Education in the United States: A Brief Overview.

Overview & Synopsis

The summary version of "Progress of Education in the United States of America", is intended for use by educational policymakers abroad and for all persons who are interested in educational development in the United States. The report is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I identifies general principles of American public education, as expressed in the Constitution and state statutes. Chapter II outlines the structure and organization of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education and emphasizes the importance of adult education programs. Chapter III reviews the educational roles of the federal and state governments. Chapter IV describes how school curricula are determined and developed and how entrance and graduation requirements are set. Chapter V examines teacher education programs and notes the widespread existence of inservice programs for teachers on all levels. Chapter VI discusses federal involvement in educational research and information services, bilingual and bicultural education, competency based education, and reading comprehension programs. The final chapter cites statistics related to enrollment, teachers and instructional staff, schools and school districts, high school and college graduates, school retention rates, and expenditures. Tables of data are presented in the appendix. (Author/DB)