doesnt pass while they are in high school, they can take classes later in life and then sit an exam called the GED which is a high school equivalency diploma.

It’s not that hard to graduate high school in the US (I graduated hs in the US). You need to get a 60% but it’s not like a UK 60%. The vast majority of students will have between 80-100% . There are no exams in the way there are here. If you had SEN, you would probably have special assessments and lots of extra support. It’s not like sitting GCSEs or A-levels with the hordes. In fact, I can rarely remember exams in school. We wrote papers and did projects, but not many exams. So frankly, even your parents can just help you with those if they are inclined. I teach in the UK university system and we mark so much more strictly here.

At my HS the teachers worked really hard to get everyone to pass. Offering extra credit assignments, make up tests, etc. There was also a vocational program which you could do in 11th and 12th grades for half the day so a lot of people who knew they wanted to learn a trade did that instead, it still gave credits towards graduating.
It was easy to graduate from my HS but as a PP said there are areas in the States where socioeconomic factors mean a lot of kids drop out.

But yes, an American high school diploma is only equivalent to GCSEs, the equivalent to A levels would be passing the AP tests, etc or securing good grades in Advanced Subjects.

Goodkids that sounds ideal.

It can't be exactly equal to GCSEs as only 50% of English people pass those. But we've really missed a trick I think over in England not having something that it IS possible for everyone to pass.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm sure there's pluses and minuses of both systems but working in adult ed I'm so aware of the downside of the English system at the moment. If we needed a HS equivalent for most jobs that would be more accessible than the C/4 in English and Maths that just isn't reachable for so many people.

I love the above comments about how those with learning difficulties can be helped or given an easier assignment/presentation too.

It seems to build success and feeling successful more than we do here.(england).

When I graduated US high school, we had to
pass 3 exit exams at the end of 12th grade in our state. The exams were used by my school as entrance exams at the beginning of 9th grade for the honors track so they were weren’t particularly hard.

There are overlapping official state and local requirements for graduation. What you need to get to university is usually going to exceed those basic state and local requirements.

American states and local school districts generally require a certain minimum number of credits (i.e., classes passed) in order to graduate high school. My local HS requires 43 credits, some of which will be in state mandated classes and some locally mandated.

Schools generally administer aptitude tests to students before their freshman year and offer a variety of different tracks in most academic subjects that suit the varying ability of students. There are usually lots of English lit courses on offer for a wide range of ability and interest, as well as sequences of math courses, with the aim being to maximize each student's potential and reduce the headaches caused by dealing with disengaged students. Students plod along on their individual sequences. It's often possible to redo a class in summer school if you fail it during the normal school year. My local HS offers this and also the chance to do an intensive math class if you want to skip ahead a year in math in the space of six weeks, with four hours of maths per day and lots of homework afterwards.

Students heading to university will normally try to take a full four years of English, mathematics, science, mfl, and humanities, with electives and state/ local mandates rounding out their course loads. Those who are art school bound will try to fit in as many art classes as possible. In general, students contemplating university will try to take classes at honors or Advanced Placement level - depending on what university you're hoping to go to and what you're hoping to study. The average student aiming for the Ivy League will take very challenging classes.

For Special Ed students, their individual IEP will determine classes taken and levels of attainment. My local HS keeps students in school until age 21, doing a lot of life and work skills (IEP allowing).

In terms of vocational education, just off the top of my head my local high school offers classes in baby and child development, certified nursing assistant exam prep including placements, cosmetology (preparing students for the state licensing exams in hairdressing and barbering), automotive tech, carpentry, food science, fashion/textiles, many hands-on engineering and tech classes, business lab, broadcasting... The facilities for all of this are all on site.

Mathanxiety that all sounds very sensible!

I hate that we try and push people through gcses here in England when it's not suitable for so many. I love the more individualised learning it sounds like you have with different tracks. And something people can genuinely achieve, with the options ti exceed for those who want to (I was super academic, I'd have loved all the classes and the chances to do more!)

My American SiL didn't graduate high school, largely, by her own admission, because she didn't go much.

That makes sense though. Not graduating because you didn't attend is so different from the 50% who don't "get" passes at GCSEs in the UK despite turning up!

I’d say it varies by state and even school district.
for eg our school district has 90k students. Passing grade is 70% or a C. They must attend 90% of the time, anything below those they can make up in summer school or resit the year.

my oldest has to do 2yrs sport and 2yrs of language. Then the other core subjects (English, maths, science). He also has some odd things like speech this year and another random class I can’t remember. They can choose if they do a STEM or humanities stream of subjects and pick classes according to which stream they’re in. Instead of building up maths across the years as a whole subject he does one year algebra, next year geometry, this this year algebra 2 and then final year will be calculus I guess.

they have mid terms and final exams which make up part of their GPA. My son did pre SAT last year as a first year and did ok (not outstanding at all) such that colleges were already contacting him.