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I am currently reading a most enjoyable series where the protagonist is in seventh grade.
As a Brit I have not grasped the age of this pupil (student?)
In Britain we start school at the age of five and attend "primary one. WE stay in primary school up to primary seven when at the age of twelve we move on to secondary school. (The big school) This is where we proceed through secondary one to secondary four where we leave at sixteen. There is an option to stay on for an extra two years i.e until the age of eighteen but it is not mandatory.
I get confused when grade, junior,freshman, sophomore are mentioned as I cannot determine the age of the characters.
As the story am reading involves sport activity and regulation "sports bra" in the dress code it makes me wonder how old a seventh grader is. I had assumed they would not have hit puberty unless it was the equivalent of our primary seven (twelve)
Something is lost in translation for this ignorant Brit. Could someone give me a rough guide of the grades and age progression through the U.S. school system?
I would be most grateful. Kindest regards WebDeb.
US Schools
Generally speaking...at least for me....
Age 4 Nursery School
Age 5 Kindergarten
Age 6 1st Grade
Age 7 2nd Grade
Age 8 3rd grade
Age 9 4th Grade
Age 10 5th Grade
Age 11 6th Grade
Age 12 7th Grade
Age 13 8th Grade
Age 14 9th Grade - Freshman in High School
Age 15 10th Grade - Sophomore
Age 16 11th Grade - Junior
Age 17 12th Grade - Senior
Freshman through Senior also applies to College years. My ages might seem young to other Yanks as I was young for my classes and those are my ages when I started the grades.
Hope that helps :)
{{Hugs}}
Frank
The ages and grades are correct Frank.
Of course some students advance faster and some stay back. Your outline is correct for the vast majority of American students.
Huggles
Angel
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
Thanks Angel
I was using my own life for the ranges. I also could have started a year later and been one of the oldest in my classes instead of the youngest.
{{Huggles}}
Seventh grade would be about
Seventh grade would be about 12 or 13, I believe, depending on when child's birthday falls, but typically it's in that area.
As far as school grade progression, it's usually something like the following, though some schools do it differently (for example, until my 9th grade year, we didn't have a middle school :-)) After typing this out, I find myself wondering if many schools even do Kindergarten anymore. I know ours does (Mom's a 1st grade teacher :-))
- Elementary School -
Kindergarten - 5-6
1st - 6-7
2nd - 7-8
3rd - 8-9
4th - 9-10
- Middle School -
5th - 10-11
6th - 11-12
7th - 12-13
8th - 13-14
High School
9th/Freshman - 14-15
10th/Sophomore - 15-16
11th/Junior - 16-17
12th/Senior - 17-18
Hope that helps :-D
Edit: I take entirely too long in typing. What they said :-D
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Some thoughts ...
For me, "middle school" started in grade 7 and was only grades 7 and 8.
My youngest brother went to a school where middle school was grades 6-8.
The only really uniform period is High School; I've never seen one that was not grades 9-12.
And yes, they still have Kindergarten. A lot of schools are being pushed to offer full day kindergarten (traditionally, kindergarten has been half day) as a part of furthering the goals of the "Every Child Left Behind" act Puddintane mentioned above.
EDIT: The chart Puddintane linked to on Wikipedia really does a fine job at showing all of the differing ways school progression happens.
The Grades are the Same
But the arrangement may vary. Back in the 1940's and '50's, Pasadena, California had a K through 6 elementary school, a 7 through 10 middle school, and a 11 & 12 high school. That changed when I was in 7th grade to K-6, 7-9, 10-12. I think it's been that way since. The curricula of the state supported schools is regulated; however, I am not sure if all the school systems follow the same grade distribution.
Portia
Portia
Middle School and other philosophies
Middle Schools, in some places, refer to a specific thing, a philosophy as to what subjects should be taught and how classes are arranged. Places who follow this model usually have grades 6-8 or 6-9 in a Middle School with a recommended curriculum, class size and schedule of classes determined by large associations of schools who agree to this model. Junior Highs are traditionally 7-8 or 7-9 and have a different philosophy, model and associations. Intermediate schools is the name often given to schools who do not follow either the middle school model or the junior high model or is used as a catch-all term for all of the schools in this intermediate age group.
But the names as given above are slippery. I attended a "junior high," grades 7-8, that was organized and run like a Middle School, according to the Association of Middle Schools. And I attended a grade school before that that was organized like a high school for grades 4-8. Such anomalies are less common in publicly operated schools today and the Middle School model has become the most frequently used all over the US.
Some Canadian provinces also follow the Middle School model for their intermediate age students.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
grade 7
from what i remember, at least some girls were needing a sports bra by grade 6. My daughter needed a bra by age 10. (Grade 4) the monthly cycle, mostly hit girls at around age 12-13 (grade 6 to 7)
"Treat everyone you meet as though they had a sign on them that said "Fragile, under construction"
dorothycolleen
We are Sooooo screwed up!
Only because it varies with locality, you might wish to keep the following also in mind.
In some school systems (the two I went too), Junior High School is for grades 7, 8, and 9; while High School is for grades 10, 11, and 12.
Then there is the age "cutoff" which again differs somewhat by locality. In my current location, it was arbitrarily decided that a child whose birthday falls on or before mid December will be in the grade "normal" to age of that grade. For example, an 11 year old would be allowed in the 7th grade as long as their 12th birthday was on or before December 15. After that date the child would wait till the following class. Again, this changes with locality. It used to be the end of November, and in other places is as late as mid - late January.
Also, there is a movement to hold children back a year before entering elementary (primary) school. This is being done in order to ensure a better school experience. Many parents have chosen this option.
So, depending on the writer's experience, a child could conceivably be any where from 11 to 13 in grade 7 at the beginning of the year and from 12 to 14 by the end of the year, depending on WHERE they first entered into the school systems.
Hope this makes things as clear as mud!
Beth
Cutoff Dates
In the UK we have a very simple system which, I believe, is universal here. September 1st is the cutoff date. So, basically, everyone in a particular school year has the same birthday occurring between Sept 1st and the following Aug 31st inclusive.
This means that there can never be more than a year separating the oldest and youngest in a year (grade). It did mean that occasionally one got curiosities: in my class throughout secondary (= high) school I had two non-twin brothers, one with a September birthday and the other with a July birthday. Both were older than me.
Penny
Cut Off Dates
"Cut off Dates"... That sounds so...
But, knowing what you mean... I thought I'd pass on how much variation there is... Each School district can set it's own "cut off" date... In general the cut off date is that you must be SIX (6) by that date to enter FIRST (1st) grade... Some school districts "Kindergarten" is optional... Worth considering.
Around here, I've seen Cut-Off dates from Aug 1st - Jan 1st - with most around October 1st... They're so nice that my daughter (with a mid October B'day) is a year behind a friend who is a month YOUNGER... And in the same grade as another friend who is eleven (11) Months younger.
There's also some "flexibility" on when the kids can start... The boy that has grown up next door - started Kindergarten at six (6) rather than five (5) as his parents felt he wasn't "mature" enough start. He would have been the YOUNGEST in his class (with a Sept B'Day)... Instead, he was the oldest - which help him athletically in High School - being on average a half year OLDER than others in his grade...
Then, to make matters more confusing, kids both are advanced (skipped) a year (or more) on occasion or held back (fail to move forward with their year group). These are both GENERALLY based on academic position... We were given the opportunity (which we declined) to accelerate our older daughter... Her younger sister wasn't given this option. There are hordes of factors involved.
But, back to the original question... The grade + five (5) is a good "average" age for the grade in question...
Then, names for grades - varries a little...
First Year in High School and University is generally called "Freshman" (but not universally. At the US Naval Academy first year students are Midshipmen fourth (4th) class (and called "Plebes")... The other service and military schools around the country have their own structures. For example the US Air Force Academy has Forth Class Cadets (called "Doolies" if memory serves).
The vast majority of High Schools follow the naming listed elsewhere here (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior). The typical University (also - almost - synonymous with College here in the states, but not quite) uses the same names for the four years. But with more students opting for a fifth year for more advanced undergraduate studies (my older daughter did this... And my wallet felt the hit. LOL) there is much less standardization. In some schools they're "Seniors" again. Others they're "Super Seniors"...
So - things ARE a bit fluid over here. (Which is why I try to make it clear - when it's important to a story.)
Anne (who couldn't resist chiming in...)
Age
Others have already given you the answer, but there's an easy way to figure things out.
The seventh grade is the seventh year of school.
So, assuming the student starts at age 5, 5+7=12.
HTH
Primary Schooling
Bike Resources
Bike Resources
Easy Age in U.S. Schools
Take the grade. Add 5. That's gonna be the age of over half of the students in that grade. The rest will be generally a mix of 1 year younger and 1 year older.
UK
Or, where I went to school...infants' school from 4/5 to 7
Junior school from 7 to 11
Senior/Grammar/Comprehensive school from 11 to 18 (including sixth form, 16-18)
Note to those across the pond: we don't do holding back, so we don't end up with bigger, older resentful bullies in lower age groups. Just the ordinary bullies.
Holding back
I did have a student in my class at high school who was held back a year in middle school. However he was the only one person I know to ever do so.
I agree that it is exceedingly rare for students to be held back a year in the UK. Although it could potentially happen. Any such decision would most likely happen as a result of medical reasons preventing the pupil from attending a large portion of the year, rather than be because of academic failure.
D.L.
UK school dates
I don't recognise your description of school dates and ranges very much at all, but then I was schooled a long(ish) time ago and the bug-eyed trendies have had their way since I left.
Started Infants School at 5; two years of that, then four of Primary School. I was 10 when I went to Secondary School. In those days you could leave if (you were thick and) you were 15, but that was raised while I was still there. I left at 18.
My sons went to First School at four plus a term, then to Middle School at 8 followed by Grammar School at 12 up until age 18. Wonderfully consistent, isn't it?
I guess there was a lot more variation in the UK than I realised. I, also, have difficulty understanding the US system.
Penny
What's a school?
Never got past six years of age.
Ho hum didn't do me any harm!
Duh!!!
Bev.
Growing old disgracefully.
To our UK brethren and sistren :P
What could be more sequential than a 1 through 12 grade system for schools? What matter the method of subdivision? With kindergarten (literally chidren garden) as a place to start growing their minds to the 1st Grade on up through the 12th Grade, its sequentiality makes perfectly logical sense, as opposed to say Reception through Year 12 :P (believe those are the terms). We are all the same, only different by way of where we grew up :)
Of course, we deranged people across the pond have no concept of sixth form or the like (or as in Scotland, the lower and upper sixth forms). I believe we used to have higher education in the 8th grade than we now have at graduation from the 12th grade. Given the lack of education actually taught, I fear for the future :(
Here in America, we seem to have more expanding waistlines than expanding minds...
Hugs
Diana
Logical? Surely some mistake!
I agree, such a system would be logical, only providing that every child started school at exactly the same age and every child progressed through the years one by one. Otherwise, it depends on where you are what you call grade 1, doesn't it?
I would have the grades designated the same as the child's nominal age, that way it will be obvious which grade a child ought to be in, and it allows for adjustments at either end where necessary.
Penny
US Schools
Then to add even MORE confusion - in the consolidated rural school district where I live, primary school (in three different buildings in two different counties) consists of grades K thru 4. 5th and 6th grades are in one centrally located building, 7th thru 9th (middle school) in another building and 10th thru 12th (high school) in yet another. These last three buildings are within three miles of each other. Somehow this is supposed to make busing easier? :)
Rosie
Rose
busing...
Neighborhood school was what I had in my old school district, I mostly rode my bike the 2000 feet to school. I didn't get bussed until we moved to Florida, where I have to go 4 miles to school, sometimes I do bike to school, since there's a bike path to it...
TGSine --958
More on the UK system...
Yeah, I know this is talking about education in the US, but since the UK system has had a mention or two, here's some info on what happens on the little island sitting off the north west coast of Europe.
Probably the best starting point is the Wiki article on Education in England - from there you can click through to the differences in Wales, Scotland and NI.
Generally speaking, you start formal education at the age of five, which is Year 1. However, you'll probably start school in Reception either the term or year before you reach five - and some schools also have a built-in nursery school, which means that (part-time) you might start your education at the tender age of three (albeit mainly play based!).
Some local authorities have a two tier system (Primary - years 1 - 8, Secondary - years 9+) while others have a three tier (typically: First - years 1-4, Middle - 5-8, High - 9+; although some opt instead for Infant, Junior, Secondary or even later decide to go two tier but call their new primaries "Combined Infant and Junior School"). To add to the confusion, some Secondary / High schools have integrated sixth forms, while in other areas there might be a dedicated sixth form college.
GCSEs (and equivalents - which are often devalued by the media) are studied in years 10 and 11 (age 14-16), 'A' levels (and equivalents) are studied in years 12 and 13 (age 16-18 - may also be referred to as lower sixth and upper sixth, reflecting historic terminology).
If that wasn't confusing enough, you've also got independent schools (private - but often called "public schools" for historical reasons), Academies (funded directly by the DfE, but have similar freedoms over pay, conditions and curricula to independents), City Technology Colleges (the predecessor to Academies and very similar), Free Schools (a new initiative, somewhat similar to Academies - inspired by Swedish Free Schools and US Charter Schools - especially the Knowledge Is Power Program) and probably a few other types.
University courses are typically three years long for Bachelors, with Masters being an additional year and Doctorates several more years. We don't tend to title university years, although first years are colloquially called "Freshers".
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
So, one quick question:
Do these "improvements," whether in the UK or US, really help them, making the kids smarter? Or does it just make the politicians look more caring? Or is it simply my disdain for politicians coming through?
Diana
Your question
Yes, all of the above :)
Beth
Now to really confuse you!
Where I live we have an even stranger way of dividing the grades. It constantly changes as well, making it harder and harder to stay on track.
When I was in 7th grade (12-13), we had about 10 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools, and 1 high school. So the 12 y/o 7th grade protagonist of my current story is going to junior high, where only 7th and 8th grades went, as that is what I can recall.
However, after I graduated high school (12th) they changed the system up. They changed the elementary schools to kindergarten through 5th grade, added 2 middle schools (making them 6th to 8th), made 1 junior high a middle school (6th to 8th), but kept 1 junior high school (7th to 8th). Then a year later they changed the high schools from 9th to 12th, to 10th to 12th, and added a freshman center (9th grade only). Within the next two years they're thinking about making the junior high into 7th to 9th, but keeping the freshman center 9th only. To add to all of that, we have a "correctional" school (as we called it) for troubled kids, which goes from 6th to 12th, and also offers GED assistance.
So I can see how people can get confused by all of this craziness. Basically the grades stay the same, but they just toss around different names for the schools. The intent for junior high schools and middle schools were to help students adapt to high school way of classes. However, the more they toss them around into separate schools, the more they disorient them in general. This leads to a lot of the problems we have in schools today, in my opinion. Most children have a hard time finding where they fit, and some think they don't fit at all when tossed around so much.
~Bailey
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.
Not confusing really
I kid.
But you do realize it's just a cunning plan so that all the staff can be re-employed at the 'new' schools with more important-sounding titles and jacked-up pay? That's what that kind of nonsense is usually about.
Cynical, moi?
Penny
In my old town,
There was, when I went there, 8 elementary schools, 1 middle (7 & 8) and 1 high school (with 2 magnet schools - an Japanese Language Elementary School and an International Baccalaureate high school), now there's 6 elementary school, 1 6 grade school, 1 junior high (7,8,9), 1 high school, with 6 magnet schools (1 Japanese language elementary, 1 arts elementary, 1 science elementary, 1 aeronautical middle school, 1 marine science high school and 1 IB high). The magnet schools are for 8 other towns.
TGSine --958