System Academic in america and indonesia

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background To understandany discussionof American education, one must be familiar with the basic consept and terms in the glossary on the text page. This chapter offers an overview of the ideals that guide the American educational system. It then discusses some social forces that influence American educational institutoins, and some contemporary issues those institutions face. American view their public school system as an Educational ladder, rising from elementary school to high school and finally college undergraduate and graduate program. Most children start school at age five by attending kingergarten, or even at age three or four by attending preschool program. Then usually there are six years of elementary school. School system may divide the twelve yeaars up differentaly grouping sixth, seventh, and eighth graders into middle school. Much of the control of American public schools lies in the hands of each local school district. Each school district is governed by a school board; a small committee of people elected by the local community or appointed by the local government. The school board sets general policies for the school district and insures that state guidelines are met. B. Problem Formulation 1. What is system of Education ? 2. How system Of Education in American ? 3. How the multicultural education in American ? 4. How to the Educational Standarts in the U.S. ? CHAPTER II DISCUSSIONS A. Explain System Of Education International students who come to the United States may wonder about their American classmates’ prior education. Due to its local variations, the American education system appears confusing. In addition, the structure and procedures at American universities differ somewhat from other systems, such as the British model. This is a brief overview of the American school and university systems. To begin, because the country has a federal system of government that has historically valued local governance, no country-level education system or curriculum exists in the United States. The federal government does not operate public schools. Each of the fifty states has its own Department of Education that sets guidelines for the schools of that state. Public schools also receive funding from the individual state, and also from local property taxes. Public colleges and universities receive funding from the state in which they are located. Each state’s legislative body decides how many tax dollars will be given to public colleges and universities. Students in grades 1-12 do not pay tuition. College and university students do pay tuition, but many earn scholarships or receive loans. Education is cinsidered to be a matter for the people of each state. Although there is a federal Departement of Education, its function is merely to gather information, to advise, and to help finace certain educational programs. Education, American say, is “a national concern, a state responssibility, and a local function “. Since the Constitution does not state that education is a reponsibility of the federal goverment, all educational matters are left to the individual state. Local control of the school has also meant that there is a great deal of flexibility. There is much opportunity to experiment and to fit programs to a community’s wishes and needs. Typically, high school will offer courses of study which they feel best reflect their student’ need. There are a great many city or county-owned colleges and universities, and many others are supported by thr state. In general, colleges and universities, whether state or private, are quite free to determine their one individual standarts, admissions, and graduation requirements. What makes American education at the secondary level so different from most other countries is that all such programs, whether academic, tenhnical, or practical, are generally taugh under one roof.The Amer-

ican high scool is therefore best seen as if it were a combination of all the various types of scool which are usually separated and kept in separate buildings in other countries. As often as possible, too, handicapped children attend the same school that anyone else does. B. system Of Education in American there is another area of inequality in the american education system. Because of the way that school are funded, the quality of education that American students receive in public school varies graetly. a) Higher Education The American ideals of mass education for all ismatched by an awareness that American also needs highly trained specialists. In higher education, therefore, and especially at the graduate school (those following the firts four years of college), the U.S. has an extremely competitive and highly selective system. Higher education in the U.S. is also called postsecondary education, but the latter term also refers to all formal education beyond secondary school, whether higher education (defined as degree-granting education) or not. Postsecondary education is broadly divided into two different sectors: postsecondary vocational education and training, which is non-degree but can produce some transferable credits under certain circumstances; and higher education, which includes studies undertaken in degree-granting institutions for academic credit. While the A merican education system might put off selecting students until much later than do other system, it does nonetheless select. And it becomes increasingly selective the higher the level. Moreover, because each university generally sets own admission standarts, the best universities are also the most difficult to get into. A large number of different programs aimed at improving educational opportunities among minotory groups exist at all levels local state and federal. They have met some, event if moderate, succes. These programs along with the figuresabout point to one aspect which is critical to understanding American education. And they could conclude that enormous progress has been made in the past decades. Quality assurance is achieved via the system of voluntary accreditation by specific accrediting agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and meet the standards for membership in the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accreditation is a self-regulating process of quality control engaged in by the U.S. postsecondary education community to ensure minimum standards of academic capability, administrative competence, and to promote mutual recognition of qualifications within the system. Six (6) regional accreditation associations set minimum standards for institutions chartered in the states of their respective jurisdictions. In addition, there are recognized accrediting agencies for specialized institutions and programs. While all recognized and accredited institutions are licensed or chartered by state governments, states vary greatly in the degree of supervision and quality control that they exercise, and there is relatively limited reciprocity of recognition across state borders. Accreditation by recognized agencies, therefore, remains the primary means of ensuring academic and institutional quality and the mutual acceptance of credits and qualifications across and outside the United States. b) Elementary and secondary Education Because of the great variety of schools and coleges, and the many differences among them, no one institution can be singled out as typical ot even representative, Yet there are enough basic similsrities in structure among the various school and system to permint some general comments. Most school start at the kindegarten level. There are some school districts that do not have this beginning phase, and others which have an additional “preschool” one. There are almost always required subject at each level. In some areas and at more advance levels, students can choose some subjects. Pupils who do not do well often have to repeat course, or have to have special tutoring, usually done in and by the schools, many school also support summer clasess, where students can make up for failed courses or even take extra course. In addition to bingual and bicultural education programs, many schools have special programs for those with learning and reading difficulties. These and other programs repeat the emphasis of American education on trying to increase equality of opportunity. They also attempt to integrate students with varying abilities and background into an educational system shared by all. At the same time, many high school students are given special advanced coursework in mathematic and sciences. Like school in Britain and other English speaking countries, those in the U.S. have also always stressed “character” or “social skills” through extracurricular activities, including organized sport. Secondary school students must take certain ‘core’ curriculum courses for a prescribed number of years or terms, as determined by each state. These generally include English, maths, general science, health,

physical education and social studies or social sciences (which may include American history and government, geography, world history and social problems). Students are streamed (tracked) in some high schools for academic subjects, where the brightest students are put on a ‘fast track’. In addition to mandatory subjects, students choose ‘electives’ (optional subjects), which supplement their future education and career plans. Electives usually comprise around half of a student’s work in grades 9 to 12. Students concentrate on four subjects each quarter and are seldom ‘pushed’ beyond their capability or capacity for learning. . C. Multicultural Education The changing populations of students in American school has brought some changes in what is taught in the school as well. One in three students in U.S. school is a member of a racial or ethnic minotiry group, and one in five lives with a parent whohas born outside the United States. Ethnic and racial minorities have criticized schools and textbooks for focusing too much on the literature and historical events of Anglo Europeans or white males. They believe that school have almost ignored the contribution. Multicultural education refers to any form of education or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds. At the classroom level, for example, teachers may modify or incorporate lessons to reflect the cultural diversity of the students in a particular class. In many cases, “culture” is defined in the broadest possible sense, encompassing race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, and “exceptionality”—a term applied to students with specialized needs or disabilities. Generally speaking, multicultural education is predicated on the principle of educational equity for all students, regardless of culture, and it strives to remove barriers to educational opportunities and success for students from different cultural backgrounds. In practice, educators may modify or eliminate educational policies, programs, materials, lessons, and instructional practices that are either discriminatory toward or insufficiently inclusive of diverse cultural perspectives. Multicultural education also assumes that the ways in which students learn and think are deeply influenced by their cultural identity and heritage, and that to teach culturally diverse students effectively requires educational approaches that value and recognize their cultural backgrounds. In this way, multicultural education aims to improve the learning and success of all students, particularly students from cultural groups that have been historically underrepresented or that suffer from lower educational achievement and attainment. Instructionally, multicultural education may entail the use of texts, materials, references, and historical examples that are understandable to students from different cultural backgrounds or that reflect their particular cultural experience—such as teaching students about historical figures who were female, disabled, or gay (a less common practice in past decades). Since schools in the United States have traditionally used texts, learning materials, and cultural examples that commonly—or even exclusively—reflect an American or Eurocentric point of view, other cultural perspectives are often absent. Consequently, some students—such as recently arrived immigrants or students of color, for example—may be placed at an educational disadvantage due to cultural or linguistic obstacles that have been overlooked or ignored. D. Educational Standarts in the U.S High schools offer a wide range of subjects from which students can choose a programme leading to college/university entrance or a career in business or industry. The courses offered vary from school to school and are listed in school curriculum guides. Around the ninth grade, students receive counselling as they begin to plan their careers and select subjects that are useful in their chosen fields. Counselling continues throughout the senior high school years and into college, particularly in junior college or the first two years of a four-year college programme. Larger schools may offer a selection of elective courses aimed at three or more tracks: academic, vocational and general. Students planning to go on to college or university elect courses with an emphasis on academic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), higher mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), advanced English literature, composition, social sciences and foreign languages. The vocational programme may provide training in four fields: agricultural education, which prepares students for farm management and operation; business education, which trains students for the commercial field; home economics, which prepares students for home management, child care and care of the sick;

and trade and industrial education, which provides training for jobs in mechanical, manufacturing, building and other trades. Students interested in entering business from high school may take typing, shorthand, book-keeping or ‘business’ English. The third programme is a general or comprehensive programme providing features of the academic and vocational programmes. Its introductory courses provide an appreciation of the various trades and industrial arts, rather than training students for specific jobs. Those who don’t want to go to college or enter a particular trade immediately but want the benefits of schooling and a high school diploma often follow the general programme. Upon satisfactory completion of 12th grade, a student graduates and receives a high school diploma. (In the US, students graduate from high school, junior high school, elementary school and even nursery school.) At high schools (as at colleges and universities) there are ceremonies to celebrate graduation complete with caps, gowns, diplomas, and speeches by staff and students. Graduation ceremonies are often called ‘commencement’, because it marks the start of a new stage in a student’s life. Americans are enthusiastic about ‘life cycle events’ (milestones) and graduations are a time of great celebration and feting of students. It’s a particular honour for a student (usually the top student) to be chosen as the ‘valedictorian’, who gives the valedictorian oration or farewell speech at the graduation ceremony. Secondary school students must take certain ‘core’ curriculum courses for a prescribed number of years or terms, as determined by each state. These generally include English, maths, general science, health, physical education and social studies or social sciences (which may include American history and government, geography, world history and social problems). Students are streamed (tracked) in some high schools for academic subjects, where the brightest students are put on a ‘fast track’. Multicultural education refers to any form of education or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds. At the classroom level, for example, teachers may modify or incorporate lessons to reflect the cultural diversity of the students in a particular class. In many cases, “culture” is defined in the broadest possible sense, encompassing race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, and “exceptionality”—a term applied to students with specialized needs or disabilities. CHAPTER III CLOSING A. CONCLUSIONS Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through story telling, discussion, teaching, training, and or research. Education may also include informal transmission of such information from one human being to another. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of others, but learners may also educate themselves (autodidactic learning).[1] Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Education is cinsidered to be a matter for the people of each state. Although there is a federal Departement of Education, its function is merely to gather information, to advise, and to help finace certain educational programs. Education, American say, is “a national concern, a state responssibility, and a local function “. Since the Constitution does not state that education is a reponsibility of the federal goverment, all educational matters are left to the individual state.