USA Financial Aid and Employment

Financial aid of any kind is very rarely available from North American colleges and universities for undergraduates other than U.S. citizens and permanent residents. When it is available and arranged in advance, income from employment with the school can form part of your proof of financial ability for issuance of Form I-20 or IAP-66, but the income must be specified on the form and supported by a letter from the school. Among the possible work programs after you enter are:

On-campus employment. F-1 students may, work on the campus of the school they are attending provided they are employed by the school itself or by an outside agency or company providing services to students on the campus. No permission is required. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week except during vacation periods. J-1 students also may work on campus but require written permission from the responsible officer who is authorized to sign Form IAP-66.

Curricular practical training. This is work that is part of your school’s academic program. Authorization is provided by the school’s foreign student adviser on the reverse of Form I-20 for F-1 students or in the form of an authorizing letter for J-1 students. This work may be wither part-time or full-time, depending upon the school’s program. If you use a full 12 months of full-time F-1 curricular practical training, you will not be eligible for any other practical training.

Optional practical training. There are two kinds of F-1 optional practical training, training during studies and training after studies. No more than one year of such training is permitted during your entire academic program.

Severe economic hardship employment. This kind of employment is also authorized by the immigration Service upon a foreign student adviser’s written recommendation. You are eligible after one academic year of study only if you can show that your financial situation has changed for reasons entirely beyond your control or ability to plan ( for example, death or illness of a sponsor, sudden currency devaluation, or a disaster such as war, hurricane, flood, or earthquake affecting your sponsor’s ability to send money).

There are two additional work programs: employment with a company that has certified to the U.S. government that part-time U.S. workers are not available, and work for an international organization. Both programs are very small and available only in certain parts of the U.S. F-2 and M-2 dependents are not permitted to work. J-2 dependents may apply to the Immigration Service for work permission, provided that the income will not be used to support the J-1 student, but such requests are not always granted.

USA Higher Educational System

There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States. A college is usually for undergraduates, whereas a university is a collection of one or more colleges, plus a graduate school and various professional schools. Colleges mainly teach but universities, with their large numbers of graduate students, also place emphasis on research.

The American Higher Educational System can be divided into the following categories:

Public schools are funded by the state and the local government of the area in which they are located. Community colleges grant associate degrees after two years of study. Students who plan to earn Bachelor’s degrees can attend A. A. or A.S. degree programs which are designed to parallel the first two years of study in a four-year institution.

*2-year community college
*4-year state college
*Graduate university
*Some vocational schools

Private schools are organized in the same manner as other colleges, but generally have fees much higher than those of the public schools. These schools are owned by private non-governmental individuals and boards of directors. Their funding is primarily from the tuition they charge and private contributions.

*2-year college
*4-year college
*Graduate University

Religiously affiliated colleges and universities are all privately owned and operated. They are predominantly Christian, although some are Jewish, Islamic and other faiths. These institutions offer general coursework, but they also offer and sometimes require participation in religion courses. In general, one need not be a member of a particular church or religious group to attend a religiously affiliated college in the U.S., and enrollment in such an institution will not impinge on one’s own religious practices.

Proprietary Schools are usually operated by an individual or a corporate owner. These schools generally concentrate on specific academic programs such as computer programming, or specialized fields such as aviation, fashion design and so on.
Technical and Vocational schools

USA Education System

Primary school

American children start school at the age of five years. The first year at school is called kindergarten. It is required of all American children enrolled in the American education system. The second year at school is considered the first year of primary school and is referred to as first grade. In America, the word grade has two meanings: (1) the score achieved on an exam or in a course, and (2) a year of education in primary or secondary school. Primary school most commonly consists of five years of education, referred to as first through fifth grades.


Secondary school

Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), American children enrolled in the American education system advance to secondary school. Secondary school most commonly consists of a total of seven years, referred to as sixth through twelfth grades. The ninth through twelfth grades are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth grade, American students are awarded a certificate called the high school diploma. In the American education system, students must have obtained a high school diploma before they are admitted into college or university. Foreign students who would like to attend an American college or university must have completed coursework that is equivalent to what is taught at an American high school. Foreign students who would like to attend an American high school, need to consider how the high school they select will give them access to the best colleges. You can also learn about some of the finest girls boarding schools and boys boarding schools in the American education system.


Undergraduate school

Students who have completed high school and would like to attend college or university must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelors degree) in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major. While most schools that offer a four-year degree will admit students who have not yet chosen a major, all students are required to select (or declare) a major by their second year at school. Students who complete an associate degree can continue their education at a four-year school and eventually complete a bachelor degree.


Graduate school

Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing one of two types of degrees. The first is a master’s degree. This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students are sometimes admitted to a master’s degree program only if they have a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field. However, there are many exceptions to this, such as with students who want to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree. Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree, also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the student, and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree. It is always required of students pursuing a PhD, and may sometimes be required of students pursuing a master’s degree (depending on the school).

Certain courses of study are only available at the graduate school level in America. The most notable of these are law, dentistry, and medicine. Students who want to pursue a degree in one of these fields must first obtain a bachelor’s degree.

General pattern of education in the USA

The general pattern of education in the USA is an eight-year elementary school, followed by a four-year high school. This has been called 8—4 plan organization. It is proceeded, in many localities, by nursery schools and kindergartens. It is followed by a four-year college and professional schools.

This traditional pattern, however, has been varied in many different ways. The 6—3— 3 plan consists of a six-year elementary school, a three-year junior high school, and a three-year senior high school. Another variation is a 6—6 plan organization, with a six-year elementary school followed by a six-year secondary school. American education provides a program for children, beginning at the age of 6 and continuing up to the age of 16 in some of the states, and to 18 in others. The elementary school in the United States is generally considered to include the first six or eight grades of the common-school system, depending upon the organization that has been accepted for the secondary school. It has been called the "grade school" or the "grammar school". There is no single governmental agency to prescribe for the American school system, different types of organization and of curriculum are tried out. The length of the school year varies among the states. Wide variation exists also in the length of the school day. A common practice is to have school in session from 9:00 to 12:00 in the morning and from 1:00 to 3:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. The school day for the lower grades is often from 30 minutes to an hour shorter. Most schools require some homework to be done by elementary pupils. Elementary Schools, High Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning Elementary Schools, High Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning There are eight years of elementary schooling. The elementary school is followed by four years of secondary school, or high school. Often the last two years of elementary and the first years of secondary school are combined into a junior high school. The school year is nine months in length, beginning early in September and sometimes a shorter one in spring. There are slight variations from place to place. Students enter the first grade at the age of six and attendance is compulsory in most states until the age of sixteen or until the student has finished the eighth grade. The elementary schools tend to be small. The high schools are generally larger and accommodate pupils from four or five elementary schools. A small town generally has several elementary schools and one high school. In some rural communities the one-room country school house still exists. Here may be found from five to twenty-five pupils in grades one through eight, all taught by the same teacher. Admission to the American high school is automatic on completion of the elementary school.

During the four-year high school program the student studies four or five major subjects per year, and classes in each of these subjects meet for an hour a day, five days a week. In addition, the student usually has classes in physical education, music, and art several times a week. If he fails a course, he repeats only that course and not the work of the entire year. Students must complete a certain number of courses in order to receive a diploma, or a certificate of graduation. Institutions of higher learning supported by public funds are not absolutely free. The state colleges and universities charge a fee for tuition or registration. This fee is higher for those who come from outside the state. Working one's way through college is commonplace. Usually there is no admission examination required by a state university for those who have finished high school within the state. Sometimes a certain pattern of high school studies is necessary, however, and some state universities require a certain scholastic average, or average of high school grades. Private colleges and universities, especially the larger, well-known ones such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, have rigid scholastic requirements for entrance, including an examination. It usually takes four years to meet the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.A Master of Arts or Master of Science degree may be obtained in one or two additional years.The highest academic degree is the Doctor of Philosophy.

It may take any number of years to complete the original research work necessary to obtain this degree. Higher Education Institutions It has become common for the college program to be divided into broad fields,such as languages and literature,the social sciences,the sciences and mathematics, and the fine arts.Many colleges require all freshmen and sophomores to take one or two full-year courses in each of three fields.Certain Courses,such as English or history,may be required for all,with some election permitted in the other fields.

Higher educational institutions usually are governed by a board of regents or a board of trustees. The executive head of a college or a university is usually called the president. The various colleges or schools which take up a university are headed by deans. Within a school or college there may be departments according to subject matter fields, each of which may be headed by a professor who is designated as department head or chairman.

Other members of the faculty hold academic ranks, such as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Graduate students who give some part-time service may be designated as graduate assistants or fellows. Professional education in fields such as agriculture, dentistry, law, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, teaching, etc. is pursued in professional schools which may be part of a university or may be separate institutions which confine their instruction to a single profession. Often two, three, or four years of pre-professional liberal arts education are required before admission to a professional school. Three to five years of specialized training lead to professional degrees such as Doctor of Medicine, Bachelor of Law, etc. Private and State Colleges and Universities Harvard College was established in 1636, with the principal purpose of providing a literate ministry1 for colonial churches. It was a small institution, enrolling only 20 students in 1642 and 60 in 1660. It soon became more than a theological training school2 and established itself as a liberal arts college. The next institution of higher learning established in the American colonies was the College of William and Mary, which opened in 1693 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Other colleges were founded in the next century, but all of them remained small schools for long periods. Students entered at the age of 14 and remained until they were 18, and the curriculum, while rigidly academic and classic was by modern standards rather secondary in nature. Private colleges and universities were established in various states. The first state university was the University of Virginia, founded in 1819. Some state universities have large endowment funds1 which provide a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of income are student fees, gifts and endowments.

In general, higher education in the USA may be divided into two broad fields: liberal arts and professional. Each of these fields may be further subdivided into undergraduate and graduate levels. The liberal arts program, on the undergraduate level, may be a two-year junior college course, or a four-year course leading to a degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The four-year course is usually subdivided into a lower division (which may be called the junior college), consisting of the two first years, and the upper division, which is the last two years. The first two years continue the general education and specialization begins in the third year. Teaching Profession in the USA Requirements for teachers' certificate vary among 50 states. Usually the state department of education, or a state certification board, issues certificates which permit teachers to be employed within the state. Forty- four of the 50 states require at least the completion of a four-year course, with the bachelor's degree, as a minimum for high school teaching: the tendency to require a fifth year beyond the bachelor's degree is increasing. Graduation from a two-year normal school or at least two years of college education is the minimum requirement for elementary teaching in 36 states; others demand the completion of a four-year course and the bachelor's degree.

Because of the decentralization of school control in the USA teachers are employed by local districts rather than by the national government. The American teacher does not have the absolute security of tenure which the French or Australian teacher enjoys. A higher proportion of the teaching force are women than in some other countries. The teacher-training institutions have not been able to provide sufficient numbers of fully trained teachers to replace those retiring and dropping out of the profession and at the same time to meet the requirements for new classes each year. The problem of recruiting and suply of teachers remains a serious one. In general the problem of shortage of teachers has not been met by lowering certification standards.  

Education in the USA

neral Pattern of Education in the USA     The general pattern of education in the USA is an eight-year elementary school, followed by a four-year high school. This has been called  8—4  plan organization. It is proceeded, in many localities, by  nursery  schools  and kindergartens. It is  followed  by  a  four-year  college  and  professional schools.  This  traditional  pattern,  however,  has  been  varied  in  many different ways. The 6—3— 3 plan consists of a six-year elementary school,  a three-year junior high school, and a three-year senior high school.  Another variation is a 6—6 plan organization,  with  a  six-year  elementary  school followed by a six-year secondary school.      American education provides a program for children,  beginning  at  the age of 6 and continuing up to the age of 16 in some of the  states,  and  to 18 in others.     The elementary school in the United States is generally  considered  to include  the  first  six  or  eight  grades  of  the  common-school  system, depending upon the organization that has been  accepted  for  the  secondary school. It has been called the  "grade  school"  or  the  "grammar  school".             There is no single  governmental  agency  to  prescribe  for  the American school system, different types of organization  and  of  curriculum are tried out.     The length of the school year varies among the states.  Wide  variation exists also in the length of the school day. A common practice  is  to  have school in session from 9:00 to 12:00 in the morning and from  1:00  to  3:30 in the afternoon, Monday through  Friday.  The  school  day  for  the  lower grades is often from 30 minutes to an hour  shorter.  Most  schools  require some homework to be done by  elementary  pupils.  Elementary  Schools,  High Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning   Elementary Schools, High Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning      There are eight years of elementary schooling. The elementary school is followed by four years of secondary school, or high school. Often  the  last two years of  elementary  and  the  first  years  of  secondary  school  are combined into a junior high school.     The school year is nine months in length, beginning early in  September and sometimes a shorter one in spring.  There  are  slight  variations  from place to place. Students enter the  first  grade  at  the  age  of  six  and attendance is compulsory in most states until the age of  sixteen  or  until the student has finished the eighth grade.     The elementary schools tend to be small. The high schools are generally larger and accommodate pupils from four or five elementary schools. A  small town generally has several elementary schools and one high school.  In  some rural communities the one-room country school house still exists.  Here  may be found from five to twenty-five pupils in grades one  through  eight,  all taught by the same teacher.     Admission to the American high school is automatic on completion of the elementary school. During the four-year  high  school  program  the  student studies four or five major subjects per year, and classes in each  of  these subjects meet for an hour a day, five days a week. In addition, the  student usually has classes in physical education, music, and art  several  times  a week. If he fails a course, he repeats only that course and not the work  of the entire year. Students must complete  a  certain  number  of  courses  in order to receive a diploma, or a certificate of graduation.     Institutions of higher learning  supported  by  public  funds  are  not absolutely free. The state  colleges  and  universities  charge  a  fee  for tuition or registration. This fee is higher for those who come from  outside the state. Working one's way through college is commonplace.     Usually  there  is  no  admission  examination  required  by  a   state university for those  who  have  finished  high  school  within  the  state. Sometimes a certain pattern of high school studies  is  necessary,  however, and some  state  universities  require  a  certain  scholastic  average,  or average of high school grades.     Private colleges and universities, especially  the  larger,  well-known ones  such  as  Harvard,  Princeton,  and  Yale,   have   rigid   scholastic requirements for entrance, including an examination.     It usually takes four years to meet the requirements for a Bachelor  of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.A Master of Arts  or  Master  of  Science degree may be obtained in one or two additional years.The  highest  academic degree is the Doctor of Philosophy.It  may  take  any  number  of  years  to complete the original research work necessary to obtain this degree.                             Higher Education Institutions      It has become common for the college program to be divided  into  broad fields,such as languages and  literature,the  social  sciences,the  sciences and mathematics, and the fine arts.Many colleges require  all  freshmen  and sophomores  to  take  one  or  two  full-year  courses  in  each  of   three fields.Certain Courses,such  as  English  or  history,may  be  required  for all,with some election permitted in the other fields.     Higher educational institutions usually are  governed  by  a  board  of regents or a board of trustees.     The executive head of a college or a university is usually  called  the president. The various colleges or schools which take up  a  university  are headed by deans. Within  a  school  or  college  there  may  be  departments according to subject matter fields,  each  of  which  may  be  headed  by  a professor who is designated as department head or  chairman.  Other  members of  the  faculty  hold  academic  ranks,  such  as   instructor,   assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Graduate  students  who  give some part-time service may be designated as graduate assistants or fellows. Professional education  in  fields  such  as  agriculture,  dentistry,  law, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, teaching, etc. is pursued  in  professional schools which may be part of a university or may  be  separate  institutions which confine their instruction to a single profession.  Often  two,  three, or four years  of  pre-professional  liberal  arts  education  are  required before  admission  to  a  professional  school.  Three  to  five  years   of specialized  training  lead  to  professional  degrees  such  as  Doctor  of Medicine, Bachelor of Law, etc.                   Private and State Colleges and Universities      Harvard College was established in 1636, with the principal purpose  of providing a literate  ministry1  for  colonial  churches.  It  was  a  small institution, enrolling only 20 students in 1642 and  60  in  1660.  It  soon became more than a theological training school2 and established itself as  a liberal arts college. The next institution of  higher  learning  established in the American colonies was the College of William and Mary,  which  opened in 1693 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Other colleges were founded in  the  next century, but all of them remained small schools for long  periods.  Students entered at the  age  of  14  and  remained  until  they  were  18,  and  the curriculum, while rigidly academic  and  classic  was  by  modern  standards rather secondary in nature.     Private colleges and universities were established in  various  states. The first state university was the University of Virginia, founded in  1819. Some  state  universities  have  large  endowment  funds1  which  provide  a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of  income  are  student fees, gifts and endowments.     In general, higher education in the USA may be divided into  two  broad fields: liberal arts and professional. Each of these fields may  be  further subdivided  into  undergraduate  and  graduate  levels.  The  liberal   arts program, on the undergraduate  level,  may  be  a  two-year  junior  college course, or a four-year course leading to a degree of  Bachelor  of  Arts  or Bachelor of Science. The four-year  course  is  usually  subdivided  into  a lower division (which may be called the junior college), consisting  of  the two first years, and the upper division, which is the last  two  years.  The first two years continue the general education and specialization begins  in the third year.                         Teaching Profession in the USA      Requirements for teachers' certificate vary among  50  states.  Usually the state department of education, or a state  certification  board,  issues certificates which permit teachers to be employed within the  state.  Forty- four of the 50 states  require  at  least  the  completion  of  a  four-year course, with the bachelor's degree, as a minimum for high  school  teaching: the tendency to require  a  fifth  year  beyond  the  bachelor's  degree  is increasing. Graduation from a two-year normal school or at least  two  years of college education is the minimum requirement for elementary  teaching  in 36 states; others demand the  completion  of  a  four-year  course  and  the bachelor's degree.     Because of the decentralization of school control in the  USA  teachers are employed by local districts rather than by the national government.  The American teacher does not have the absolute security  of  tenure  which  the French or Australian teacher enjoys. A higher  proportion  of  the  teaching force are women than in some other countries.     The  teacher-training  institutions  have  not  been  able  to  provide sufficient numbers of fully trained teachers to replace those  retiring  and dropping  out  of  the  profession  and  at  the  same  time  to  meet   the requirements for new classes each year. The problem of recruiting and  suply of teachers remains a serious one. In general the  problem  of  shortage  of teachers has not been met by lowering certification standards.  

Weaknesses and Problems in the American Educational System

Education in America is not as effective as it should be because of a number of problems inherent within the system. Because of the way issues of political and social differences have infiltrated educational policy and decision-making, students are not being offered a sound way of dealing with diversity or understanding how to manage differences.

Furthermore, in the midst of more large scale debates centering upon sociopolitical questions, there are more concrete problems that are not being dealt with such as the issue of cheating in schools and even the imbalance and potential unfairness of the grading system. In many cases, it seems that the problems in the schools are related to an inability to make important decisions about the future of education in America. Instead of focusing on the areas of true and immediate significant importance and value, time is being wasted by infighting and indecision. Instead of wasting time of these debates, the larger issues that have an effect on the system as a whole and outcome of educated young people should be addressed and these other side arguments should be saved until a time comes that education in America is improved.

One of the problems with the American education system is that it has yet to form a consensus about the role of religion in the classroom. While this is not a statement meant to argue whether or not religion has a valid place in the public schools, it is fair to state that this is certainly an area of contention as opposing sides attempt to standardize how religion is treated, particularly in textbooks. Because of a lack of agreement, proponents on both sides use litigation and other actions to determine religion’s status in schools and this has caused textbook publishers and other educational entities to have to take a dramatic stance. For instance, some argue that the efforts to stay away from this debate “has pushed textbook publishers to excise religion altogether, even from history class. It is not just the teaching of religion that has become taboo…It is the teaching of religion” 

No matter where one stands in the midst of this controversy, it is necessary to at least admit that a large portion of Western history revolves around religious ideas.  As a result of this fact, it seems as though these textbook publishers who are afraid to include anything of a religious nature are doing students a disservice since they are denying the legitimate reasons for many historical and social truths of history. In other words, political correctness and oversensitivity about religious issues have clouded education and caused students to have a rather skewed view of society since they are only being offered a rather whitewashed version of it.

When Goodman suggests that American schoolchildren need to be taught the importance of diversity by stating, “it is not that Americans deny their differences or always resolve them, but that we have managed, until now, to live with them” (1) she makes an important point about diverse thinking. As her statement also makes clear, American education cannot gloss over history and society without cheating students out of a deeper understanding of differences in opinion. By offering young people only one narrow way of thinking because of political reasons, it limits their scope and ability to deal with such social difference later in life.Education is not becoming more ineffective simply because of political wrangling about the role of religion in schools, but also because there is a lack of understanding about moral issues, such as plagiarism. While its another argument entirely about whether or not the two are interdependent in some ways (religion and simple morals/ethics) it is noteworthy that there is a lack of ethical stringency in schools. When it has been suggested that out of the top American students many cheated and had ambivalent views about it, it becomes clear that there is a lapse in ethical lapse in the system itself.

According to one of the statistics in “Their Cheating Hearts” by William Raspberry, “80 percent had engaged in academic cheating and thought cheating was commonplace. Moreover, most saw cheating as a minor infraction”

Public education's intractable problems

The situation in elementary and secondary public education in this country is little short of desperate. The schools' physical plants are crumbling, but citizens, rebelling against suffocating taxes, refuse to vote additional monies for them.

For more than two decades, public schools also suffered the trauma of an unpopular and costly busing integration program that proved a near total failure. Much of the legislation prompting this has been rescinded, but the damage already is done. It helped cause the demise of the public schools by forcing concerned parents to enroll their children in private schools or move to the suburbs, where better systems prevailed. There were good reasons for this "white flight," for youngsters have only one chance at a good education. Few parents are going to sacrifice their offspring to unproven social programs.

Meanwhile, the government-mandated policy of "inclusiveness" weakened school academics. Already overworked teachers had to watch over and integrate the severely handicapped into the classroom. The idea was a do-gooder's dream turned nightmare.

A great number of students, coming from dysfunctional families, were undisciplined and had no respect for authority and little interest in learning. Decorum in the classroom virtually has vanished. The old expression of one rotten apple spoiling a barrelful was forgotten. Among many blacks, students getting good grades were condemned for "acting white." In many cases, the troublemakers, who couldn't be kicked out of school because of concern over false charges of civil rights violations, solved the problem themselves by dropping out. This proved bittersweet at best, for school funding usually is based on enrollment.

Finally, the states that have an overflow of immigrants, legal and illegal, are given the near-impossible task of contending with up to 20 different languages spoken by those enrolled in a single class. One art teacher friend commented that he could succeed in part only because art is a universal language, but couldn't understand how math and science teachers could do it:

The most telling criticism of public schools comes from IBM CEO Lou Gersten. He says that businesses spend $30,000,000,000 a year on remedial education for high school graduates they hire. Additionally, industry loses another like sum in an attempt to upgrade others who can't handle training in high tech.

Education? Who needs it? Most of all, the public schools do!

Relationship Between Problems In Education And Society

According to "A Nation at Risk", the American education system 
has declined due to a "rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools.   
States such as New York have responded to the findings and 
recommendations of the report by implementing such strategies as the "Regents Action Plan" and the "New Compact for Learning".
        In the early 1980s, President Regan ordered a national 
commission to study our education system.   The findings of this 
commission were that, compared with other industrialized nations, our 
education system is grossly inadequate in meeting the standards of 
education that many other countries have developed.   At one time, 
America was the world leader in technology, service, and industry, but 
overconfidence based on a historical belief in our superiority has 
caused our nation to fall behind the rapidly growing competitive 
market in the world with regard to education.   The report in some 
respects is an unfair comparison of our education system, which does 
not have a national standard for goals, curriculum, or regulations, 
with other countries that do, but the findings nevertheless reflect 
the need for change.   Our education system at this time is regulated 
by states which implement their own curriculum, set their own goals 
and have their own requirements for teacher preparation.   Combined 
with this is the fact that we have lowered our expectations in these 
areas, thus we are not providing an equal or quality education to all 
students across the country.   The commission findings generated 
recommendations to improve the content of education and raise the 
standards of   student achievement, particularly in testing, increase 
the time spent on education and provide incentives to encourage more 
individuals to enter the field of education as well as improving 
teacher preparation.
        N.Y. State responded to these recommendations by first 
implementing the Regents Action Plan;   an eight year...

Educational Underachievement

Educational underachievement is a big problem in society's school systems. A lot of problems faced with students today can revolve around their domestic life. If there is no motivation for learning and excelling in school, the student will not. Every student needs some type of incentive to achieve the expectations of their school system.

Possibly there could be some interest conflicts due to the subjects that your child is taking. Many students do not do well in classes or subjects that they do not enjoy or view as valuable in life. To help this problem, it is wise to make the subjects alive and applicable in the student's life. Sometimes the subject material is so easy that the child has no motivation and can even become stagnant in their learning community. Fixing these problems can help to ensure that your child will excel in his/her school system.

Method for Fixing Educational Underachievement

Fixing these problems of educational underachievement is very important for the child to succeed in school. If the child has problems studying or concentrating in class, a method called educational kinesiology may be helpful. Maybe the child just needs a little help at home with his parents. This will ensure quality time spent is with the parents and doing homework may become enjoyable because of that.

The main key is to make the subject alive or relative to the child. Every child has different interests and if the subject is applied or based around that interest, the child will learn mor efficiently than if the child isn't interested.

There are many different programs to help children correct their shortcomings in school. Finding the right program can be tough. Searching online will help you find ways to help your child or friend become a better student.